Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO) - PowerPoint Presentation

1. Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO)Presented BY:Dawna Pearson, Civil EngineerAlaska Region BIA ERFO Program Coordinator

2. What is erfo?The Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads Program, or ERFO Program, was established to assist federal agencies with the repair or reconstruction of tribal transportation facilities, federal lands transportation facilities, and other federally owned roads that are open to public travel, which are found to have suffered serious damage by a natural disaster over a wide area or by a catastrophic failure.

3. The intent of the ERFO program is to pay the unusually heavy expenses for the repair and reconstruction of eligible facilities.The ERFO program is not intended to cover all repair costs for all damage situations, but rather supplement (Tribal Transportation) maintenance and repair programs.

4. ERFO: Program HighlightsTitle 23 program to provide disaster reliefApplies to Federal & Tribal transportation facilitiesPays to repair seriously damaged transportation facilitiesCovers Emergency & Permanent repairs at 100%

5. ERFO Eligible Natural DisastersUnusual natural occurrence which causes serious damageIncluding: Floods, hurricanes, tidal waves, tornados, earthquakes, severe storms, landslidesOccurs over a wide areaOver $700,000 of damage

6. ERFO is NOT for:Repair of facilities affected by long term, pre‐existing conditions, or predictable developing situationsHeavy maintenanceRoutine emergency response activitiesPreventative workImprovement programSupplant other programs or fundsUtilitiesBuildingsLand management activitiesRecreation and education activitiesAdministrative AreasFire suppression activities

7. ERFO Eligible DisastersUnusual natural occurrence which causes serious damageIncluding: Floods, hurricanes, tidal waves, tornados, earthquakes, severe storms, landslidesOccurs over a wide areaSudden failure of a major segment of an eligible facility from an external causeimminent danger of collapse is not in itself a sudden failureFailure is not primarily attributable to gradual and progressive deterioration or lack of proper maintenanceOver $700,000 of damageRepairs must exceed $5,000 per site

8. Repairs are classified as either emergency or permanent repairs

9. Eligible tribal routes must be official on the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI), and “open to public travel” Approved tribal ERFO projects receive a 100% federal share of approved project funds

10. What should the tribe do BEFORE a disaster occurs to help with an ERFO application?Insure all critical tribal routes are included on the NTTFIInspect facilities and keep records of the conditionRoadway surfaces, including width and depthShoulder type and widthLocation and sizes of culvertsPhotos of typical sections of roadways and any special featuresLocation and types of utility poles and signs

11. The tribe has damage from a disaster, what should we do?Document the damage as it occurs and immediately after (if safe to do so)Take photos and videos of disaster and post disaster conditionsPerform emergency repairs to:restore essential trafficminimize the extent of damageprotect the remaining facilitiesDocument all emergency repair work performedFinancial, engineering and photographic records

12. Need ERFO?Notify your Region BIA Transportation Coordinator immediately if you think a disaster has occurredSend damage pictures, dates, route info, and other data ASAPProvide information on what unusual event you think happenedTrack Emergency repairs, and include detailed cost breakdowns or invoices for repair costsRegional BIA Coordinator will apply to the FLH divisionFLH, BIA and tribe will assess Damage FLH declares the ERFO disasterWrite DDIRs for each siteFHWA provides the ERFO funding

13. Emergency repairs are complete, what’s next?Notify BIA and/or FHWA TransportationCall or email your tribe’s Point of Contact (POC) Engineer to alert them to the damageTribe or POC notifies the BIA Alaska Region ERFO Coordinator Current ERFO Coordinator: Dawna Pearson Dawna.Pearson@BIA.gov (907) 271-4158Obtain disaster data and statisticsObtain preliminary engineering estimates for permanent repairsProvide collected facility, disaster, damage, and repair documentation to ERFO Coordinator

14. Notice of IntentThe Alaska BIA ERFO coordinator will submit an informal Notice of Intent to the Western Federal Lands Division ERFO CoordinatorAfter the tribe submits preliminary storm data and cost estimates, the ERFO coordinator will determine if the disaster event will meet the minimum dollar threshold of $700,000.

15. Each disaster site (e.g. area of continuous damage) must have at least $5,000 of combined emergency and permanent repair costThe total of ERFO qualified repairs to all sites must be at least $700,000The ERFO coordinator will assist the tribe in determining if there are other Tribes or Federal Agencies that have sustained damage from the same event that can contribute to the $700,000 threshold

16. Notice of Intent Letter to be written by the Applicant’s Regional or State OfficeDateDivision DirectorFederal Highway Administration[Division name][Address][City, State, Zip]This letter is our formal Notice of Intent to apply for emergency relief funds to assist with the needed repairs and reconstruction under provisions of 23 U.S.C. 125. On [date], we conveyed by telephone to [name] our informal Notice of Intent to seek emergency relief funds. We request a finding on the eligibility of damage to roads and trails that occurred on the [Forest, District, Park, Reservation] in the Counties of [name] in the state of [name].The damage occurred on [specific date(s)].Damage included failure over a wide area of: [number] bridges [number] bridge approaches [number] roadsThe damage was caused by [describe the nature and intensity of the disaster event or catastrophic failure].The preliminary cost estimate to restore eligible facilities to their pre-event condition is:[list or state dollar amounts]Counties covered by a presidential disaster declaration include [list].Counties covered by a Governor’s Proclamation of Emergency include [list].Please ensure that responses to this letter are copied to [name, title, address].If you have any questions, please contact [name, title] at [telephone number]. Sincerely, Signature [Name][Title]cc: FLHD ERFO Coordinator

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21. Link to the ERFO Disaster Assistance Manualhttps://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs/erfo/disaster-assistance-manualA more in depth Powerpoint presentation on ERFO was prepared by the FHWA Western Federal Lands ERFO CoordinatorIf you would like a copy of this slide presentation, or a pdf copy of the FHWA slides, please contact me: Email Dawna.Pearson@BIA.gov Phone (907) 271-4158More Information About ERFO