The Natural Hazards and Opportunity: Community Resilience and Habitat Connectivity project aims to help communities understand and fully leverage the potential ecological and social value of properties acquired under federal hazard mitigation and other programs that fund voluntary acquisitions of flood prone properties.
Since 1993, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has funded the acquisition of over 55,000 flood-damaged properties. Under FEMA’s acquisition programs, once properties are purchased following a disaster, existing structures must be removed and the land must be dedicated to open space, recreational, or wetland management uses. These properties can offer opportunities to restore and permanently protect natural habitats and help conserve biodiversity, while also providing community amenities and improving resilience.
