Beyond the High Water Mark: A Call for Floodplain Management Reform webinar with Mary Stites

This presentation will go over the history of Northwest Environmental Defense Center et. al. v. Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is the driving factor in Oregon communities moving to update their floodplain management codes. We will discuss why adequate updates are necessary to ensure that local communities, developers, the State, and FEMA comply with federal law as they participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, as well as how protecting floodplain habitat necessarily allows us to build more resilient communities that are better able to withstand ever increasing flooding events.

Bio: Mary Stites is the Staff Attorney at the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, a Portland-based non-profit seeking to protect and preserve the natural resources of the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from Lewis & Clark Law School, Mary joined the NEDC team and assists in a range of matters, including efforts to enforce the Clean Water Act, protect endangered species, and stop the siting of harmful industrial activities in sensitive locations.