On March 18, 2005, the State of Montana entered into a Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) agreement with FEMA Region VIII. This agreement provides that the State of Montana will assume responsibility for the development of Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) within all fifty-six counties in the State. Through this agreement, the State of Montana is provided funding by FEMA for the production of DFIRMs, as well as, for the management of the DFIRM process. The amount of funding provided to the State is determined by FEMA Region VIII each fiscal year, and is a function of the success of the State in producing DFIRMs, the ability of the State to obtain cost-share contributions from State or local sources, and the effectiveness of the State in linking improved floodplain management with improved floodplain mapping. The State is primarily utilizing consulting engineering firms to perform this work. The State's progress towards its objective is monitored quarterly by FEMA, and their agent, the National Service Provider (NSP).
