[Federal Register: July 31, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 146)]
[Notices]
[Page 41767-41770]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31jy07-107]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Fee Schedule for Processing Requests for Map Changes, for Flood
Insurance Study Backup Data, and for National Flood Insurance Program
Map and Insurance Products
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice contains the revised fee schedules for processing
certain types of requests for changes to national Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP) maps, for processing requests for Flood Insurance Study
(FIS) technical and administrative support data, and for processing
requests for particular NFIP map and insurance products. The changes in
the fee schedules will allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) to reduce further the expenses to the NFIP by recovering more
fully the costs associated with processing conditional and final map
change requests; retrieving, reproducing, and distributing technical
and administrative support data related to FIS analyses and mapping;
and producing, retrieving, and distributing particular NFIP map and
insurance products.
Effective Date: The revised fee schedules are effective for all
requests dated October 1, 2007, or later.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Blanton Jr., CFM, Section
Chief, Engineering Management Section, Risk Analysis Branch, 500 C
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472; by telephone at (202) 646-3151 or by
facsimile at (202) 646-2787 (not toll-free calls); or by e-mail at
william.blanton@dhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains the revised fee
schedules for processing certain types of requests for changes to NFIP
maps, requests for FIS technical and administrative support data, and
requests for particular NFIP map and insurance products.
Effective Dates. The revised fee schedule for map changes is
effective for all requests dated October 1, 2007, or later. The revised
fee schedule supersedes the current fee schedule, which was established
on October 30, 2005.
The revised fee schedule for requests for FIS backup data also is
effective for all requests dated October 1, 2007, or later. The revised
fee schedule supersedes the current fee schedule, which was established
on October 30, 2005.
The revised fee schedule for requests for particular NFIP map and
insurance products, which are available through the FEMA Map Service
Center (MSC) is effective for all written requests, on-line Internet
requests made through the FEMA Flood Map Store, and all telephone
requests received on or after October 1, 2007. The revised fee schedule
supersedes the current fee schedule, which was established on October
30, 2005.
Evaluations Performed. To develop the revised fee schedule for
conditional and final map change requests, FEMA evaluated the actual
costs of reviewing and processing requests for Conditional Letters of
Map Amendment (CLOMAs), Conditional Letters of Map Revision Based on
Fill (CLOMR-Fs), Conditional Letters of Map Revision (CLOMRs), Letters
of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-Fs), and Letters of Map Revision
(LOMRs).
To develop the revised fee schedule requests for FIS technical and
administrative support data, FEMA evaluated the actual costs of
reviewing, reproducing, and distributing archived data in seven
categories. These categories are discussed in more detail below.
To develop the revised fee schedule for requests for particular
NFIP map and insurance products, FEMA: (1) Evaluated the actual costs
incurred at the MSC for producing, retrieving, and distributing those
products; (2) analyzed historical sales, cost data, and product unit
cost for unusual trends or anomalies; and, (3) analyzed the effect of
program changes, new products, technology investments, and other
factors on future sales and product costs. The products covered by this
notice are discussed in detail below.
Periodic Evaluations of Fees. A primary component of the fees is
the prevailing private-sector rates charged to FEMA for labor and
materials. Because these rates and the actual review and processing
costs may vary from year to year, FEMA will evaluate the fees
periodically and publish revised fee schedules, when needed, as notices
in the Federal Register.
Fee Schedule for Requests for Conditional Letters of Map Amendment and
Conditional and Final Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill
Based on a review of actual cost data for Fiscal Year 2005 and
Fiscal Year 2006, FEMA maintained the following review and processing
fees, which are to be submitted with all requests:
[[Page 41768]]
Request for single-lot/single-structure CLOMA and CLOMR-F: $500.
Request for single-lot/single-structure LOMR-F: $425.
Request for single-lot/single-structure LOMR-F based on as-built
information (CLOMR-F previously issued by FEMA): $325.
Request for multiple-lot/multiple-structure CLOMA: $700.
Request for multiple-lot/multiple-structure CLOMR-F and LOMR-F:
$800.
Request for multiple-lot/multiple-structure LOMR-F based on as-
built information (CLOMR-F previously issued by FEMA): $700.
Fee Schedule for Requests for Conditional Map Revisions
Based on a review of actual cost data for Fiscal Year 2005 and
Fiscal Year 2006, FEMA established the following review and processing
fees, which are to be submitted with all requests that are not
otherwise exempted under 44 CFR 72.5:
Request based on new hydrology, bridge, culvert, channel, or
combination thereof: $4,400.
Request based on levee, berm, or other structural measure: $5,500.
Fee Schedule for Requests for Map Revisions
Based on a review of actual cost data for Fiscal Year 2005 and
Fiscal Year 2006, FEMA established the following review and processing
fees, which are to be submitted with all requests that are not
otherwise exempted under 44 CFR 72.5, requesters must submit the review
and processing fees shown below with requests for LOMRs dated October
1, 2007, or later that are not based on structural measures on alluvial
fans.
Request based on bridge, culvert, channel, hydrology, or
combination thereof: $4,800.
Request based on levee, berm, or other structural measure: $6,500.
Request based on as-built information submitted as follow-up to
CLOMR: $4,800.
Fees for Conditional and Final Map Revisions Based on Structural
Measures on Alluvial Fans
Based on a review of actual cost data for Fiscal Year 2005 and
Fiscal Year 2006, FEMA has maintained $5,600 as the initial fee for
requests for CLOMRs and LOMRs based on structural measures on alluvial
fans. FEMA will also continue to recover the remainder of the review
and processing costs by invoicing the requester before issuing a
determination letter, consistent with current practice. The prevailing
private-sector labor rate charged to FEMA ($60 per hour) will continue
to be used to calculate the total reimbursable fees.
Fee Schedule for Requests for Flood Insurance Study Backup Data
Non-exempt requestors of FIS technical and administrative support
data must submit fees shown below with requests dated October 1, 2007,
or later. These fees are based on the complete recovery costs to FEMA
for retrieving, reproducing, and distributing the data, as well as
maintaining the library archives, and for collecting and depositing
fees. Based on a review of actual cost data for Fiscal Year 2005 and
Fiscal Year 2006, FEMA maintained the following review and processing
fees from the October 30, 2005, fee schedule, which are to be submitted
with all requests.
All entities except the following will be charged for requests for
FIS technical and administrative support data:
Private architectural-engineering firms under contract to
FEMA to perform or evaluate studies and restudies;
Federal agencies involved in performing studies and
restudies for FEMA (i.e., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological
Survey, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Tennessee Valley
Authority);
Communities that have supplied the Digital Line Graph base
to FEMA and request the Digital Line Graph data (Category 6 below);
Communities that request data during the statutory 90-day
appeal period for an initial or revised FIS for that community;
Mapped participating communities that request data at any
time other than during the statutory 90-day appeal period, provided the
data are requested for use by the community and not a third-party user;
and
State NFIP Coordinators, provided the data requested are
for use by the State NFIP Coordinators and not a third-party user.
FEMA has established seven categories into which requests for FIS
backup data are separated. These categories are:
(1) Category 1--Paper copies, microfiche, or diskettes of
hydrologic and hydraulic backup data for current or historical FISs;
(2) Category 2--Paper or mylar copies of topographic mapping
developed during FIS process;
(3) Category 3--Paper copies or microfiche of survey notes
developed during FIS process;
(4) Category 4--Paper copies of individual Letters of Map Change
(LOMCs);
(5) Category 5--Paper copies of Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate
Map or Flood Boundary and Floodway Map panels;
(6) Category 6--Computer tapes or CD-ROMs of Digital Line Graph
files, Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map files, or Digital LOMR
attachment files; and
(7) Category 7--Computer diskettes and user's manuals for FEMA
computer programs.
FEMA established the initial non-refundable fee of $135 non-exempt
requesters of FIS technical and administrative support data pay to
initiate their request under Categories 1, 2, and 3 above. This fee
covers the preliminary costs of research and retrieval. If the data
requested are available and the request is not cancelled, the final fee
due is calculated as a sum of standard per-product charge plus a per-
case surcharge of $93, designed to recover the cost of library
maintenance and archiving. The total costs of processing requests in
Categories 1, 2, and 3 will vary based on the complexity of the
research involved in retrieving the data and the volume and medium of
data to be reproduced and distributed. The initial fee will be applied
against the total costs to process the request, and FEMA will invoice
the requester for the balance plus the per-case surcharge before the
data are provided. No data will be provided to a requester until all
required fees have been paid.
No initial fee is required to initiate a request for data under
Categories 4 through 7. Requesters will be notified by telephone about
the availability of the data and the fees associated with the requested
data.
As with requests for data under Categories 1, 2, and 3, no data
will be provided to requesters until all required fees are paid. A flat
user fee for each of these categories of requests, shown below, will
continue to be required.
Request Under Category 4 (First Letter): $40.
Request Under Category 4 (Each additional letter): $10.
Request Under Category 5 (First panel): $35.
Request Under Category 5 (Each additional panel): $2.
Request Under Category 6 (per county/digital LOMR attachment
shapefiles): $150.
Request Under Category 7 (per copy): $25.
Fee Schedule for Requests for Map and Insurance Products
The MSC distributes a variety of NFIP map and insurance products to
a broad range of customers, including Federal,
[[Page 41769]]
State, and local government officials; real estate professionals;
insurance providers; appraisers; builders; land developers; design
engineers; surveyors; lenders; homeowners; and other private citizens.
The MSC distributes the following products:
Paper (printed) copies of Conversion Letters;
Paper (printed) copies of Flood Hazard Boundary Maps
(FHBMs);
Paper (printed) copies of Flood Insurance Rate Maps
(FIRMs);
Paper (printed) copies of Digital Flood Insurance Rate
Maps (DFIRMs);
Printed copies of Flood Insurance Studies (FISs),
including the narrative report, tables, Flood Profiles, and other
graphics;
Paper (printed) copies of Flood Boundary and Floodway Maps
(FBFMs), when they are included as an exhibit in the FIS;
Digital Q3 Flood Data files, which FEMA developed by
scanning the published FIRM and vectorizing a thematic overlay of flood
risks;
Digital Q3 Flood Data files for Coastal Barrier Resource
Areas (CBRA Q3 Flood Data files);
Flood Map Status Information Service (FMSIS), through
which FEMA provides status information for effective NFIP maps;
Letter of Map Change (LOMC) Subscription Service, through
which FEMA makes certain types of LOMCs available biweekly on CD-ROM;
Paper (printed) and CD copies of NFIP Insurance Manual
(Full Manual), which provides vital NFIP information for insurance
agents nationwide;
Paper (printed) copies of NFIP Insurance Manual
(Producer's Edition), which is used for reference and training
purposes;
Community Map Action List (CMAL), which is a semimonthly
list of communities and their NFIP status codes;
Digital copies of Conversion Letters, downloadable from
the web;
Digital copies of Flood maps, available on CD-ROM and
downloadable from the web; which can be purchased by panel or in
community, county or state kits;
Digital copies of FISs and FBFMs (where applicable),
including the narrative report, tables, Flood Profiles, and other
graphics, on CD-ROM and downloadable from the web;
DFIRM Database (DB), with and without orthographic photos,
on CD-ROM and downloadable from the web;
FIRMette, a user-defined ``cut-out'' section of a flood
map at 100% map scale designed for printing on a standard office
printer.
F-MIT Basic Version 1.0, which is a view tool for map
images, on CD-ROM and downloadable from the web;
DFIRM CD Viewer (formerly F-MIT Pro), which is a view tool
for map images, on CD-ROM;
FEMA's Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard
Mapping Partners on CD-ROM; and
MHIP--Multi-year Hazard Implementation Plan on CD-ROM.
For more information on the map and insurance products available
from the MSC, interested parties are invited to visit the MSC Web site
at http://msc.fema.gov.
Based on a review of actual cost data and future trends, FEMA has
revised the fee schedule for the map and insurance products that are
available from the MSC. For requests for paper copies of conversion
letters, FHBMs, FIRMs, DFIRMs, FBFMs, and FISs, FEMA has increased both
the processing fee and the shipping cost; for digital copies of FHBMs,
FIRMs, DFIRMs, FBFMs, and FISs on CD-ROM, FEMA has increased the
processing fee and decreased the shipping cost; for digital copies of
conversion letters, FHBMs, FIRMs, DFIRMs, FBFMs, and FISs downloadable
from the web, FEMA has increased the processing fee; for DFIRM DBs
(with and without orthographic photos), Q3 Flood Data Files, CBRA Flood
Data Files, FMSIS, LOMC Subscription Service, FEMA's Guidelines and
Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners, MHIP, DFIRM CD
Viewer, FEMA has changed the shipping cost on the first two CDs, but
have not increased the cost of the additional CDs. Federal, State, and
local governments continue to be exempt from paying fees for the map
products. The revised fee schedule for the current and new products is
shown in the following table.
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Product Current fee Shipping
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Paper:
Letters................. $4.00 per letter.... $.041 per letter for
first 10 plus $0.10
for each additional
letter.
Maps.................... $4.00 per panel..... $.041 per panel for
first 10 plus $0.10
for each additional
panel.
Floodways (as part of $4.00 per panel..... $.041 per panel for
studies). first 10 plus $0.10
for each additional
panel.
Studies................. $9.00 per study..... $5.00 per study plus
$.50 for each
additional study.
Hurry Charge (added to $33.00.............. N/A.
regular charge).
Internet Products:
FIRMettes............... Free................ N/A.
Letters................. $2.50 per letter.... N/A.
Downloadable Maps....... $2.50 per panel..... N/A.
Downloadable Floodways.. $2.50 per panel..... N/A.
Downloadable Studies.... $5.00 per study..... N/A.
DFIRM Database (DB)..... $10.00 per DB....... N/A.
CD-ROM:
CD Maps................. $4.00 per panel..... $1.75 for first 2
CDs and $0.25 for
each additional CD.
CD Floodways............ $4.00 per panel..... $1.75 for first 2
CDs and $0.25 for
each additional CD.
CD Studies.............. $6.00 per study..... $1.75 for first 2
CDs and $0.25 for
each additional CD.
DFIRM DB................ $10.00 per database. $1.75 for first 2
CDs and $0.25 for
each additional CD.
DFIRM w/Orthos.......... $10.00 per database. $1.75 for first 2
CDs and $0.25 for
each additional CD.
[[Page 41770]]
Q3 on CD................ $50.00 per CD-ROM... $1.75 for first 2
CDs and $0.25 for
each additional CD.
CBRA Q3 on CD........... $50.00 per CD-ROM or $1.75 for first 2
$200 for all 5 Q3 CDs and $0.25 for
CDs. each additional CD.
FMSIS (Individual $13.00 per State or $1.75 for first 2
Orders). $38.00 for entire CDs and $0.25 for
USA. each additional CD.
FMSIS (Annual $148.00 per state or N/A.
Subscription). $419.00 for entire
USA.
LOMC Subscription $85.00 per issue.... $1.75 for first 2
Service (Individual CDs and $0.25 for
Orders). each additional CD.
LOMC Subscription $2,000 per year..... N/A.
Service (Annual
Subscriptions).
FEMA's Guidelines and $2.60............... $1.75 for first 2
Specifications for CDs and $0.25 for
Flood Hazard Mapping each additional CD.
Partners on CD.
MHIP--Multi-Hazard $2.60............... $1.75 for first 2
Implementation Plan. CDs and $0.25 for
each additional CD.
View Tool:
F-MIT Light on Web...... Free................ N/A.
F-MIT Light on CD....... Free................ N/A.
DFIRM CD Viewer $30.00 per Viewer... $1.75 for first 2
(formerly F-MIT Pro). CDs and $0.25 for
each additional CD.
Manuals:
NFIP Insurance Manual $25.00 per N/A.
(Full Manual). subscription for
two years.
NFIP Insurance Manual $15.00 per N/A.
(Producer's Edition). subscription for
two years.
NFIP Insurance Manual $25.00 per N/A.
(Full Manual) on CD. subscription for
two years.
Other:
Community Map Action Free................ N/A.
List (CMAL).
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Payment Submission Requirements
Fee payments for non-exempt requests must be made in advance of
services being rendered. These payments shall be made in the form of a
check, money order, or by credit card payment. Checks and money orders
must be made payable, in U.S. funds, to the National Flood Insurance
Program.
FEMA will deposit all fees collected to the National Flood
Insurance Fund, which is the source of funding for providing these
services.
Dated: July 17, 2007.
David I. Maurstad,
Assistant Administrator for Mitigation, Department of Homeland
Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. E7-14712 Filed 7-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-12-P