Public Notice: Intent to Provide Funding for Hazard Mitigation

Public Notice

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received a subgrant application for The Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 and 44 CFR Part 9.12, final notice is hereby given of FEMA’s intent to provide funding for this project under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

An initial disaster‐wide Public Notice was published Friday, November 11, 2024 for DR-4830 Hurricane Helene. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. - Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 require FEMA to consider alternatives and provide public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

This notice serves as a project‐ specific final notice for FEMA’s funding action located within a Special Flood Hazard Area or Wetlands Area. FEMA has determined the only practicable alternative is to fund the stabilization of the shoreline located within the Special Flood Hazard Area prior to the next event. Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions. This action complies with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

Location of Proposed Work and Floodplain Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panels:

All Panels effective 12/21/2017 Sites are located within regulatory floodways. Sites are located within or adjacent to wetlands.

Proposed Work and Purpose: The Crooked River State Park Shoreline is at risk of severe erosion with each Tropical system, nor’easter event, high-tide flooding, sea level rise and precipitation occurrence.  Each event takes away land and increases the risk to infrastructure as well as adds sediment to the river and channel. DNR proposes to stabilize the shoreline through a nature-based solution called a Living Shoreline. This solution will halt the current and future erosion, stabilize the park cabins, preserve the upland parking lot as well as the bait shop.  Most importantly, this project will ultimately protect the ecotourism that Camden County and the State of Georgia depend on.

Project Alternatives:

1. Stabilize shoreline with traditional hard structures – This project site could be stabilized with traditional rip rap, but some potential disadvantages of these traditional methods have been observed where living shorelines would be suitable. Riprap would require frequent long-term maintenance as rocks would need to be replaced as they naturally move. It would create a barrier that would prevent marsh migration as sea levels rise and where stormwater could not run off the bank efficiently. This could potentially cause more erosion on the back side of the structure.

2. No action alternative – If no action is taken to reduce erosion at the site, the bait shop, cabins, group shelters, parking lots, and recreation area at the park would be lost. Based on historic and current rates of erosion, the bait shop would be impacted in 13 years and many of the cabins would be impacted in 30 years.

Comments: This will serve as the final public notice regarding the above‐described action funded by the FEMA HMGP program. Interested persons may submit comments, questions, or request a map of this specific project by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee‐Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing FEMA‐R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing with the subject line “HMGP – 4830 Crooked River State Park Living Shoreline Stabilization at the above addresses within 15 days of the date of this notice.

THIS NOTICE MAY BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEW ON THE 15^th DAY FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF POSTING

NOTICE WAS POSTED ON 24th DAY OFJUNE 2026