In some cases, HMA may approve funding for a portion of a larger project that involves other FEMA programs (e.g., PA, Individual Assistance [IA]); other federal agencies (e.g., USACE); or agencies with delegated federal authority (e.g., the Department of Housing and Urban Development).
In these cases, the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013[66] added Section 429 to the Stafford Act [67], which directed the development of an expedited and unified interagency EHP review process, also known as Unified Federal Review, to ensure federal agencies coordinate EHP compliance for activities. When two or more federal agencies are involved with a project, or if any applicant EHP coordination has occurred, relevant environmental and historic or cultural resource considerations may have already been identified and addressed in previous EHP project planning activities. FEMA may be able to use or adopt EHP documentation if that documentation addresses the scope of the FEMA-approved activity, and the agency verifies it meets EHP compliance requirements.
Projects proposed for FEMA funding may involve more than one federal agency and can require significant interagency collaboration and stakeholder engagement. Federal agencies use the Unified Federal Review process to address the coordination challenges when multiple agencies are engaged in the same disaster recovery effort. The Unified Federal Review process recognizes the important role of federal agencies, states, tribes, localities and the public in EHP reviews. Applicants and subapplicants should identify for FEMA the other federal agency or agencies from which they are seeking approval, funding or permitting, as well as provide any relevant information to help streamline and inform the EHP review.
The Unified Federal Review process coordinates federal agency EHP reviews for proposed projects associated with Presidentially declared disasters under the Stafford Act. The purpose of the Unified Federal Review process is to improve federal decision-making to allow for more timely and planned processes that yield better outcomes for communities and the environment when federal funds and permits are used for disaster recovery projects. The Unified Federal Review process does not change EHP requirements under existing federal law. Instead, it identifies ways to use existing efficiencies, with new tools and mechanisms, to expedite the EHP review of proposed projects involving multiple federal agencies and avoid duplication of effort.
These efforts include identifying and addressing gaps and inconsistencies within federal regulations, policies and programs related to natural and cultural resource issues, which result in the following outcomes:
- Faster delivery of federal assistance to rebuild following a disaster.
- Transparent EHP review process for disaster recovery projects and what may be required before a federal agency may award assistance.
- Streamlined application processes for federal assistance, in which federal agencies accept data in multiple formats so duplicate EHP information is no longer needed.
- Up-to-date contact information for federal and state agencies that can provide federal assistance and relevant information.
The Unified Federal Review process may assist a jurisdiction’s project review if any of the following statements is true:
- Other federal resource/regulatory agencies are involved.[68]
- Other federal funding or actions are involved.
- The proposed project is covered by existing analyses or agreements.
To learn more about the Unified Federal Review process and how it may apply to a project, consult the Practitioner’s Guide to Unified Federal Review, contact the Regional Unified Federal Review Coordinator or send an email to federal-unified-review@fema.dhs.gov.