A major revision to the Evergreen area’s flood maps is under way.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency began gathering data a few years ago through two private companies. The new maps are scheduled to be released in two months or so, according to Flathead County Planning Director BJ Grieve.

Grieve said he was updated about the map revisions through a recent webinar with FEMA representatives.

The new map will affect approximately 1,000 parcels of land, he said.

County Planning Board member Marc Pitman said he has been sitting in on some monthly meetings with federal contractors for a while.

One of the contractors, PBS & J, was “quite surprised by the results and thought they made an error,” Pitman told the County Planning Board on Feb. 9.

Pitman said PBS & J “went back and forth a lot” with the other consultant, Michael Baker Jr. Inc., to make sure the results were correct.

Once the map is finished, FEMA will give it to Flathead County for public review for 30 days.

The federal agency then will host a public meeting where people can ask questions. Members of the public affected by the map revision can make appeals within 90 days.

After any revisions are made, the county has six months to update its maps, Grieve said. The update must be done so that the community can continue qualifying for federally subsidized flood insurance.

The county is not pushing the flood map revision but Grieve noted it is required to comply. Those who want to build on their land and are located in the 100-year flood plain likely would be unable to do so.

The other impact is that flood insurance rates for properties included in the flood plain would go up. Pitman recommends that property owners who find themselves inside the 100-year flood plain purchase flood insurance before FEMA adopts the final map.

Grieve said that according to a draft map, the affected area includes land east and west of U.S. 2 near Kmart.

The current flood map was adopted in 1984, although a number of minor revisions have taken place since then.

Grieve told the Planning Board that FEMA decided to study the area after Patrick Mackin questioned whether his land was located in the flood plain. Mackin spoke to U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who then requested a Congressional inquiry 2 1/2 years ago, Grieve said. 

FEMA spokesman Jerry DeFelice from Denver confirmed that the process was started by an individual who thought the map was inaccurate. DeFelice called the new map “a significant revision.”

County planner Allison Mouch said Mackin got a two-lot split approved for his subdivision north of Evergreen Drive and east of Harmony Road. “He wanted to do a more major development. I don’t think that’s going to happen now,” Mouch told the Planning Board.

Pitman said Mackin formerly was a teacher at Evergreen School and subsequently moved back to South Dakota. Grieve said Mackin has a subdivision improvement agreement pending with the county. 

Pitman said FEMA and its consultants are using LIDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, data. Grieve and planner Bailey Minnich explained that data is obtained from laser surveying taken from airplanes that fly over an area. The data is used to create three-dimensional images.

Pitman said the data “is pretty darn accurate. But there could be an error. It happens.”

Grieve said that any questions about the flood-plain mapping should be directed to FEMA’s Sara Brush, mapping project manager, at 303-235-4871, or to DeFelice, external affairs spokesman, at 303-235-4948. The public also can call 877-FEMA-MAP.

Reporter Caleb Soptelean may be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at csoptelean@dailyinterlake.com.