36TH DISTRICT APPROPRIAnONS, VICE CHAIR

715 FARNUM BUILDING JOHN MOOLENAAR SUBCOMMITTEES:

P.O. BOX 30036 OEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY
LANSING. MI 48909-7536 VICE-CHAIRMAN OF APPROPRIATIONS HEALTH, CHAlR

PHONE: (517) 373-7946 AGRICUl.TURE, VICE CHAIR

TOLL-FREE: (866) 305-2136

MICHIGAN SENATE CAPITAL OUTLAY

1=AX:(517) 373-2678 STANDING COMMITTEES;

senjrnooJenaar@senate.michigan.gov VETERANS,MILITARY AFFAlRS
January 24,2011 AND HOMELAND SECURITY. CHAIR
·.www.SenatorJohnMcolooaar.ocm
OUTDOOR RECREATION AND
TOURISM
REDISTRICTING
Mr. Dan Wyant
Director, Natural Resources and Environment
Constitution Hall
61h Floor South Tower
Lansing, Michigan 418909

Dear Mr. Wyant:

It has been brought to my attention by my constituents in both Midland and Gladwin counties that there is an error in
the FEMA flood zone mapping process that has. resulted in the requirement that many Michigan residents purchase !
FEMA flood insurance even though they do not reside in a flood zone. This is causing many residents of the district I i
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represent to bear an unnecessary financial burden .!
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As a result of these inaccurate flood maps, area residents have independently contracted their own topographic map
development with tile purpose of identifying more accurate flood zones. These new maps showed that 98% of residents
in the current flood plain, or about 350 households in parts of Midland and Gladwin counties were actually outside the
borders ofthe flood plain. The differences in the maps were FEMA's ten foot contours versus the new maps' two foot
contours. It is to my understanding that FEMA has recognized that the new maps are more accurate however; the maps
would have to be put through a federal map revision process in order to be considered in identifying flood plains.

My staIfhas been in contact with Bruce Menerey in your Water Resources department regarding this situation, He was
helpful in explaining FEMA's map revision process which, due to the cost of revising the flood maps, takes
approximately two years to complete. The only way a household can escape the unnecessary FEMAflood insurance is
if they contract their own surveyor, this is again, an unnecessary cost and burden to Michigan families.

I encourage you to promptly look into this issue and insist FEMA only use the new two foot contour flood maps in
order to alleviate this unnecessary financial burden on Michigan families. ill the interim, 1would ask that exemptions
from requiring FEMA flood insurance be granted to the aforementioned residents until maps depicting an accurate
flood plain can be instituted.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your time and consideration of this very
important issue.

Sincerely,

JOhnMoo(f~
State Senator
36th District
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cc: Congressman Dave Camp; Congressman Dan Benishek; Representative Kevin Cotter; Representative Joel Johnson;
Midland County Commissioner Chair, Mark Bone; Gladwin County Commissioner Chair, Josh Reid I
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REPRESENTING: ALCONA • Al.PENA • CRAWFORD· GLADWIN· !OSCO • MIDLAND • MONTMORENCY
OGEMAW • OSCODA' OTSEGO I,
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