The Office of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin

04/03/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/03/2024 10:47

Gov. Evers Signs Senate Bill 222 to Promote Flood Resilience in Wisconsin Communities

Press Release: Gov. Evers Signs Senate Bill 222 to Promote Flood Resilience in Wisconsin Communities

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 04/03/2024 11:19 AM CDT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 3, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
Gov. Evers Signs Senate Bill 222to Promote Flood Resilience in Wisconsin Communities
TREMPEALEAU - Gov. Tony Evers today, joined byauthors and co-sponsors of the bill, local officials, and community members,signed Senate Bill 222, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 265, which requires Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM), adivision of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, to create and administer a pre-disaster flood resilience grant programto provide grants for projects aimed at identifying and improving flood vulnerabilities and resilience priorities in local communities.

"We all know that Wisconsin is no stranger to natural disasters-especially flooding-and that extreme weather continues to have devastating effects on folks' lives and livelihoods, costing Wisconsin families millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses, local infrastructure, and the environment," said Gov. Evers. "During my time as governor, I'vevisited homes acrossour state and heard from families who are asking us to help them prepare for flooding to keep their homes, farms, and businesses safe. This bill is an important step to give families and communities peace of mind and the tools they need to prevent flood damage in the future."

Flooding is one of the most frequentlyoccurring natural disasters across Wisconsin and the United States,affecting a greatnumberof Wisconsin municipalitiesand increasingdamage costs to public and private property. Last spring, Gov. Evers declareda state of emergency due to elevated flooding concerns following heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt that contributed to flooding issues in several counties across the state.The growing threatof flooding and other severe weather underscoresthe importance ofcommunities evaluating theirrisk of floodingand taking appropriate actionsto prepareforand mitigate flooding concerns before an emergencyoccurs.

Gov. Evers haslongproposed and supported legislation to address the devastating effects of flooding in Wisconsin, including joining a bipartisan group of legislators to introduce legislation in 2020, as well as introducing similar policies as part of his 2021-23 and 2023-25 executive budgets. The final 2023-25 biennial budget advanced several measures to expand flood planning, prevention, and rehabilitation. In addition to increases for the municipal flood control program, which provides cost sharing to municipalities for floodproofingand flood mapping, thefinal budget signed by Gov. Evers included $2 million in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation to provide pre-disaster flood resilience grants, and Act 265 establishesthe framework to administer these funds.

Senate Bill 222, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 265:
  • Requires WEM to create and administer a pre-disaster flood resilience grant program to provide grants to applicants for the purpose of identifyingflood vulnerabilities, identifyingoptions to improve flood resiliency, and restoring hydrology in order toreduce flood risk and damages in flood-prone communities;
  • Allows grants of up to $300,000 per assessment grant and $250,000 per implementation grant to be made to local and Tribal governmental units, nonprofit organizations,orprivate consulting organizations applying on behalf of local governmental units;and
  • Establishes that applications for a grant may be considered only if: (a) the application is for a project area that was the site of a presidentially declared disaster for flooding at any time in the ten years preceding the grant cycle, (b) the application is for a project area that was the site of a governor-declared state of emergency for flooding at any time in the ten years preceding the grant cycle,or (c) the application is for a local governmental unit that has a hazard mitigation plan that identifies localized exposure to flood risk approved by the division.
An online version of this release is available here.
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Office of the Governor • 115 East Capitol, Madison, WI 53702
Press Office Email: [email protected]
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