About the Task Force

Mission

Establish a Regional Interagency Levee Task Force (ILTF) for the Midwest Floods of June 2008, to assist in the rapid and effective recovery of floodplain management systems in the affected communities and areas before the next flood season. The ILTF will implement a collaborative, holistic regional approach to the long-term restoration of flood plain management systems damaged by the Midwest floods of June 2008.

Objectives

• Share the responsibility for floodplain management among all levels of government (i.e., local, state and federal).
• Organize consistently from region to region to address long-term community recovery.
• Improve the quality of life of those impacted by providing adequate flood protection and ensuring that adequate flood protection is in place by the next flood season.
• Provide a uniform approach across regional and state boundaries, ensuring that the restoration of flood management systems is consistent, equitable and that the right agencies, authorities and resources are identified.
• Provide opportunities to evaluate non-structural alternatives for reducing vulnerability to flooding and explore other long-term mitigation initiatives and activities to improve floodplain management systems.
• Provide for an effective public outreach program.

Organizational Structure

The ILTF will oversee the joint Federal-state partnership teams designated as Interagency Levee Working Groups (ILWG) within the impacted Joint Field Office (JFO) structures. The Commander, Mississippi Valley Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or the Commander's designated representative, is the Chairman of the ILTF and the designated Lead Corps Official (LCO). The LCO will designate the ILTF Staff Chief, who will report directly to the LCO, and be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the ILTF. Other Federal member representatives include representatives of:

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 7
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 5
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5
• Department of Commerce (Economic Development Administration (EDA) and National Marine Fisheries Service)
• Department of the Interior (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Geological Survey)
• Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Agriculture (Natural Resources Conservation Service)
• U.S. Small Business Administration
• State Representatives

Partners

• U.S. Department of Commerce
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• U.S. Small Business Administration
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

More About the Task Force

Interagency Levee Task Force Brochure
"Raising the Standard: An Interagency Approach to Manage Our Flood Waters"
Brochure (pdf, 439 KB)

OMB Directive
In February 1997, the Office of Management and Budget issued guidance to federal agencies instructing them to "fully consider relevant options, including non-structural alternatives, during evaluation and review of levee repair and reconstruction projects...". That memorandum serves as the basis for establishing the Regional Interagency Levee Task Force.
OMB Directive (pdf, 411 KB)

revised 13 Oct 2008