FEMA has formally announced the FY 2019 PDM and FMA grants. These nationally competitive grants provide mitigation funding on a cost-share basis to local communities for the completion of eligible, cost-effective mitigation projects and hazard mitigation plans. FEMA's announcements state that $250 million and $160 million have been allocated to the PDM and FMA programs for FY 2019 respectively. Generally, eligible project types include wildfire (defensible space, hazardous fuels reduction, landscape fuels treatment, ignition resistant construction), flood control infrastructure, stream restoration, property acquisition and demolition, and various climate resilient mitigation activities. For a complete list of eligible project types please visit FEMA's eligible activities by program webpage. FEMA FY 2019 PDM and FMA grants require a 25 percent local cost share, 75 percent of project funding for approved projects will come from FEMA. The Period of Performance (POP) for these grants is 36 months (3 years) from the date DHSEM accepts the award from FEMA.
To be eligible for project funding under either the PDM or FMA grant, it is a requirement that sub-applicants have adopted a current (non-expired) FEMA-approved local hazard mitigation plan (HMP) both at the time of sub-application submission to FEMA and at the time of project award obligation. For all hazard mitigation plan projects, it is not a requirement that the community has a FEMA-approved HMP at the time of application or award.
The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) encourages local communities throughout the state interested in learning more about this opportunity to contact one of the state hazard mitigation specialists listed below for additional information.
- Mitigation Projects Team Supervisor Emily Drosselmeyer by email at emily.drosselmeyer@state.co.us
- Mitigation Project Specialist Julie Beyers by email at julie.beyers@state.co.us
- Mitigation Project Specialist Debbie Goerlitz by email at debbie.goerlitz@state.co.us
- Mitigation Supervisor and State Hazard Mitigation Officer Mark Thompson by email at markw.thompson@state.co.us
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant
PDM projects for FY 2019 are capped at $4 million federal share (with the exception of resilient infrastructure projects which are capped at $10 million federal share and have a 48-month POP). Communities may exceed this amount but they will bear all additional costs. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:
- Infrastructure protective measures (including hazard-specific retrofit projects)
- Utility protective measures (including hazard-specific retrofit projects)
- Water and sanitary sewer system protective measures
- Localized flood control to protect critical facilities
- Floodwater storage and diversion
- Floodplain and stream restoration
- Stormwater management
- Aquifer storage and recovery
- Wetland restoration/creation
Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant
FMA projects for FY 2019 are capped at a $10 million federal share. Communities may exceed this amount but they will bear all additional costs. Eligible activities must benefit National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insured properties and include, but are not limited to:
- Infrastructure protective measures
- Localized flood control
- Floodwater storage and diversion
- Floodplain and stream restoration
- Water and sanitary sewer system protective measures
- Utility protective measures
- Stormwater management
- Aquifer storage and recovery
- Wetland restoration/creation
Advance Assistance
Similar to last year, FEMA is offering Advance Assistance (AA) grants under both PDM and FMA. Colorado's Advance Assistance grants are capped at a federal share of $200,000 each for both PDM and FMA. Advance Assistance can be used to develop mitigation strategies and obtain data to prioritize, select, develop and design community mitigation projects and other related activities.
Additional Resources
Please take a thorough look at the FY15 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance and FY15 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance Addendum for guidance on project eligibility. The FY15 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance Addendum provides project-specific guidance (e.g., wildfire, property acquisition) and is recommended for its project focus. Please note, that although these guidance documents are dated 2015, they represent the most current FEMA PDM and FMA guidance available.
- Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program
- Flood Mitigation Assistance Program
- FEMA Benefit Cost Toolkit: please note, that for FY 2019 PDM applications FEMA will only accept BCA outputs from version 5.3 or higher. A non-FEMA BCA methodology may only be used if pre-approved by FEMA in writing. FEMA recently released Benefit Cost Toolkit Version 6.0 (available at this link).
- FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Helpline or 1 (866) 222-3580.
- FEMA eGrants Helpdesk: (855) 228-3362 or via email at mtegrants@fema.dhs.gov
- FEMA Benefit Cost Helpline: (855) 540-6744 or via email at bcahelpline @dhs.gov
Colorado DHSEM PDM/FMA Application Process
View the 2019 and 2020 application process timelines.