Overview of the Property Rights Acquisition and Mitigation Plan
As outlined within the FEIS, the Project would have various environmental effects and require various property rights. These impacts, property needs, and mitigation needs were updated through the 2013 Supplemental Environmental Assessment and the 2018 Supplemental Environmental Assessment.
The Metro Flood Diversion Authority (Diversion Authority) has prepared a Property Rights Acquisition and Mitigation Plan to document the property rights acquisition and mitigation policies that will be followed for the Fargo-Moorhead (FM) Area Diversion Project (Project).
The Property Rights Acquisition and Mitigation Plan has been drafted in coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and in consultation with the North Dakota State Water Commission (NDSWC) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), along with input from The Diversion Authority’s Land Management Committee and the Agricultural Policy Subcommittee.
Throughout the Property Rights Acquisition and Mitigation Plan, the Project is commonly referred to as the ‘FM Area Diversion Project’, but it should be noted that USACE, other agencies, and certain documents identify the Project as the ‘Fargo-Moorhead Metro Flood Risk Management Project’.
It should also be noted that the Project being referenced in the Property Rights Acquisition and Mitigation Plan is a refined and updated version of the Project that the Diversion Authority submitted to MDNR as part of a permit application. The refinements and updates include a mirco-sited alignment of the southern embankment and updated hydraulic modeling. The Project is considered “Plan B”, and is intended to be consistent with the recommendations of the Governors’ Task Force.
The Property Rights Acquisition and Mitigation Plan is intended to be a living document that will be reviewed and amended periodically as additional information and operations prompt updates.
The Property Rights Acquisition and Mitigation Plan contains information about the acquisition of property rights needed for the Project and property mitigation programs. This document is a compilation of a series of plans for a variety of topics. Collectively, the individual topics contained within this document serve as the comprehensive Property Rights Acquisition and Mitigation Plan for the Project.