Officials: FEMA rules and state programs limit how much river debris county crews can remove
County and Soil & Water officials told commissioners FEMA-approved debris removal is narrowly scoped to infrastructure (culverts, bridges, driveways) and that state SMART and EWP funding constrain what the county can directly fund; officials estimated FEMA/contractors are working at roughly 100–150 sites across the county.
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County staff and the Soil & Water director explained to commissioners that debris removal after flooding is being handled primarily through FEMA and state programs that set strict limits on allowable work. An agency official said the county has submitted scoping documents for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program and is awaiting federal assignment of funds; "we do not know exactly," the official said of FEMA approvals, and noted the state SMART program now controls some funding streams.
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