Yuwei Jiang at the Delta Protection Commission

The Delta Protection Commission is a California state agency that represents the Delta community and advocates for the protection and enhancement of agriculture, recreation, cultural heritage and natural resources in the region.  The Commission is concerned about the financial burden of flood insurance premiums on businesses operating in flood-prone areas of the Delta, particularly those engaged in agritourism development.

Under the supervision of the Commission and Kathleen Schaefer (an NFIP expert and Ph.D. at UCD), I am collaborating with Claudia Bucheli, another EPM student, to conduct research on how flood building restrictions affect business owners seeking to start or develop agritourism in the five counties within the Delta (Sacramento, San Joaquin, Yolo, Contra Costa, Napa). 

We reviewed pertinent FEMA documents and local floodplain management ordinances. Additionally, we contacted county floodplain management officers to gain a better understanding of the issue from an administrative perspective. Using R codes, we conducted research and identified agritourism sites in the Delta region. We then presented them in an interactive map format. Additionally, we conducted interviews with agritourism business owners to ascertain the primary roadblocks they encountered during business development.

At the end of the project, we prepare a comprehensive report summarizing our research findings, as well as a policy brief for the Commission and, if possible, a congressman's office. Additionally, we prepare a presentation for potential stakeholders, including the Department of Water Resources' Flood Protection Branch.