Conserving America's wetlands 2007: Three years of progress implementing the Presiden'ts goal

              Acknowledgements
Many agencies, institutions, and individuals contributed their time, energ y,
and expertise to the completion of this report, as follows:
James L. Connaughton, Chairman, CEQ
David Anderson, Associate Director, OMB
White House Wetlands Working Group
Gregory Schildwachter, CEQ
George Dunlop, DOA
Tyler Duvall, DOT
Benjamin Grumbles, EPA
Timothy Keeney, NOAA
Arlen Lancaster, USDA
David Verhey, DOI
Rob Fairweather, OMB
Core Work Team
Mike Hickey, OMB
Jo Ann Mills, FWS
Jennifer Wallace, NOAA
Bill Wilen, FWS
Adam Zerrenner, OMB (on detail from FWS)
Working Group Staff
Bill Wilen, FWS (Chair)
Ellen Cummings, USACE
Paula Frechen, FWS
Camille Mittelholtz, DOT
Gregory Peck, EPA
Myra Price, EPA
Cindy Ryberg, DOI
Gregory Schildwachter, CEQ
Dave Stout, FWS
Mark Sudol, USACE
Jennifer Wallace, NOAA
Melvin Womack, NRCS
Contributors
USGS National Wetlands Research Center
Production
Mark Newcastle, FWS
Frances Pflieger, NOAA
Jerry Slaff, NOAA
This report to Congress shows how Federal agencies are implementing President George W. Bush’s 2004
Earth Day goal to “work to restore and to improve and to protect at least three million acres of wetlands over
the next five years.” The report includes the accomplishments of the first three years and the requested
budget and planned accomplishments for FY 2008, with descriptions of contributing Federal programs.
The White House Council on Environmental Quality
730 Jackson Place
Washington, DC 20503
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/
Cover photo: Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. (Hillebrand, FWS)
Conserving America’s Wetlands 2007:
Three Years of Progress
Implementing the President’s Goal
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Transportation
Department of the Army
Department of the Interior
Environmental Protection Agency
Council on Environmental Quality
April 2007
Members of Congress:
This third annual progress report on President George W. Bush’s Wetlands Initiative brings you more good news. The goal President
Bush set on Earth Day 2004 to create, improve, and protect at least three million wetland acres by Earth Day 2009 will likely be achieved
one year early, by Earth Day 2008.
Since the President set the goal to move beyond “no net loss” of wetlands and attain an overall increase in the amount and quality of
wetlands in America, we have restored, protected, or improved 2,769,000 acres of wetlands. We now have 888,000 acres of wetlands that
did not exist in 2004, we have improved the quality of 1,029,000 existing wetland acres, and we have protected another 852,000 acres of
existing wetlands. These accomplishments were achieved through our proactive conservation programs, such as the Wetlands Reserve
Program, National Wildlife Refuge System, North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program, and the
National Estuary Program. These are more substantial and distinct from our regulatory mitigation programs that replace wetlands
developed for other uses.
Our successes also reflect the benefits of the Cooperative Conservation Executive Order 13352, which promotes conservation
partnerships. The Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency continue to
collaborate on better ways to meet conservation goals by working in partnership with state, local, and tribal governments; private
institutions; and other nongovernmental entities and individuals.
Through Coastal America’s Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, more than 400 corporations and NGOs contributed to the
President’s wetlands goal by providing matching funds and in-kind services for wetlands restoration and protection projects. For example,
corporations provided matching funds that helped leverage Federal dollars for the Bahia Grande, a 10,000-acre wetlands restoration
project in Texas.
Last October, the President signed the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act. The Partners program is a vanguard for voluntary, citizen
and community-based stewardship efforts for fish and wildlife conservation. The program operates on the premise that fish and wildlife
conservation is a responsibility shared by citizens and government. In 2008 the President requested a net increase of $5.6 million for the
program to expand restoration activities on private lands.
As a result of the devastating hurricanes of 2005, the American public has an increased awareness of the importance of wetlands in
sustaining a resilient coast. These massive storms resulted in 217 square miles of wetlands loss on the Louisiana coast and have left the
region more vulnerable to future coastal storms. There is now a renewed sense of urgency for restoring, improving, and protecting coastal
wetlands that all Americans can appreciate in light of the loss of life and property on the Gulf Coast.
Integrating wetlands restoration into the larger recovery plans for the Gulf region clearly makes good ecological sense, and it also
makes good economic sense. But wetlands conservation and restoration is not only critical for recovery efforts on the Gulf Coast. With
more than half of the Nation’s population living in coastal counties, wetlands conservation and restoration must be included in our
approach to community planning and development nationwide.
Congress has been an essential partner in the President’s conservation agenda. To ensure that the strides made in the past three
years not only continue but increase, we will start today to lay the foundation to ensure that all wetlands decision-makers, inside and
outside the Federal Government, have real-time access to the information they need to make enlightened decisions. Our ecology and
economy are interdependent; a healthy environment and strong economy must both flourish. I am looking forward to the day we
celebrate reaching the President’s goal for restoring, improving, and protecting America’s wetlands.
Sincerely,
James L. Connaughton
Chairman
Contents
Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................................1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................3
Accomplishments .........................................................................................................................................................5
Restore or Create Wetlands ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Improve Wetlands ................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Protect Wetlands .................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Perspective ..................................................................................................................................................................15
Appendix A. Methodolog y and Definitions ................................................................................................................17
Appendix B. Maintaining the Wetlands Base ..............................................................................................................25
Appendix C. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ........................................................................................................29
Appendix D. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)....................33
Appendix E. Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Civil Works (USACE) ...................................35
Appendix F. Department of the Interior (DOI) ..........................................................................................................37
Appendix G. Department of Transportation (DOT) ...................................................................................................45
Appendix H. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ...............................................................................................47
Appendix I. Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) ................................................49
Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................................................53
1
Executive Summary
2005-06
Reports*
This
Report
Acres Restored or Created 588,000 300,000
Acres Improved 541,000 488,000
Acres Protected 601,000 251,000
Total Acres 1,730,000 1,039,000
*Agency accomplishments as adjusted by actual results; these totals do not
reflect net totals, as they do not account for wetland acres lost or damaged.
On Earth Day 2004, President Bush celebrated the
opportunity to move beyond the Federal policy of “no
net loss” of wetlands and called for a new commitment
to attain an overall increase in the quality and quantity of
wetlands in America.
As President Bush said in April 2004, “The old policy of
wetlands was to limit the loss of wetlands. Today I’m going to
announce a new policy and a new goal for our country:
Instead of just limiting our losses, we will expand the wet-lands
of America.”
President Bush described his goal for expanding wetlands
acreage as both creating new wetlands and improving the
quality of existing wetlands. The President also required that we
protect existing, high-quality wetlands. His goal is to achieve at
least one million acres in each of these separate categories
between Earth Day 2004 and 2009. This goal reflects agency
performance in restoring, improving, and protecting wetland
acres. The goal does not reflect a net acreage total (i.e., the goal
does not reflect loss of wetlands).
After three years of progress toward the President’s five-year
goal, the team of six Federal departments working with
multiple states, communities, tribes, and private landowners is
on track to meet or exceed this goal.
Since this goal was set, 2,769,000 acres of wet-lands
have been restored or created, improved, or
protected.
This report also highlights anticipated progress between
Earth Day 2007 and 2008, during which time the Bush
Administration expects an additional one million wetland acres
to be restored or created, improved, or protected.
The President’s focus on wetlands has prompted these
accomplishments, as well as improvements in cooperation and
understanding among the many Federal departments, states,
communities, tribes, and landowners that care for and manage
wetlands. The Federal Government team includes the Environ-mental
Protection Agency and the Departments of the Interior,
Agriculture, Commerce, Transportation, and the Army.
Many agencies of government contribute to the continu-ing
goal of “no net loss” by ensuring mitigation for wetlands
that are developed for other uses. Even though mitigation for
wetlands replaces more wetland acres than are lost, these
numbers are not included in the three categories reported
here. The report describes these and other programs that
contribute to maintaining the Nation’s wetlands base.
This report chronicles the major contributions of Federal
agencies, working together and in partnership with others, to
achieve the President’s wetlands goal of three million acres by
2009.
2
Landscape Change Processes on the Deltaic Gulf Coast
The hurricanes of 2005 have brought a sense of urgency
to Gulf Coast restoration. The Mississippi River is a
lifeline for transporting goods and services, and its coastal
delta is the gateway. The Port of South Louisiana handles the
most tonnage of any port in the Nation. This economic
engine coexists with unique ecosystems that support
important fisheries and habitats for migratory birds.
Although recent hurricanes have highlighted its
vulnerability, the Gulf Coast was already experiencing the
impacts of human modification to the Mississippi River
system. Enormous challenges are posed by the need to
restore the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico to an
ecologically functioning system, while also maintaining the
navigation of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers, flood
control structures, and hurricane levees and other storm
protection devices. Meeting these challenges will require
new data and more cross-disciplinary methods in support
of goals that transcend the interest of any single stake-holder
group.
Land-Building, Then and Now
The Mississippi River Deltaic Plain is a succession of
river deltas formed over the past 10,000 years by the
sediment eroded from the continent into the Mississippi River
and its tributaries during rainfalls, storms, and floods. When
the river reached shallow coastal waters, its velocity slowed
and suspended sediments dropped out, creating deltaic land
on the Continental Shelf. Following the most efficient route to
the Gulf, the river changed its course every 1,000 to 1,500
years, creating new deltas. Plants took hold and stabilized the
new land, and erosional forces of winds, waves, and surge
periodically eroded the new landscapes, scoured adjacent
waterbottoms, and transported sediments along the coast.
Today, this natural cycle of marsh-building in the Delta
has been interrupted. Hundreds of locks and dams along the
Mississippi River and its tributaries preclude sediments from
reaching the Delta and surrounding wetlands. Soil conserva-tion
and dams reduce the sediment load to the river from
storms. Levees and river bank stabilization reduce the
natural erosion of the stream bank, and levees prevent
natural flooding and land-building as the river passes
through the Deltaic Plain.
While these land-building processes are being inter-rupted,
both natural and human-caused destructive processes
persist, such as erosion, saltwater intrusion, the invasive nutria
that eats vegetation, subsidence (sinking), and increasing sea
level rise. In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita transformed
217 square miles of Louisiana’s coastal lands to open water,
119 miles of which lay in the Deltaic Plain. This amount of loss
in one year represents almost half of the land loss scientists
predicted would take place over a 50-year period.
The Scientific Challenge
Many proposals are being developed to achieve a
sustainable coast, including retaining Mississippi River
sediments in coastal wetlands to emulate the natural
geologic and hydrologic processes. These processes, which
once built the wetlands, are now critically needed to protect
human communities. To provide sound science for decision
making, the U.S. Geological Survey works with Federal, state,
university, and other partners to monitor wetlands recovery;
research impacts related to sedimentation, elevation change,
plant community structure, and physical and chemical
wetland attributes; create landscape predictive models; use
radar to study impacts to and recovery of wildlife popula-tions
and habitats; and monitor restoration success and
evaluate restoration alternatives.
Mississippi River Delta, January 25, 2007. (USGS)
3
Introduction
Figure 1. Estimated Progress Toward the President’s Wetlands Goal
W etlands have long been recognized as critical to a
clean, properly functioning environment and to
ecosystem health. They provide a protective buffer for
our towns and cities against floods and storm surges, and they
provide important ecological benefits, contributing to water
quality, supplying life-sustaining habitat for hundreds of
species, and connecting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The
Nation’s wetlands provide an array of benefits to society, and
their continued ability to function and thrive affects the
economic, ecological, and cultural heritage of all Americans.
The importance of wetlands stewardship is reflected in the
array of public–private partnerships that have formed, enhanced
through efforts at the Federal level. Recognizing the need for
more effective use and coordination of Federal wetlands
activities, on April 22, 2004, President George W. Bush
announced a new national policy on wetlands to achieve an
overall increase of U.S. wetlands each year, with a goal to restore
or create, improve, or protect at least three million wetland acres
between Earth Day 2004 and 2009.
Three years after the President underscored the impor-tance
of wetlands, significant progress is being made toward
achieving the Earth Day goal to increase overall wetlands
acreage and its quality. Between Earth Day 2004 and 2007,
approximately 888,000 acres have been restored or created,
1,029,000 acres have been improved, and 852,000 acres have
been protected (Figure 1).
Since Earth Day 2004, the primary programs making
contributions to restoration or creation are the Wetlands
Reserve Program (USDA/NRCS), National Wildlife Refuge
System (DOI/FWS), North American Wetlands Conservation Act
(DOI/FWS), Conservation Reserve Program (USDA/FSA), and
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (DOI/FWS). The primary
contributors to the improvement goal are the National Wildlife
Refuge System; Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program (DOA/
USACE, Civil Works); North American Wetlands Conservation
Act; Conservation Technical Assistance Program (USDA/NRCS);
and the Coastal Wetland Planning, Protection and Restoration
Act (USACE, EPA, FWS, and NOAA). Wetlands protection
Note: Agencies’ performance estimates have been adjusted for double-counted acres.
-
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,000
Restore or Create Improve Protect
Acres
Earth Day 2008
(estimated)
Earth Day 2007
(estimated)
Earth Day 2006
Earth Day 2005
President's
Five-Year Goal
4
through acquisitions or long-term easements is being
accomplished by the North American Wetlands
Conservation Act; Wetlands Reserve Program; National
Wildlife Refuge System, Federal Duck Stamp Program
(DOI/FWS); National Estuary Program (EPA); and
Coastal Program (DOI/FWS).
Because more than 85 percent of our Nation’s
wetlands are on non-Federal lands, the effectiveness of
Federal efforts to improve the health, quality, and use
of the Nation’s wetlands will be greatly enhanced by
expanding public–private partnerships. Through
cooperative conservation, the Federal Government can
facilitate these partnerships by providing matching
grants, technical assistance, and opportunities for the
reestablishment, rehabilitation, enhancement, and
protection of wetlands.
Federal agencies must continue to encourage and
ogy used in previous editions of this report. Agencies reported
all notable accomplishments toward the President’s goal in the
year the project was completed, or projected to be completed,
rather than the year the project was funded. Adjustments were
made to account for projects reported by multiple agencies
(“double-counting”). Projected estimates in the 2006 report
were adjusted in this year’s report as actual results became
available. Appendix A provides a thorough discussion of
terminology and methodology, Appendix B describes efforts
that maintain the wetlands base, and Appendices C through I
present program-level information and descriptions.
Mangrove forest restoration project in Puerto Rico. (FWS)
partner with non-Federal parties (state and local governments,
tribes, and nongovernmental organizations). Well-coordinated
public–private partnerships focused on wetlands opportunities
will yield significant ecological benefits.
About This Report
Conserving America’s Wetlands 2007: Three Years of
Progress Implementing the President’s Goal presents a
snapshot of Federal efforts to achieve the President’s goal for
wetlands acreage. In providing information, the participating
agencies used terminology similar to that developed by the
White House Wetlands Working Group and the same terminol-
5
Accomplishments
During the first three years (April 2004 through April
2007), Federal agencies reported restoring or creating 888,000
acres of new wetlands. By Earth Day 2008, Federal agencies plan
to restore or create an additional 298,000 acres of wetlands.
Ninety-three percent of the gains will result from re-establishing
former wetlands, and only seven percent from establishing (i.e.,
creating new) wetlands (primarily on upland sites).
The Federal Government will restore wetlands in FY 2008
primarily through the Wetlands Reserve Program, national
Wildlife Refuge System, North American Wetlands Conservation
Act, Conservation Reserve Program, and Partners for Fish and
Wildlife (Figure 2).
Wetlands Reserve Program
The Wetlands Reserve Program ( WRP) is administered by
the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The
types of wetlands restored by this program vary, from flood-plain
forest to prairie potholes to coastal marshes. Floodplain
forest and associated sloughs and small emergent marsh
wetlands account for approximately 65 percent of the
program’s restoration activity. A majority of the enrolled
floodplain acres offered into the program occur in areas
subject to frequent flooding that were originally drained or
cleared for agricultural production.
Figure 2. Proportion of Wetland Acres Anticipated to be Restored or Created by Major
Programs in FY 2008
The President’s goal for wetlands has led the responsible
Federal agencies to focus their resources to achieve
results. Agencies do this by managing programs more
strategically, leveraging resources, and partnering with others
whenever possible. The following sections summarize accom-plishments
planned for each of the three goal areas included in
the President’s FY 2008 budget. Major contributing programs
are identified and highlighted. Wetland Reserve accomplish-ments
reflect the anticipated increase in the wetland enrollment
acreage cap and mandatory funding under the new Farm Bill,
assuming that all authorized acres are enrolled.
Restore or Create Wetlands
First Three Years of Accomplishment: 888,000 acres
Estimated Accomplishment Earth Day 2008: 298,000 acres
(totals adjusted for double-counting )
Wetlands can be added by creating new wetlands or by
restoring former wetlands lost to drainage. New wetlands are
created in upland areas or deepwater sites. A gain in wetland
acres may also be achieved by re-establishing former wetlands
to restore functions and values approximating natural/historic
conditions. Because of difficulties in establishing wetlands in
upland areas, agencies have preferred to re-establish former
wetlands when possible. In many cases the necessary soils and
seed stock still exist, and wetlands flourish once more as soon
as the hydrology is restored.
52%
11%
11%
9%
5%
12%
Wetlands Reserve Program
National Wildlife Refuge System
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Conservation Reserve Program
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
Other (See Tables C-2, D-2, E-2, F-2, H-2, I-2)
6
WRP expects to restore or create approximately 160,000
acres of wetlands in FY 2007 and 171,000 acres in FY 2008.
National Wildlife Refuge System
The National Wildlife Refuge System restores wetlands on
its lands nationwide. For example, at the Laguna Atascosa
National Wildlife Refuge, Ocean Trust, the Fish and Wildlife
Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(USDA) are working together and with more than 60 private
and public partners in south Texas to restore 10,000 acres of
tidal wetlands on the refuge known as the Bahia Grande
(Grand Bay). Until the mid-1930s, these wetlands served as
highly productive habitats for a wide variety of fish, shellfish,
waterbirds, and waterfowl. Human-caused changes to tidal
pathways brought dry, sun-baked basins and over 70 years of
dust to surrounding communities. In 2006, human connections
and tidal connections came together to once again flood the
Bahia Grande. The response was immediate—thousands of
shorebirds, egrets, herons, and brown pelicans flocked to the
newly flooded area to take advantage of the abundant fish.
This program expects to restore or create approximately
35,000 acres of wetlands in FY 2007 and 37,000 acres in
FY 2008.
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
This FWS program promotes long-term
conservation of North American wetland
ecosystems for the benefit of waterfowl and
other migratory birds, fish, and wildlife. Funds
are provided by appropriations and by
nonappropriated sources such as the Coastal
Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration
Act (CWPPRA); interest earned on Pittman
Robertson Funds; and fines collected under the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
In FY 2007, the Lower Mississippi Valley
Ecosystem IV project partners will use their $1
million grant to build on their previous achieve-ments
in the landscape-scale protection,
restoration, and enhancement of the alluvial
valley’s wetland ecosystem. In this phase, 15,238
acres of wetland habitats will be affected in the
project area, with multiple conservation activities
occurring on 1,970 of those acres. Project partners will protect
1,400 acres of palustrine forested wetlands in perpetuity through
conservation easements donated by three private landowners in
Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Partners also will restore
5,346 acres of wetlands and enhance 8,492 acres on a mix of
private and public lands in the three states, including on
Louisiana’s Bouef and Bayou Macon Wildlife Management Areas.
The conservation easement tract in Arkansas is located close
enough to the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge and Dagmar
Wildlife Management Area to be in range of the ivory-billed
woodpecker, a species considered extinct for the past 60 years
that was recently rediscovered in the area. Other protected tracts
in the project area are within the known range of the Louisiana
black bear. Restoration and enhancement activities on 10,698
acres of Federal land are complementing project partners’ efforts
in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and advance the habitat
conservation goals of the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture.
Project partners are contributing $2,302,615 in matching funds
and $140,000 in nonmatching other Federal dollars.
NAWCA anticipates restoring or creating approximately
37,000 acres of wetlands in FY 2007 and FY 2008.
Conservation Reserve Program
Wetlands restored through this USDA program range
from prairie potholes to floodplains to bottomland hardwood
forest. Currently, 1 million acres of wetlands and 1.4 million
Whooping cranes use a re-established wetland in north central Iowa. (Greg Hanson,
Indiana Department of Natural Resources)
7
acres of associated buffers are under contract. Conservation
Reserve Program wetlands successes include partnerships with
states through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement
Program (CREP), which has enrolled over 87,000 acres of
wetlands and associated buffers. In addition, several initiatives
designed to further increase wetland enrollment have been
established: (1) the Non-Floodplain Wetland and Playa Lakes
Restoration Initiative targets 250,000 acres for enrollment, (2)
the Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative
has alloted 500,00 acres, and (3) the Duck Nesting Habitat
Initiative is targeting 100,000 acres mostly in North and South
Dakota. These wetlands provide important environmental
benefits, including critical breeding habitat for ducks and
grassland birds. Wildlife biologists at the Department of the
Interior estimate that this program’s efforts have resulted in a
30 percent increase in duck populations and significant
increases in grassland bird populations on Conservation
Reserve Program lands compared to cropland.
The Conservation Reserve Program anticipates restoring
or creating 30,000 acres of wetlands in FY 2007 and another
30,000 acres in FY 2008.
Partners for Fish and Wildlife
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is a popular
and effective FWS program for voluntary and citizen-based
wetlands restoration and enhancement activities. The Partners
program serves as a bridge to owners and managers of private
lands to develop partnerships for improvement of fish and
wildlife populations and their habitats. Its approach is simple:
engage willing partners, through nonregulatory incentives, to
conserve and protect wildlife values on their property. In its 20
years, the Partners program has developed more than 41,000
private landowner agreements, re-establishing or enhancing
over 800,000 acres of wetlands nationwide. As the delivery
mechanism for strategic habitat conservation, the Partners
program will continue to coordinate with public and private
partners to reach national conservation goals. By working
cooperatively with private landowners to restore and enhance
habitat on private lands, the Partners program helps reduce the
reliance on regulation to achieve the FWS mission of conserving
Trust species and keeping common species common.
Partners for Fish and Wildlife anticipates restoring or
creating approximately 15,000 acres of wetlands in FY 2007
and 17,000 acres in FY 2008.
Improve Wetlands
First Three Years of Accomplishment:
1,029,000 acres
Estimated Accomplishment Earth Day 2008:
521,000 acres
(totals adjusted for double-counting )
Some degraded wetlands do not function
properly because of past or present stressors.
Agencies can improve wetlands by modifying
the physical, chemical, or biological character-istics
of a degraded wetland site with the goal
of repairing its natural/historic functions and
associated values (referred to as rehabilita-tion).
They also can modify the physical,
chemical, or biological site characteristics to
heighten, intensify, or improve specific
functions or to change the growth stage or
composition of vegetation. These actions are
taken with a specific goal in mind, such as
improving water quality, floodwater retention,
or wildlife habitat. This type of improvement,
More than 15,000 acres of former commercial salt ponds are being rehabilitated in
San Francisco Bay, California. (FWS)
8
called enhancement, results in a change in wetland functions
and associated values, may lead to a decline in other wetland
functions and values, and does not result in a gain in wetland
acres.
Between Earth Day 2004 and 2007, Federal agencies
estimated improving the quality of 1,029,000 acres of existing
wetlands. By Earth Day 2008, Federal agencies plan to improve
the quality and associated values of an additional 521,000
acres of existing wetlands. Of the third-year improvements, 14
percent of the gains in wetlands quality will result from
rehabilitating the natural/historic functions and associated
values of degraded wetlands, and the remaining 86 percent will
come from enhancing specific functions and values.
The major programs that are planning FY 2008 wetland
improvements include the National Wildlife Refuge System;
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act;
North American Wetlands Conservation Act; and Conservation
Technical Assistance Program (Figure 3).
National Wildlife Refuge System
National Wildlife Refuges focus on management purposes
and wildlife goals that depend on healthy wetland habitats.
Over the past two centuries, more than 85 percent of San
Francisco Bay’s rich tidal marshes were destroyed by develop-ment,
agricultural practices, and commercial salt production.
This dramatic decline significantly reduced the populations of
marsh-dependent fish and wildlife species, including the
endangered California clapper rail and salt marsh harvest
mouse.
In 2006, through a series of carefully formulated and
executed levee breaches, the Fish and Wildlife Service reintro-duced
San Francisco Bay water to the Island Ponds near Alviso,
California. The effort heralded a major step forward in the
ambitious 15,100-acre South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project,
the largest tidal wetland restoration project ever undertaken on
the West Coast. The South Bay Project will create a network of
tidal marshes and ponds for wildlife, and provide public access
for wildlife viewing and recreation. The project will restore the
bay’s tidal wetlands as habitat for endangered species, water-fowl,
and migrating and wintering shorebirds, and filter
pollution, inhibit nutrient runoff, and provide flood protection.
Since the initial restoration activities have begun and
pond salinity has been reduced, Refuge staff have already
observed a 100 percent increase in waterfowl and a 130
percent increase in shorebirds’ use of these ponds. The three
goals of the long-term restoration plan are to restore habitat,
improve flood protection, and increase public access and
Figure 3. Proportion of Wetlands Acres Anticipated
to be Improved by Major Programs in FY 2008
24%
21%
18%
10%
27%
National Wildlife Refuge System
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection &
Restoration Act in Louisiana
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Conservation Technical Assistance Program
Other (See Tables C-2, D-2, E-2, F-2, H-2)
9
wildlife-dependent recreation in the
South Bay. This wetland rehabilitation
is critical to ensuring the vitality of this
region and the Pacific Flyway (flyways
are the routes followed by migratory
birds). The Western Hemispheric
Shorebird Reserve Network has
designated the area as a Shorebird
Reserve of Hemispheric Importance. It
is the most important estuary along
the West Coast for migrating shore-birds.
In FY 2007, the National Wildlife
Refuge System expects to improve
approximately 109,000 acres of
wetlands, and an additional 114,000
acres in FY 2008.
Coastal Wetlands Planning,
Protection and Restoration Act
The Coastal Wetlands, Planning,
Protection and Restoration Act was
passed to acquire, restore, and
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
NAWCA grants are awarded to improvement projects that
modify a functioning wetland ecosystem to provide additional
long-term wetland conservation benefits. The Northern San
Joaquin Valley in California, with its internationally important
wetlands, is a significant site for migratory shorebirds and
waterfowl. It provides wintering or stopover habitat to an
estimated 60 percent of the Pacific Flyway’s waterfowl popula-tion,
or 20 percent of the continental population overall. Some
90 percent of California’s historic 5 million acres of wetlands
are now gone, and those that remain are threatened by ever-encroaching
urban development and agriculture.
North San Joaquin Valley Wetland Habitat Phase II Project
partners will use their $1 million NAWCA grant to improve and
protect 16,304 acres of wetlands and associated riparian and
upland habitats on private and public lands in three of the
Central Valley Joint Venture’s focus areas. Private and public
partners will restore 507 acres and enhance 14,916 acres more
by employing various water control techniques in wetland
areas, planting riparian trees, and seeding uplands. Conserva-tion
easements will be acquired on 761 acres of habitat, and
enhance wetlands of coastal states and the trust territories. The
Jonathan Davis Wetland Restoration project started in 1998
and will be completed in 2008 by NRCS and the Louisiana
Department of Natural Resources. This Coastal Wetlands
Planning, Protection and Restoration Act project lies between
the northern, freshwater portion of the Barataria Basin and the
southern, brackish/saline portion. As land is lost to the south,
salinity intrudes northward through bayous and canals. The
Jonathan Davis area also lies at the northern end of Bayous
Perot and Rigolettes, where wave action causes shoreline
erosion. Several plugs and weirs were built to reduce tidal
exchange and prevent salinity increase. Bank protection was
constructed along the southern boundary to prevent marsh
loss. Over the 20-year project life, 510 net acres of marsh will
be conserved that otherwise would have been lost with no
action. A total of 4,753 acres of marsh will be enhanced by
increasing the growth of common plant species, such as bull
tongue. Fish and wildlife habitat will be improved and there will
be some increase in birds, mammals, and fish. The project will
cost $29 million, including monitoring.
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act
projects are expected to improve approximately 72,000 acres
of wetlands in FY 2007, and 101,000 acres in FY 2008.
Jonathan Davis Wetland Restoration, using a freshwater diversion in the north end of Barataria Bay,
Louisiana. (NRCS)
10
another 120 acres will be purchased. The California Waterfowl
Association will secure 30-year management agreements with
the 10 private landowners participating in the project. At least
13 Federally and state listed endangered or threatened species
will benefit from partners’ efforts. Project partners are contrib-uting
$2,829,225 in matching funds and $138,761 in
nonmatching funds.
NAWCA expects to improve approximately 87,000 acres
of wetlands in FY 2007 and FY 2008.
Conservation Technical Assistance
The broad purpose of NRCS’s Conservation Technical
Assistance (CTA) program is to help private landowners,
conservation districts, tribes, and other organizations by
providing technical assistance through a national network of
locally respected, technically skilled, professional conservation-ists.
These conservationists deliver consistent, science-based,
site-specific solutions to help private landowners conserve,
maintain, and improve the Nation’s natural resource base. The
CTA program provides the foundation for NRCS to assist
farmers, ranchers, other landowners, local groups, tribes, and
local governments to plan and implement natural resource
conservation systems.
In FY 2006, CTA was the major source of technical
assistance for planning and applying conservation practices
and systems to protect and enhance natural resources on non-
Federal land. These conservation actions deliver public benefits
in the form of better soil quality, reduced delivery of sediment
and nutrients to surface and ground waters, increased conser-vation
of water supplies, healthier grazing and forest land
ecosystems, diverse and healthier wildlife habitat, and im-proved
wetlands condition and function.
CTA expects to improve approximately 49,000 acres of
wetlands in FY 2007 and FY 2008.
Protect Wetlands
First Three Years of Accomplishment: 852,000 acres
Estimated Accomplishment Earth Day 2008: 227,000 acres
(totals adjusted for double-counting)
Priority wetlands can be protected from activities that
may imperil their existence or condition. In this report,
protection refers to acquisition of land or easements of at least
Figure 4. Proportion of Wetland Acres Anticipated to be Protected by Programs in FY 2008
47%
29%
9%
6%
9%
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Wetlands Reserve Program
National Estuary Program
National Wildlife Refuge System Duck Stamp
Other (See Tables C-2, E-2, F-2)
11
30 years. Because protection maintains the base of existing
wetlands, it does not result in a gain of wetland acres or
function.
During the first two years of the President’s Wetlands
Initiative, Federal actions protected 601,000 acres of existing
wetlands. In the third year, Federal agencies estimated they
protected an additional 251,000 acres. By Earth Day 2008,
Federal agencies plan to protect an additional 227,000 acres of
wetlands. The major programs planning wetland protection in
FY 2008 are the North American Wetlands Conservation Act,
Wetlands Reserve Program, National Estuary Program, and
National Wildlife Refuge System Federal Duck Stamp Program
(Figure 4).
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
NAWCA projects often involve partnerships of state and
local governments and nongovernmental and private organiza-tions
seeking to acquire wetland habitat. These acquisitions
may be incorporated into the FWS National Wildlife Refuge
System or into a state’s protected area system, or they may be
included in holdings protected by a nonprofit conservation
organization (e.g., The Nature Conservancy).
One such project was the
Hamilton Ridge Tract in Hampton
County, South Carolina. In addition
to their $1 million NAWCA grant,
partners in the Savannah River
Conservation Initiative/Hamilton
Ridge Tract Project will use $2.1
million in matching funds and $20.1
million in nonmatching funds to
acquire and protect the 13,281-acre
Hamilton Ridge Tract. This tract
contains 8.5 miles of frontage along
the Savannah River and is located
within the South Lowcountry Focus
Area of the Atlantic Coast Joint
Venture. The owner of the tract,
International Paper Corporation,
recently offered the property at a
bargain price to project partners. As
a result of timely collaboration and
action, this land will be permanently
protected as wildlife habitat instead
of being sold to the highest bidder on
the open market. The State of South
Carolina will own the property, which is adjacent to a com-bined
12,600 acres of already protected habitat—the Webb and
Palachucola Wildlife Management Areas. The project property
contains 6,584 acres of wetlands and 6,697 acres of upland
habitat, primarily loblolly pine, and will be incorporated into
South Carolina’s Wildlife Management Area Program for public
recreational uses.
This program expects to protect approximately 145,000
acres of wetlands in FY 2007 and FY 2008.
Wetlands Reserve Program
This voluntary program provides technical and financial
assistance to eligible landowners to address wetland, wildlife
habitat, soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on
private lands. The program provides financial incentives for
landowners to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands in
exchange for retiring marginal land from agriculture. Enroll-ment
options include permanent easements, 30-year ease-ments,
and restoration cost-share agreements.
The Wetlands Reserve Program ( WRP) was reauthorized
in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm
A NAWCA grant helped protect the floodplain of the Savannah River on the Hamilton Ridge Wetlands
Management Area in South Carolina. (FWS)
12
Bill). The program is administered by
NRCS and funded by the Commodity
Credit Corporation. In FY 2005, NRCS
state offices secured 751 easements
on approximately 134,200 acres.
NRCS is especially proud of the
partnership efforts that have been
generated as a result of this program’s
activities. For example, some 95 acres
of land used for cranberry produc-tion
in Plymouth, Massachusetts, will
remain open space thanks to the
NRCS and a partnership of landown-ers,
local and Federal agencies, and
nonprofit organizations. Through
WRP, NRCS contributed more than
$300,000 toward conservation
easements, construction for the
restoration of the stream and
surrounding wetlands, and other
associated costs. Partners included
two private landowners, the town of
Plymouth, The Nature Conservancy, the Wildlands Trust of
Southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers
Association, the Hornblower Foundation, the Sheehan Family
Foundation, and local residents.
NRCS is also proud of WRP’s contributions toward
restoring rare and unusual wetland communities that have
been all but lost through past conversion to non-wetland uses.
For example, in Sumter, South Carolina, the Booth family
entered into a permanent easement to restore hydrology to a
100-acre area that was drained for row crops during the 1930s.
The protected area is a Carolina Bay, a unique elliptical wetland
depression found only along the coastal regions of North and
South Carolina. The origin of these unique wetlands has long
been the center of debate and remains a mystery. Today, only
10 percent of the original bays remain, having been drained by
loggers and farmers, but programs like the Wetlands Reserve
Program provide funding to landowners to restore and protect
these areas.
In FY 2007, WRP expects to protect approximately
98,000 acres of wetlands, and an additional 90,000 acres in
FY 2008.
National Estuary Program
At the 28 National Estuary Program (NEP) sites around
the country, local stakeholders work together to identify and
prioritize the problems in their estuaries. NEP community
stakeholders include citizens; educators; government represen-tatives
at the state, local, and Federal levels; environmental
advocates; business leaders; scientists; farmers; and people
who fish. Each community develops and implements a Compre-hensive
Conservation and Management Plan with specific
actions designed to protect the estuary and its resources. The
plan addresses all aspects of environmental protection for the
estuary, including water quality, habitat, living resources, and
land use practices, which leads to restoration/creation, im-provement,
and protection activities including land protection
and acquisition projects.
For example, the Nueces River Delta, Texas, contains a
diverse array of coastal marsh and prairie habitats, including
salt marshes, freshwater marshes and lakes, mudflats, fringe
riparian corridors, and uplands. The delta provides habitat for
several species of concern, including the brown pelican, least
tern, and snowy and piping plover. Development throughout
the Coastal Bend area near Corpus Christi, Texas, is resulting in
the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of crucial habitat and
a decline in the abundance and diversity of our living re-sources.
The Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program
(CBBEP) helps ensure that these crucial habitats will exist for
Wetlands purchased in the Nueces River Delta of the Coastal Bend area near Corpus Christi, Texas. (EPA)
13
decades to come through continued habitat acquisition
in the delta. CBBEP first implemented this habitat
acquisition initiative in 2002, and to date has acquired
approximately 5,400 acres in the Nueces River Delta. In
FY 2006 alone, CBBEP protected approximately 2,500
acres. CBBEP continues negotiations with landowners,
and is nearing completion of preliminary activities
(survey and appraisal) needed to begin negotiations for
the acquisition of another 5,100 acres in the delta.
NEP expects to protect approximately 29,000
acres of wetlands in FY 2007 and FY 2008.
National Wildlife Refuge System (Federal Duck
Stamp Program)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Duck
Stamp Program acquires wetlands and associated
habitats from willing sellers to benefit waterfowl species
and other migratory birds most in need of habitat
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist discusses wetland restoration with a Boy
Scout in Puerto Rico. (FWS)
protection. FWS focuses its efforts on migratory bird breeding
areas, resting places, and wintering areas under the authority of
the Migratory Bird Conservation Act and the Migratory Bird
Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (“Duck Stamp”). Many of
the lands and interests acquired are small natural wetlands
located in the Prairie Pothole region of the Upper Midwest
portion of the Central Flyway. Wetlands and migratory bird
habitats located within the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Pacific
Flyways are also targeted. A recent acquisition in Linn County,
Oregon, added 36 acres to the William L. Finley National
Wildlife Refuge, thereby protecting these acres in perpetuity.
The Refuge is located within the Willamette Valley floodplain
and its primary focus is to provide wintering habitat for dusky
Canada geese and other waterfowl.
Migratory Bird Conservation Funds will be used to
protect approximately 18,000 acres of wetlands in FY 2007 and
FY 2008.
14
15
Perspective
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008
thousands of dollars
Protect
Improve
Restore and Create
Figure 5. Requested Budget for Wetlands Goal in FY 2005 through FY 2008 (thousands of
dollars)
Federal agencies accomplished many tasks this year as
they moved closer to the President’s wetlands goal. Each
of the agencies developed creative solutions, with particu-lar
emphasis on public–private partnerships and cooperative
conservation.
Progress toward the President’s Earth Day goal is
supported by over $994 million in the FY 2008 President’s
Budget specifically for increasing the quality and quantity of
wetlands in America (Figure 5).
Cooperative conservation continues to be a successful
means of accomplishing the President’s Wetlands goal. Volun-tary
programs that work directly with individual landowners,
including Partners for Fish and Wildlife (FWS), and the Wet-lands
Reserve and Conservation Reserve programs (USDA),
continue to be key to restoring, improving, and protecting
wetlands.
Large-scale ecosystem restorations in areas such as the
USACE Civil Works projects in South Florida and coastal
Louisiana continue to help address coastal wetlands issues.
Holistic approaches are employed to restore these critical
habitats. Integrating wetlands restoration into the larger
recovery plans for the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Katrina
and other hurricanes makes good ecological sense, but it also
makes good economic sense. Conserving and restoring
wetlands is not only critical for recovery efforts along the Gulf
Coast, but is also an important part of our national approach to
community planning and development, as more than half of the
population lives in coastal counties.
Increased Federal attention to wetlands efforts has
heightened public awareness of the importance of wetlands
and their role in sustaining a resilient coast. The devastating
hurricanes of 2005 have served to increase the sense of
urgency in the American public for conserving, restoring, and
creating coastal wetlands. An informed public working in
partnership with Federal, state, tribal, and local agencies
provides an opportunity to ensure wetlands are conserved for
future generations.
These collaborative conservation and stewardship efforts
depend on accurate, timely, and reliable data that support a
16
common operating picture of where restoration efforts have
been realized, are in progress, or need to be initiated. Although
the National Wetlands Inventory and National Resources
Inventory provide a base of information for this purpose, an
integrated national, regional, and local information system to
capture, manage, and share the site information on restoration
efforts would make this information more valuable for decision
makers. This system could provide real-time access to informa-tion
that can be viewed and validated by a community of
partners in the context of map location and landscape. To
satisfy these requirements the system must be geospatially
enabled with geographic information systems (GIS) technology
and it must take advantage of the power of the Internet for
promoting collaboration. Such a system could significantly
improve the tracking of accomplishments, management of data,
dissemination of information, environmental analyses, and
decision making. Such a system will allow state and Federal
agencies and private sector partners to share GIS-based
information concerning wetlands. Decision makers and
managers at all levels inside and outside the government will be
able to make better informed and quicker wetland decisions.
We estimate that the President’s Earth Day 2004 goal to
create, improve, and protect at least three million wetland acres
will be achieved a year earlier than our target date of Earth Day
2009. To ensure that the strides made in achieving the wetlands
goal not only continue but increase, one next step would be to
lay the foundation to make sure that all decision makers,
including individual citizens, have browser-based access to the
information they need to track past accomplishments and make
the coordinated strategic decisions that will ensure our Nation’s
wetland and economic bases continue to expand.
Early fall migrants on recently enhanced wetland on the Frasher Farms, North San Joaquin Valley, California. (FWS)
17
Data Call to the Agencies
The data call for wetlands performance and budget data
went to the Departments of Agriculture, Army, Commerce, the
Interior, and Transportation and to the Environmental Protec-tion
Agency. The Working Group improved interagency
guidance based on lessons learned last year. The guidance
increased the consistency and accuracy of the estimates
developed, and projected estimates in the previous report were
adjusted using actual results for FY 2006.
Reporting Period
Performance and funding data for programs covered the
following time periods:
• FY 2006 enacted budget and performance results
• FY 2007 continuing resolution budget and estimated
performance results
• FY 2008 President’s requested budget and estimated
performance results.
To assess progress for the third year since the President’s
April 2004 announcement, half of the reported achievements
for FY 2006 were used and combined with half of the planned
tory funds are controlled by laws other than appropriations
acts (e.g., Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restora-tion
Act funds, and funds collected from the sale of Migratory
Bird Conservation Stamps [“Duck Stamps”]). All annually
appropriated funds are considered to be discretionary funds.
The funding amounts identified in this report are estimates that
were available at the time the President’s FY 2008 Budget
Request was presented to Congress. Future reports will capture
updated FY 2007 funding amounts that reflect passage of H.J.
Resolution 20 (P.L. 110-5) making appropriations for FY 2007.
Wetlands only
Programs that perform both wetlands activities and non-wetlands
activities reported funding and performance related
only to the wetlands component, not their entire program. For
example, when land is purchased for waterfowl management it
may include both wetlands and associated upland nesting cover.
These upland acres were deducted from the acres reported as
contributing to the President’s wetlands goal, and the cost of
these acres was generally deducted from the funds expended for
the project. The number of acres of wetlands contributed by a
program to the President’s wetlands goal will be smaller than the
Appendix A.
Methodology and Definitions
Native Gulf cordgrass lines the banks of the new channels and will be used to stabilize and enrich
the soil, within the Bahia Grande wetland complex, Texas. (Thor Lassen, Ocean Trust)
accomplishments for FY 2007.
Year Performance and Budget
Data Reported
Performance data are reported in the
year the project is completed, land ac-quired,
or easement purchased. However,
funding is reported in the year it is appro-priated.
For example, funding for a multi-year
wetlands improvement project would
be reported in FY 2006 and FY 2007 when
funding is appropriated, but the number of
acres improved could be reported in
FY 2008 and FY 2009 as the accomplish-ments
are realized.
Scope of Funding Included in the
Report
Wetlands activities funded by both
discretionary and mandatory funds are
included. Discretionary funds are con-trolled
by appropriations acts, and manda-
18
number of habitat acres reported in other budget documents
because the habitat acres typically include upland buffer strips,
associated upland cover, and nesting islands.
Eradication and abatement activities in wetlands
The first year an invasive plant or animal is eradicated or
its population abated, the acreage will be reported as a gain
under “improve.” Additional eradication or abatement work on
the same area is considered to be maintenance and is not
counted in the improve category.
Winter flooding of agricultural lands
Whether this acreage is counted depends on (1) whether
the land is wetland or upland before the flooding and
(2) whether the land is being newly flooded or the land is
within a footprint that has been flooded in past winters. If the
field is upland before being artificially flooded during the
winter and upland after the water is removed in the spring, the
acres are not counted. If the field is a farmed wetland before
the flooding and this is the first year the field has been flooded,
the acres are counted. Subsequent years of winter flooding are
considered management and are not counted. The acreage will
be reported as an improvement in quality through enhance-ment,
because adding winter water results in the heightening,
intensification, or improvement of one or more selected
functions and associated values. Enhancement
is undertaken for a purpose such as water
quality improvement, floodwater retention, or
wildlife habitat. Farmed wetlands are defined
as areas where the soil surface has been
mechanically or physically altered for produc-tion
of crops, but hydrophytes will become
established if farming is discontinued.
Definitions of Accomplishments
In 2000, the White House Wetlands
Working Group (WHWWG)—composed of
representatives from all major Federal
agencies involved in wetlands work—agreed to
use wetlands terminology and definitions that
had been developed during the mid-1990s.
Information was provided by the participating
agencies using terminology similar to that
previously developed by the WHWWG and the
same terminology used in previous Earth Day
wetlands reports.
To “restore or create” wetlands results in a gain of
wetland acres and includes:
• Creation of wetlands that did not previously exist on
an upland or deepwater site. These actions are
referred to as “establishment” by the WHWWG.
• Restoration of a former wetland to its natural/historic
function and resulting value. Typically, such a former
wetland had been drained for some purpose. These
actions are known as “re-establishment” by the
WHWWG.
To “improve” wetlands results in a gain of wetlands
functions or quality, rather than additional acreage, and
includes:
• Repair of the natural/historic functions and associated
values of a degraded wetland. The WHWWG refers to
these actions as “rehabilitation” of wetlands. Rehabili-tation
results in a gain in wetlands quality.
• Heightening, intensification, or improvement of one or
more selected functions and associated values. The
WHWWG called these types of actions “enhancement.”
Enhancement is undertaken for a purpose such as
water quality improvement, flood water retention, or
wildlife habitat. Enhancement results in the gain of
Wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl on Jordan Lake, Hamilton Ridge Wetlands
Management Area, South Carolina. (FWS)
19
selected wetland functions and associated values but
may also lead to a decline in other wetland functions
and values.
To “protect” wetlands includes:
• Acquisition of land or easements of at least 30 years
duration.
Activities Excluded from Acreage Counted toward
the President’s Goal
Accomplishments outside the United States
Due to the migratory nature of birds, some programs
work to restore, improve, and protect wetlands in Canada,
Mexico, and the Caribbean. International portions of programs
were not included in the data reported.
Uplands work
Many programs carry out activities in upland areas that are
crucial to the health and sustainability of wetlands. These upland
acres were not counted toward the President’s wetlands goal.
Wetland activities that maintain the Nation’s wetland base
Many important wetland activities are not counted
toward meeting the President’s goal because they are focused
on maintaining or managing the Nation’s wetlands base and do
not add acres, increase wetland quality, or fall within the
definition of “protect.” Many agencies spend more funds
maintaining and managing the existing wetlands base than they
do making additions to the base. The base is critically impor-tant,
because wetland gains can only be built on a stable
foundation. The activities that help maintain the wetlands base
are briefly described below and are included in Appendix B
with further discussion.
Cyclical work: Work carried out to sustain wetlands (e.g.,
habitat maintenance on a National Wildlife Refuge to maximize
wetland habitat values). Cyclic water-level management and
other cyclic wetland activities are used to mimic naturally
occurring flood regimes for the benefit of wildlife. Only new
activities on a footprint of wetlands not previously manipulated
for increased value were counted in the “improved” category as
rehabilitation or an enhancement.
Management and maintenance activities: Effective manage-ment
and maintenance activities are critical to sustain wildlife
and plant populations. Management activities involve periodic
manipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological character-
Moose on Selawink National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. (Hillebrand, FWS)
20
Restoring Wetlands Injured by Oil Spills and Contaminant Releases
Because wetlands provide important habitats for many
species of fish and wildlife, contaminants entering
wetlands can injure fish and wildlife and decrease
productivity. As a result of concerns over the influx of
contaminants into the environment, Congress passed the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act of 1980 (also known as CERCLA or
“Superfund”); the Clean Water Act as amended in 1977
(CWA); and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA). These three
laws authorize natural resource trustees—such as the
Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—to assess injuries
to natural resources from contaminants and to seek
restoration from those responsible for the injury.
Restoration projects may focus on either restoring the
habitat (e.g., improving hydrology and reducing runoff into
wetlands) needed for the injured fish and wildlife, or on
actions to increase their populations (e.g., reducing predators
and providing nesting substrate and habitat). Where injured
habitat cannot be restored, replacement habitat can be
restored or purchased. In addition, trustees may seek projects
(or funds for projects) to compensate for lost services (e.g.,
improved access to fishing sites) from the time of injury until
recovery. Following are examples of restoration projects
conducted in 2006 under CERCLA, OPA, and/or CWA.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources are working in
partnership with Ducks Unlimited and Rush Lake
Watershed Restoration Inc., to improve water
clarity and quality, remove invasive species, and
restore prairie pothole vegetation to Rush Lake in
Wisconsin. These efforts will compensate for
injuries to fish and wildlife from PCB releases into
the Fox River/Green Bay ecosystem. The restoration
of Rush Lake will benefit many of the injured
wildlife and fish, including Forster’s terns; black-crowned
night herons; red-necked grebes; sandpip-ers;
redhead, ruddy, and wood ducks; and north-ern
pike and yellow perch. Increases in fish and
wildlife will also enhance fishing, hunting, and
trapping opportunities. Projects completed in 2006
include installation of a dam, and dredging and
regrading of outlet channels to improve stream
flow and facilitate lake drawdown. When complete,
more than 3,000 acres will be restored.
• The Bridge Creek Restoration Project on Staten
Island was completed by NOAA in partnership with
the New York Department of Environmental
Conservation, City Parks Foundation, and New York
City Parks and Recreation Natural Resources
Group, to compensate for damages caused when a
pipeline released over 500,000 gallons of oil into
the Arthur Kill waterway in 1990. The project has
reconfigured and resized the Bridge Creek channel
to alter the hydrologic regime. This has affected
current flow, velocity, volume, tidal amplitude, and
flow patterns in Bridge Creek to restore 18 acres of
vegetation in a former smooth cord grass salt
marsh. The project is expected to improve habitat
for nearshore and inshore finfish, benthic inverte-brates,
marsh crabs, blue crabs, muskrat, shore-birds,
wading birds, and waterfowl.
• NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked
with Pierce County, Washington, and the city of Fife
to restore 6.7 acres of tidal wetlands and 0.5 stream
miles to create off-channel habitat for juvenile
salmonids adjacent to Hylebos Creek. The restored
wetland and emergent marsh, plus an additional 8.6
acres of riparian forest and freshwater wetlands, are
now protected in perpetuity by a conservation
easement and deed restriction. This is one of several
restoration projects being implemented to restore
resources injured by years of industrial contamina-tion
in Commencement Bay, Washington.
Fencing will prevent geese from grazing on the newly planted salt marsh
at Bridge Creek, New York. (Bob Strovnik)
21
istics critical to maintaining habitat quality.
These manipulations mimic natural regimes
through periodic flooding, mowing, or
prescribed burns. Maintenance activities
include the repair of water control structures,
fences, or structural protection. Cessation of
management and maintenance activities
triggers loss in wetland quality. Maintenance
activities do not result in an increase in
wetlands acreage or quality.
Mitigation: Wetlands created or improved as
mitigation for the loss or degradation of other
wetland values are not counted. The rehabili-tation
of wetlands at former hazardous waste
sites are considered to be compensatory
mitigation. Programs that mitigate for wetland
losses are not counted as contributing to the
new wetlands goal because they maintain the
Nation’s wetlands base. Examples of these
types of programs are the Federal Highway
technical assistance, and yet another land. For example, a 100-
acre project with four partners could be reported by each of
the partners, and could appear to be 400 acres when com-bined.
In some cases, one partner may not be aware that a
landowner is working with multiple partners.
These partnerships may result in over-reporting of
performance. To correct for this “double-counting,” partner-ship
worksheets were used. Programs were asked to identify
partnership groups separately on the worksheets. More than 60
percent of the reported acreage was accounted for on the
partnership worksheets. Some agencies do not collect partner-ship
data, and of those that do, most do not collect this data to
the level of detail necessary to make refined adjustments for
double-counting. Although more of the performance data was
accounted for on the partnership worksheets, the quantity and
quality was not sufficient to make adjustments to individual
program accomplishments. Therefore, an overarching correc-tion
was necessary to avoid over-reporting the acres created or
restored, improved, and protected.
To calculate this double-counting adjustment, all the
acreage reported as accomplished through Federal partner-ships
was summed by category. The calculation assumed two
Federal partners were involved in situations where at least one
additional Federal partner was reported by the reporting
agency. Half of the total acreage accomplished through
Administration programs that mitigate the impacts of highways
on wetlands, the Clean Water Act provisions that require the
mitigation of permitted wetland losses, and the Natural
Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration Program, which
restores and improves wetlands at former hazardous waste
sites.
Shoreline stabilization: The preservation of a marsh or
channel using shoreline stabilization techniques (e.g., rock
revetments, or steel or plastic sheet pile protection) is called
armored or hard shoreline stabilization. Partial protection of
shoreline erosion using vegetative plantings is called soft
shoreline protection. Shoreline stabilization prevents loss of
wetland acreage due to subsidence; erosion by tides, wind, and
boat traffic; and similar factors. This acreage is not counted
toward the President’s goal.
Correcting for Over-Reporting of Acreage
More and more programs are participating in cooperative
conservation partnerships. They have proven to be effective
and efficient mechanisms to leverage resources and expertise.
Many programs work cooperatively with both internal and
external Federal partners as well as non-Federal partners.
Correcting for over-reporting of acreage is a challenge to
accurately reporting accomplishments. One partner may
provide materials and equipment, another labor, another
Heavy equipment operators remove excess material to create one of the channels connecting the
three basins within the Bahia Grande wetland complex, Texas. (Thor Lassen, Ocean Trust)
22
CEAP-Wetlands:
Quantifying Ecosystem Services and Modeling Wetland Quality
National protocols to measure wetlands acreage have
advanced in the past two decades through the USDA
National Resources Inventory and the DOI National
Wetlands Inventory. To further quantify the environmental
benefits of conservation practices and Farm Bill programs,
USDA developed the Conservation Effects Assessment
Project (CEAP). The wetlands component of this project
(CEAP-Wetlands) is engaged in the following interrelated
activities:
• Conduct regional investigations to quantify
ecosystem services provided by wetlands and
associated lands on agricultural landscapes.
• Develop predictive wetland condition indicator
models.
• Produce a synthesis of the literature addressing the
effects of conservation practices and programs on
ecosystem services provided by wetlands and
associated environments on agricultural land-scapes.
• Build on existing collaborations or develop new
ones to strengthen the science foundation of
CEAP-Wetlands and enhance application of new
technologies.
• Develop the scientific and institutional framework
of a national wetlands adaptive management
approach for USDA to routinely monitor anthropo-genic
effects—including those from conservation
practices and programs—on wetland ecosystem
services and wetland condition, and conduct risk-based
assessments to more strategically allocate
resources to conserve wetland ecosystems.
The CEAP-Wetlands Approach
A CEAP-Wetlands conceptual design model was
developed to guide the regional investigations and predictive
condition models. Of prime interest is the comparison of
ecosystem service estimates before and after implementa-tion
of conservation practices, and interpretation of the
results to better inform national agricultural wetland policy
and programs.
Regional investigations involve sampling wetlands and
associated lands across an alteration gradient, focusing on
wetland classes that historically have been altered and
where USDA conservation efforts are focused. Ecosystem
services and measures for them are identified during a
scoping meeting involving scientists, resource managers,
USDA conservation practitioners, and other conservation
stakeholders. Existing data that could be of use are identi-fied,
as well as any gaps in the data. Collaborations with
USDA and non-USDA scientists are formed to conduct the
regional investigations, including development of the
predictive wetland condition indicator models.
The models, developed using multivariate tools,
describe the relationship between variables used to calculate
an ecosystem service estimate and multiple-scale factors that
influence the condition of those variables. Relationships
between field-collected data that are incorporated in the
model and remote data are investigated to identify potential
surrogates for the model while maintaining its integrity. The
inclusion of model factors measured via remote data
complement existing USDA National Resources Inventory
protocols to produce national wetlands status and trends
information.
Contribution to the President’s Wetlands Goal
CEAP-Wetlands regional investigations will produce
quantitative ecosystem service estimates for wetlands and
associated lands on agricultural landscapes and produce
associated models of wetland quality. Ongoing investigations
to address temporal and spatial variability in ecosystem
service estimates and in wetland condition will improve the
accuracy of these estimates and models. A national wetlands
adaptive management approach, using CEAP-Wetlands as the
catalyst, will ensure that objective, quantitative information
on wetland ecosystem services and condition on private
land is available for national decision makers.
23
multiple Federal partnerships by category was subtracted from
the raw total, by category.
Moving Toward a Performance Measurement and
Tracking System
This document reflects the lessons learned in developing
the 2006 report. The estimates reported last year were adjusted
as actual results became available. Over-reporting due to
partnerships remains a significant concern. The agencies will
continue to work on the double-counting problem during the
next year, particularly to determine whether the problem can
be solved through the use of geographic information system
(GIS) technology or other geoenabled technologies.
The use of GIS technology to track wetland programs and
their contribution toward the national goal would simplify the
problem of adjusting for double-counting. The digital project
boundaries could be entered into a GIS and analyzed for
multiple overlaps. This approach would have the additional
advantage of allowing the information to be overlaid on a
digital map of the United States. The map would facilitate the
development of monitoring programs to ensure wetlands are
restored, improved, and protected and that they provide the
intended functions and values.
Tracking systems require agreement on common perfor-mance
measures and definitions. They assess whether the
restoration and enhancement projects quantitatively and
qualitatively meet national goals. The President noted this need
in his 2004 Earth Day announcement by committing the
Federal Government to “gain further experience and develop
useful protocols for measuring wetland outcomes.” The Federal
agencies continue to make progress in developing a procedure
to track wetland accomplishments.
Exotic plant species were removed from the banks of a stream in the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park, Virginia. (NPS)
24
25
Federal agencies engage in various actions that help
maintain the existing base of wetlands. The President’s
goal helps sharpen focus on these activities. A policy of
having an “overall increase” of wetlands must be built on a
strong foundation of “no net loss.” Key programs that contrib-ute
to the base, but that are outside the President’s initiative,
fall into the following categories:
• Managing wetlands
• Cooperative conservation
• Regulation and mitigation
• Support activities.
Managing Wetlands
Approximately 13 percent of the Nation’s current base of
wetlands is managed by Federal agencies. Many units of the
National Wildlife Refuge System were established for their
wetland values, and FWS spends approximately $25 million
annually to actively manage more than 1.1 million acres of
wetlands. Wetlands management activities include creating
desired conditions through the use of canals, levees, water
control structures, and pumps. Cyclical water level and
management activities—including mechanical disturbance,
prescribed burning, or chemical treatment—also are used to
produce native wildlife foods in wetlands. Other Federal
agencies managing wetlands include the National Park Service,
U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bureau of Reclama-tion,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Department of Defense. All
of these wetlands are being conserved for sustainable benefits.
Cooperative Conservation
Seventy-four percent of the land in the United States is
privately owned. To better conserve privately owned wetlands,
the Federal government relies on voluntary, incentive-based
conservation programs. For example, technical and financial
assistance provided by the Natural Resources Conservation
Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service help private
landowners apply needed conservation techniques on their
land. When private landowners use these programs to restore,
protect, and improve wetlands on their property, they serve as
stewards of our environment. Other cooperative conservation
efforts include:
Public–private partnerships
The success of Federal actions to encourage and partner
with non-Federal parties—state and local governments, Indian
tribes, and nongovernmental entities—increases opportunities
to make progress through cooperative endeavors. Recent
trends are encouraging. For example, through the Corporate
Wetlands Restoration Partnership, over 225 corporate partners
and 100 non-Federal partners—including environmental
organizations, foundations, and state and local governments—
are working with Federal agencies to implement wetlands
projects (see http://www.coastalamerica.gov/text/cwrp.html).
The number of partnerships is projected to increase in the
future. The coordinated use of public–private efforts focusing
on priority wetlands opportunities should yield major ecologi-cal
benefits. Another example of successful public–private
partnerships are the FWS Joint Ventures ( JVs). Formed to
implement the North American Waterfowl Management Plan,
they are self-directed partnerships involving Federal, state, and
local governments; corporations; and a wide range of nongov-ernmental
conservation organizations. JVs have proven to be
successful tools for developing cooperative conservation
efforts to protect waterfowl and other bird habitat. JVs address
multiple local, regional, and continental goals for sustaining
migratory bird populations by developing scientifically based
habitat projects that benefit waterfowl and other migratory
bird populations.
Technical assistance
Most Federal agencies involved with wetlands activities
provide Federal, state, and local partners with technical
(biological, engineering, hydrological, etc.) expertise to support
various development, conservation, and restoration projects
across the country. These programs offer technical assistance
to help conserve, restore, and protect a variety of fish and
wildlife and their habitats. Among the laws providing a founda-tion
for technical assistance and conservation partnerships are
the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, National Environmental
Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Federal Power Act, Estuary Restora-tion
Act, and Environmental Restoration Act.
Appendix B.
Maintaining the Wetlands Base
26
Regulation and Mitigation
Water quality
An important aspect of the President’s Wetlands Initiative
is its continued emphasis on the goal of “no net loss” of
wetlands by existing programs that regulate certain activities in
wetlands and other waters. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of
the United States, including wetlands, and is jointly adminis-tered
by the USACE and EPA. The USACE has primary responsi-bility
for day-to-day permitting of activities in jurisdictional
“waters of the United States,” a broad category of aquatic
resources that includes wetlands. A comprehensive permit
review requires applicants to first avoid and then minimize
impacts, and finally use compensatory mitigation to replace
wetland functions lost. Regulated activities under this program
include fills for development, water resource projects (such as
dams and levees), and infrastructure development (such as
highways and airports). During the past three years, more than
270,000 permit applications were processed requiring appli-cants
to avoid impacts to more than 22,000 acres of wetlands,
and maintaining a ratio of more than two acres of mitigation for
every acre of permitted impacts to wetlands. In addition, the
USACE has developed new performance standards that
increase the emphasis on field evaluations of mitigation sites.
The USACE also is providing field guidance to improve mitiga-tion
success through interagency efforts associated with the
national Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan, and promulgating a
joint rule with EPA that proposes integrating the watershed
approach in mitigation planning.
Farmland
The Wetland Conservation (“Swampbuster”) provision
established in the 1985 Farm Bill, and amended in the 1990
Farm Bill, requires all agricultural producers to protect the
wetlands on the farms they own or operate if they wish to be
eligible for certain USDA farm program benefits. Producers are
not eligible if they have planted an agricultural commodity on a
wetland that was converted by drainage, leveling, or any other
means after December 23, 1985, or if they have converted a
wetland for the purpose of agricultural commodity production,
or for making such production possible, after November 28,
1990. NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance staff make
wetland determinations, develop wetlands mitigation and
restoration plans, and administer other Swampbuster-related
provisions.
Transportation
Under Federal Aid Highway legislation, state transporta-tion
agencies may use national Highway System and Surface
Transportation Program funds to finance wetland and natural
habitat conservation planning and implementation, as well as
compensatory mitigation and restoration projects that offset
unavoidable losses from transportation projects. The Depart-ment
of Transportation (DOT) has a goal of 1½-to-1 wetland
acre mitigation; under the Federal Aid Highway Program it has
achieved over 49,000 acres of wetland mitigation since 1996,
with mitigation exceeding acres impacted by over 31,000 acres.
The 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation
Equity Act: A Legacy for Users requires that metropolitan and
statewide plans reflect environmental mitigation and coordina-tion
with resource agencies. The Federal Highway Administra-tion
also funds research on wetlands mitigation in connection
with highways, and wetlands mitigation is an eligible project
cost for Federal transit and airport assistance.
Support Activities
Wetland inventories
The FWS strategically maps the Nation’s wetlands and
deepwater habitats to gather information on their characteris-tics,
extent, and status and trends through the National
Wetlands Inventory (NWI). As part of the President’s Wetlands
Initiative, the FWS completed an updated national wetlands
status and trends report in 2005. The study found that there
are about 107.7 million acres of wetlands in the conterminous
United States. Between 1998 and 2004, there was an estimated
gain in wetlands acreage of 191,750 acres, or about 32,000
acres per year. The net gain in wetlands acreage was attributed
to an increase in freshwater ponds, conversion of agricultural
lands or former agricultural lands that had been idled, in
combination with wetland restorations. Freshwater wetland
losses to silviculture and to urban and rural development offset
some acreage gains. The report did not document or address
changes in wetlands quality. There is additional work to be
done to ensure that the Nation’s wetlands base is sustained and
provides the necessary functions, diversity, and structure to
improve the quality of our wetland resources as outlined in the
President’s 2004 message.
The NRCS conducts the National Resources Inventory
(NRI), also a scientifically based statistical survey of the
Nation’s natural resources that provides updated information
on the status, condition, and trends of land, soil, water, and
27
related resources on the Nation’s non-Federal land. The NRI is
unique in that it is a nationally consistent database constructed
specifically to estimate five-, 10-, and 15-year trends for natural
resources. The NRI process has reported that between 1997
and 2003 there was an estimated net gain of 263,000 acres of
wetlands due to agricultural activities, an average annual
increase of 44,000 acres.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/NRI/
The NWI Status and Trends study was designed specifi-cally
to sample wetlands and wetland change, whereas the NRI
is a landscape characterization of all natural resources, of
which wetlands make up one component. The FWS designed its
study to develop wetlands trend information for all lands in the
conterminous United States, whereas the NRI collects data on
non-Federal rural lands.
http://www.fws.gov/nwi/statusandtrends.htm
Monitoring and evaluation
When actions are taken to restore or enhance natural
resources or ecosystems, a considerable amount of time may
pass before the full effects are evident. For this reason, the
responsible Federal agencies monitor the targeted wetlands to
measure and track progress. Results from monitoring are useful
for evaluating the effectiveness of the actions taken; in some
cases, management goals or actions to meet them may be
modified. In addition, the Federal Government provides both
financial and technical assistance to states and tribes to help
them monitor their wetlands conservation work.
Research and education
Federal agencies also are engaged in research to better
understand wetlands, wetland plants, and their responses to
targeted actions. Among the most prominent programs are the
national Wetlands Research Center (USGS), Engineer Research
and Development Center (USACE), Plant Materials Centers
(NRCS), the Center for Forested Wetlands Research (USFS), and
the Office of Research and Development (EPA).
28
29
USDA Programs Supporting the
President’s Wetlands Goal
Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Conservation Reserve Program: This program was originally
authorized in 1985 and then re-authorized through 2007. It
establishes permanent vegetative cover on eligible acreage of
environmentally sensitive farmlands (including cropped and prior
converted wetlands) through long-term rental agreements. Currently,
2.4 million wetland acres, including upland buffers, have been
restored and are being maintained under 10- to 15-year contracts
with annual rental payments of $126 million. The 2002 Farm Bill
authorized that, at any one time, up to 39.2 million acres may be
enrolled in this program during 2002 through 2007, an increase
from 36.4 million acres authorized to be enrolled through 2002.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/
webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) Program: In
Appendix C.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Agency Program
Restore
or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
Funding
for Goal
FY 2008
Difference
from FY
2007
FSA Conservation
Reserve Program
13.660 5.970 0.000 19.630 3.060
NRCS
Conservation
Technical
Assistance
Program 2.000 24.950 0.000 26.950 0.000
NRCS
Environmental
Quality Incentives
Program
0.010 0.001 0.000 0.011 0.000
NRCS
Farm and
Ranchlands
Protection
Program 0.000 0.000 3.000 3.000 0.000
NRCS Grasslands
Reserve Program
0.000 0.000 3.700 3.700 0.000
NRCS Wetlands Reserve
Program
124.800 12.100 318.100 455.000 191.410
NRCS
Wildlife Habitat
Incentives
Program 1.025 0.310 0.000 1.335 0.000
Total 141.495 43.331 324.800 509.626 194.470
Table C-1. USDA Programs Supporting the President’s Wetlands Goal in
FY 2006. Funding (millions of dollars)
30
FY 2006, CTA helped landowners protect water quality on
13,634,478 acres; improve fish and wildlife habitat quality on
4,138,481 acres; and create, restore, or enhance 65,300 acres
of wetlands.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cta
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): As
a voluntary conservation program, EQIP promotes agricultural
production and environmental quality as compatible national
goals. Through EQIP, farmers and ranchers may receive
financial and technical help to install and maintain conservation
practices that enhance soil, water, and related natural re-sources,
including wetlands. The program has restored 33,347
acres of wetlands, and an additional 147,056 acres have been
enhanced or improved since the program was established in
1996. The 2002 Farm Bill authorized $400 million for FY 2002,
$700 million for FY 2003, $1 billion for FY 2004, $1.2 billion
for both FY 2005 and FY 2006, and $1.3 billion for FY 2007.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip
Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program: This
program provides matching funds to help purchase develop-ment
rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricul-tural
uses for protecting topsoil by limiting conversion to
nonagricultural uses of land.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp
Grasslands Reserve Program: This voluntary program
offers landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and
enhance grasslands on their property. The program will
conserve vulnerable grasslands from conversion to cropland or
Table C-2. USDA Programs Supporting the President's Wetlands Goal in FY 2008.
Planned Accomplishments (in acres)
Agency Program
Restore or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
FY 2008
Difference
from
FY 2007
FSA Conservation
Reserve Program
30,400 4,300 0 34,700 -7,700
NRCS
Conservation
Technical
Assistance
Program 2,000 49,300 0 51,300 0
NRCS
Environmental
Quality Incentives
Program
4,000 300 0 4,300 0
NRCS
Farm and
Ranchlands
Protection
Program 0 0 2,400 2,400 0
NRCS Grasslands
Reserve Program
0 0 7,800 7,800 0
NRCS Wetlands Reserve
Program
171,500 13,900 89,600 275,000 7,450
NRCS
Wildlife Habitat
Incentives
Program 6,972 739 0 7,711 0
Total 214,872 68,539 99,800 383,211 -250
31
other uses and conserve valuable grasslands by helping
maintain viable ranching operations. The program is jointly
administered by NRCS and FSA (NRCS has lead responsibility
on technical issues and easement administration, and FSA has
lead responsibility for rental agreement administration and
financial activities). In FY 2006, program staff processed 812
new applications totaling 970,628 acres valued at approxi-mately
$581,070,482. Of these totals, farmers and ranchers
protected 1,500 acres of wetlands using common management
practices to maintain the viability of the conserved grassland.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/grp
Wetlands Reserve Program ( WRP): WRP is a voluntary
program that assists landowners with restoring and protecting
wetlands through conservation easements and cost-share
agreements. Since 1992, 1,893,672 wetland and associated
upland acres have been enrolled in the program. The 2002
Farm Bill requires, to the maximum extent practicable, an
additional 250,000 acres to be enrolled in the program each
year, for a total program enrollment of 2,275,000 acres by the
end of 2007. Total program enrollment at the end of FY 2006
neared 1.9 million wetland acres and associated upland acres.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program ( WHIP): WHIP is a
voluntary program that provides technical and financial
assistance to enable eligible participants to develop upland
wildlife, wetland wildlife, threatened, and endangered species,
fish, and other types of wildlife habitat in an environmentally
beneficial and cost-effective manner. The purpose of the
program is to create high-quality wildlife habitats that support
wildlife populations of local, state, and national significance. In
FY 2005 through 2007, approximately 11,000 acres of wet-lands
will have been protected, restored, developed, or
enhanced under WHIP.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/
USDA Programs that Maintain the Wetlands Base
NRCS programs help private landowners apply needed
conservation techniques on their land. When private landown-ers
use these programs to restore, protect, and improve
wetlands on their property, they serve as stewards of our
environment. Other cooperative conservation efforts include:
Plant Materials Program: Focuses on development of
plants and technology to help conserve natural resources
including wetland plants. There are currently 27 Plant Materials
Centers (PMC) located across the country. Each Center
develops vegetative solutions to natural resource problems and
issues. In the wetlands arena, PMCs have selected plants for
restoration work as well as for nutrient filtering in constructed
wetlands. The PMCs also develop the technology to successfully
propagate, establish, and manage plant materials in wetland
settings. In FY 2006, PMCs were working on over 250 studies to
further the scientific understanding of wetland vegetation. This
included updating technology to protect and restore coastal
marshes (especially along the gulf areas), restore or enhance
wetlands, protect shorelines of wetlands, and enhance wetlands
for wildlife uses. Several PMCs are finishing a large cost-reimbursable
contract with the USACE to grow plants for a
coastal wetland on Long Island, New York.
http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov
National Resources Inventory (NRI): NRCS conducts the
National Resources Inventory (NRI) in cooperation with Iowa
State University’s Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology.
The NRI is a scientifically based longitudinal (statistical) survey of
the Nation’s natural resources that provides information on
status and trends of land use and soil, water, and related re-sources
for the Nation’s non-Federal land. The NRI is unique in
that it provides nationally consistent statistical data that are
explicitly linked to the NRCS Soil Interpretations database and
that support analysis of resource trends on rural and developed
land over all regions of the United States since 1982. The NRI
shows that between 1997 and 2003 there was an estimated net
gain of 263,000 acres of wetlands due to agricultural activities—
an average annual increase of 44,000 acres.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/NRI
32
33
Appendix D.
Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA Programs Supporting the President’s
Wetlands Goal
Community-based Restoration Program (CRP): The
CRP applies a grassroots approach to restoration by actively
engaging community members in on-the-ground restoration of
coastal fishery habitats around the Nation. The CRP embraces
cooperative conservation by establishing partnerships that
collaboratively restore NOAA trust resources, improving
environmental quality and strengthening stewardship within
local communities. FY 2008 funding request is $12.8 million.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/
projects_ programs/crp/
Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program: In FY 2008,
NOAA will establish a cross-NOAA program to coordinate
habitat restoration and protection efforts. Taking into account
the priority needs identified by the Great Lakes Interagency
Task Force, NOAA will focus its restoration and protection to
support ongoing efforts at watersheds within Great Lakes Areas
of Concern. FY 2008 funding request is $1.5 million.
Table D-1. NOAA Programs Supporting the President's Wetlands Goal in FY 2008.
Funding (millions of dollars)
Agency Program
Restore or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
Funding
for Goal
FY 2008
Difference
from
FY 2007
NOAA Fisheries Habitat
Restoration
0.842 13.430 0.000 14.272 -3.542
NOAA
Great Lakes
Restoration
Program 0.000 1.500 0.000 1.500 0.000
Total 0.842 14.930 0.000 15.772 -3.542
Table D-2. NOAA Programs Supporting the President's Wetlands Goal in FY 2008.
Planned Accomplishments (in acres)
Agency Program
Restore
or Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
FY 2008
Difference
from
FY 2007
NOAA Fisheries Habitat
Restoration 2,000 3,000 0 5,000 500
NOAA
Great Lakes
Restoration
Program 0 75 0 75 0
Total 2,000 3,075 0 5,075 500
34
NOAA Programs that Maintain the Wetlands Base
National Estuarine Research Reserve System: This
network of protected areas was established for long-term
research, education, and stewardship. The partnership program
between NOAA and the coastal states protects more than
one million acres of estuarine land and water, which provides
essential habitat for wildlife; offers educational opportunities for
students, teachers, and the public; and serves as living laborato-ries
for scientists. FY 2008 funding request is $16.8 million.
http://nerrs.noaa.gov
Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM): CZM is a
voluntary Federal–state partnership dedicated to comprehen-sive
management of the Nation’s coastal resources. State CZM
programs contain provisions for the protection of estuaries,
coastal wetlands, and other natural resources. Funding
supports implementation of state CZM programs, including
numerous state and local coastal habitat protection and
restoration projects. FY 2008 funding request is $66.1 million.
http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/
Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program
(CELCP): The CELCP was established to protect coastal and
estuarine lands considered important for their ecological,
conservation, recreational, historical, or aesthetic values, giving
priority to lands with significant ecological values that can be
effectively managed and protected. The program provides
funding to state and local governments to acquire such lands to
ensure they are permanently conserved for the benefit of
future generations. FY 2008 funding request is $15 million.
http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF):
Congress established the PCSRF to contribute to the restoration
and conservation of Pacific salmon and steelhead populations
and their habitats. The states of Washington, Oregon, California,
Idaho, and Alaska, and the Pacific Coastal and Columbia River
tribes receive Congressional PCSRF appropriations from NOAA’s
National Marine Fisheries Service each year. The fund supple-ments
existing state, tribal, and local programs to foster
development of Federal-state-tribal-local partnerships in salmon
and steelhead recovery and conservation. The President’s
FY 2008 request for the fund is $66.8 million.
http://nwr.nmfs.noaa.gov/Salmon-Recovery-Planning/PCSRF/
National Estuaries Restoration Inventory: This program
was created to track estuary habitat restoration projects across
the Nation. The purpose of the inventory is to provide informa-tion
on restoration projects in order to improve restoration
methods, as well as to track acreage restored toward the million-acre
goal of the Estuary Restoration Act.
http://neri.noaa.gov
Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration
Program (DARRP): As a natural resource trustee, NOAA acts on
behalf of the public to restore resources injured by oil spills,
releases of other hazardous substances, and vessel groundings.
DARRP collaborates with other Federal, state, and tribal natural
resource trustees in assessing and quantifying injuries to natural
resources, seeking damages for those injuries, implementing
restoration actions, and monitoring progress to ensure restora-tion
goals are met. FY 2008 funding request is $8.9 million.
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov
http://www.darrp.noaa.gov/
35
Appendix E.
Department of the Army
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Civil Works
USACE Projects Supporting the President’s
Wetlands Goal
Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration: The USACE has
numerous study, project-specific, and programmatic authorities
for implementing aquatic ecosystem restoration projects. In
addition, activities contributing to the President’s goal may
occur on the 12 million acres of water and land managed by
the USACE for other purposes, such as flood damage reduction,
navigation, and recreation. Another contribution is the use of
dredged material to create, restore, or improve wetland habitat
as part of routine maintenance dredging of Federal channels.
The data in the tables above represent a subset of the total
USACE commitment to achieving the President’s goal. Because
most USACE restoration projects take several years to complete,
the funds appropriated in any one fiscal year have a minimal
correlation to the number of acres that count toward the
President’s goal in that fiscal year. Projects are included in the
budget based on their effectiveness in addressing significant
regional or national aquatic ecological problems. The aquatic
ecosystem studies and projects proposed by the USACE for funding
in FY 2008 include the following examples (the large number of
projects precludes a comprehensive list within this document):
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP):
The primary and overarching purpose of CERP is to restore the
South Florida ecosystem, which includes the Everglades. The plan
provides the framework and guidance to restore, protect, and
preserve the water resources of the greater Everglades ecosys-tem.
CERP has been described as the world’s largest ecosystem
restoration effort, and includes providing more natural flows of
water, improved water quality, and more natural hydro-periods
within the remaining natural areas. The plan is intended to help
restore the ecosystem while ensuring clean and reliable water
supplies, and providing flood protection in urban areas.
http://www.evergladesplan.org
Agency Program
Restore
or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
Funding
for Goal
FY 2008
Difference
from
FY 2007
USACE
Civil
Works
Aquatic
Ecosystem
Restoration
Program 51.873 170.000 0.525 222.398 -60.602
Table E-2. USACE Programs Supporting the President's Wetland Goal in FY 2008.
Planned Accomplishments (in acres)
Program Program
Restore or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands FY
2008
Difference
from
FY 2007
USACE
Civil
Works
Aquatic
Ecosystem
Restoration
Program 3,795 14,827 185 18,807 -242,547
Table E-1. USACE Programs Supporting the President’s Wetlands Goal
in FY 2008. Funding (millions of dollars)*
Table E-2. USACE Programs Supporting the President’s Wetlands Goal in FY
2008. Planned Accomplishments (in acres)
*Excludes regulatory program, mitigation, and Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act.
Includes funding for projects that will result in acres to be counted in future fiscal years.
36
Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration: More
than one million acres of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands have
been lost since the 1930s; another one-third of a million acres
could be lost over the next 50 years unless large-scale correc-tive
actions are taken. The ecosystem restoration program will
construct significant restoration features; undertake demon-stration
projects; study potentially promising large-scale, long-term
concepts; and take other needed actions to restore the
ecosystem. A 10-year plan of studies and projects was devel-oped
through a public involvement process, and working
closely with other Federal agencies and the State of Louisiana.
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/prj/lca/
Upper Mississippi River Restoration: Originally autho-rized
in 1986 but significantly modified in 1999, this program
provides for planning, construction, and evaluation of measures
for fish and wildlife habitat rehabilitation. Multiple habitat
projects are helping to revitalize the side channels and to restore
island, aquatic, and riparian habitat in the Upper Mississippi River.
The program also includes funds for the collection of project and
systemic baseline data and monitoring.
http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/EMP/default.htm
USACE Programs that Maintain the Wetland Base
Together with their partners, the USACE provides
environmental stewardship of nearly 12 million acres of public
land and water and oversees the natural resources management
of 456 operating civil works water resources projects nation-wide.
The USACE strives to provide sound environmental
stewardship of lands and waters entrusted to its care, while
accomplishing multiple authorized project purposes. Its Natural
Resources Management Mission is to manage and conserve
those natural resources (including fish and wildlife, woodlands
and grasslands, wetlands, soils, and water) consistent with
ecosystem sustainability principles, to serve the needs of
present and future generations.
The stewardship of wetland resources is an integral part
of the USACE responsibility. Although the classification and
quantity of wetlands acreage under USACE stewardship has not
yet been determined, an inventory of natural resources
(including wetlands) is required for each project. This effort is
under way and is being accomplished as fiscal resources allow.
Information from the inventories is incorporated into master
plans and operational management plans and used to help
manage, conserve, and protect wetland resources. Where
feasible, wetland resources management is integrated to
capture mutual benefits (e.g., for efforts to manage wetland-dependent
plants and animals, including endangered species).
In addition, the effects of existing and proposed land use
activities are monitored or evaluated to guard against wetland
degradation or loss. Opportunities to enhance wetland quality
and quantity are implemented where feasible, employing
partnerships and volunteer assistance where possible.
http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/employees/envsteward/
envsteward.html
Engineer Research and Development Center: Within the
Environmental Laboratory, the Wetlands and Coastal Ecology
group conducts field and laboratory investigations on biotic and
abiotic resources in wetlands and coastal systems and develops
products/systems supporting assessment, restoration, and
management of wetlands and coastal ecosystems. Examples of
wetlands research include the development of improved
standards, techniques, and guidelines for the planning, design,
and construction of USACE wetlands restoration and creation
projects; completion of a GIS-based decision support system for
prioritizing candidate wetlands restoration sites with the greatest
potential for success; and exploration of innovative plant
harvesting/installation methods for the large-scale restoration of
submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) ecosystems in the Chesa-peake
Bay. In addition, state-of-the-art tools and methods for
wetlands restoration will be integrated to forecast physical,
chemical, and biological responses to water resource manage-ment
activities and to manage these resources within a water-shed-
scale perspective. Approximately $1.8 million is included in
the FY 2008 budget for wetlands research.
http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/org.cfm?Code=EE-W
Regulatory Clean Water Act 404 Program: The USACE
manages the Nation’s wetlands through a regulatory program
requiring permits for the discharge of dredged and fill material
into jurisdictional waters of the United States. In a typical year
the USACE receives permit requests to fill about 25,000 acres
of jurisdictional waters. Of these, about 5,000 acres are not
permitted, and for the 20,000 permitted acres the USACE
requires mitigation on average of more than two acres for each
permitted acre lost. FY 2008 funding request is $180 million.
http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/functions/cw/cecwo/reg
37
DOI Programs Supporting the President���s
Wetlands Goal
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Land Acquisition Program: The program is focused on
consolidating land ownership and conserving resource values
within 2,300 units, which compose the Bureau’s Special
Management Areas. Acquisition through exchange, purchase,
and donation is an important component of BLM’s land
management strategy. BLM acquires land and easements in land
when in the public interest and consistent with publicly
approved land-use plans. Wetlands, in concert with other
important resource values in these Special Recreation Manage-ment
Areas, are an important factor in developing purchase,
donation, and exchange initiatives.
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/what/lands/realty/tenure/
Management of Lands and Resources/Oregon and
California Grant Lands: The BLM uses these appropriations to
address a wide variety of natural resource management needs.
These activities frequently include on-the-ground projects that
conserve, protect, and restore wetlands. Funding to protect,
manage, and reforest the revested Oregon and California
Railroad grant lands is also used for projects that directly
restore and protect wetlands. Funding made available for
wetlands-related conservation activities depend on annual
funding levels and competing resource priorities within BLM.
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/what/
National Park Service (NPS)
Exotic Plant Management Teams: The invasion of
exotic, invasive plants can dramatically alter wetland ecosys-tems
by changing plant community composition, waterflow
patterns, water temperatures, and habitat for invertebrates,
fish, and other wildlife species. Sixteen Exotic Plant Manage-ment
Teams deployed in parks across the country, in concert
with park programs, are targeting the control of invasive plants
and restoration of wetland ecosystems. Treatments are focused
on areas where invasive plant infestations are just taking hold,
at the source of infestations, and in areas were management is
coordinated across jurisdictions. More information on the
teams and invasive plant programs is available at http://
www.nature.nps.gov/biolog y/invasivespecies
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
Coastal Program: The Coastal Program works in 22
specific coastal communities to improve the health of water-sheds
for fish, wildlife, and people by building partnerships;
identifying, evaluating, and mapping important habitats;
restoring habitats; and providing technical assistance and
financial support to help protect important coastal habitats.
Since 1994, the program has restored 115,000 acres of coastal
wetlands, 28,000 acres of coastal uplands, and more than
1,150 miles of coastal streamside habitat. It has also helped
protect 1.35 million acres of coastal habitat. FWS also provides
technical assistance to other Federal, state, and local agencies
under this program.
http://www.fws.gov/coastal
Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance (FWMA):
This program delivers scientific information and projects that
support cooperative efforts to conserve America’s fisheries and
wildlife resources. FWMA includes on-the-ground conservation
activities, such as assessing the condition of habitats, restoring
stream and wetland habitats, restoring fish passage, and
controlling aquatic nuisance species through physical, chemi-cal,
and biological means.
http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/fwma/
Landowner Incentive Program: This program provides
grants to state and tribal conservation agencies to help land-owners
restore habitats of listed, proposed, candidate, or other
species determined to be at risk on private and tribal lands.
Many of these species occur in wetland environments, and
states and tribes focus some of their efforts on wetland habitats
as appropriate. These efforts may range from providing
technical assistance and developing wildlife management plans
for these species and their habitats, to performing actual
habitat manipulation as appropriate, to acquiring conservation
easements or other forms of protection on wetlands.
http://Federalaid.fws.gov/lip/lip.html
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program
(CWPPRA Funds): Since 1990, the program has made available
$183 million to 25 coastal states and one U.S. territory to
acquire, conserve, or restore over 250,000 acres of coastal
wetland ecosystems. Typically, $13 to $17 million is awarded
DOI tables are on pages 38-41.
Appendix F.
Department of the Interior (DOI)
38
Table F-1. DOI Programs Supporting the President's Wetlands Goal in FY 2008.
Funding (millions of dollars)
Agency Program
Restore or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
Funding
for Goal
FY 2008
Difference
from FY2007
BLM Land
Acquisition 0.000 0.000 1.500 1.500 -1.950
BLM
Oregon and
California Grant
Lands 0.000 3.095 0.000 3.095 0.179
BLM
National Fish
and Wildlife
Foundation 0.000 1.000 0.000 1.000 0.350
BLM
Yuma East
Wetlands
Restoration
Project 0.000 0.035 0.000 0.035 0.000
NPS
NPS Exotic
Plant
Management
Teams 0.000 1.600 0.000 1.600 0.000
FWS Coastal
Program 3.384 0.310 3.724 7.418 0.000
FWS
Fish and
Wildlife
Management
Assistance 0.000 0.700 0.000 0.700 0.200
FWS
Landowner
Incentive
Program 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 -0.100
FWS
National
Coastal
Wetlands Grant
Program
(mandatory
CWPPRA
funds)
3.260 0.000 13.040 16.300 -2.456
FWS
National
Wildlife Refuge
System
4.495 4.975 5.000 14.470 0.352
39
FWS
National
Wildlife Refuge
System
(mandatory
Migatory Bird
Fund)
0.000 0.000 13.297 13.297 0.000
FWS
North American
Wetlands
Conservation
Act
(appropriated)
2.620 1.003 16.847 20.470 0.479
FWS
North American
Wetlands
Conservation
Act (mandatory
CWPPRA
funds) 2.912 1.115 18.725 22.752 0.000
FWS
North American
Waterfowl
Management
Plan - Joint
Ventures
0.000 0.350 0.350 0.700 -0.005
FWS
Partners for
Fish and
Wildlife
Program 18.499 4.001 0.000 22.500 2.500
Total 35.170 18.184 72.483 125.837 -0.451
Table F-1. DOI Programs Supporting the President's Wetlands Goal in FY 2008.
Funding (millions of dollars)
Agency Program
Restore or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
Funding
for Goal
FY 2008
Difference
from FY2007
(continued)
40
Table F-2. DOI Programs Supporting the President's Wetlands Goal in FY 2008.
Planned Accomplishments (in acres)
Agency Program
Restore or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
FY 2008
Difference
from FY 2007
BLM Land
Acquisition 0 0 530 530 -478
BLM
Oregon and
California Grant
Lands 0 25,446 0 25,446 1,000
BLM
National Fish
and Wildlife
Foundation 0 55 0 55 38
BLM
Yuma East
Wetlands
Restoration
Project 0 1,400 0 1,400 0
NPS
NPS Exotic
Plant
Management
Teams 0 4,000 0 4,000 0
FWS Coastal
Program 4,000 5,500 10,000 19,500 0
FWS
Fish and
Wildlife
Management
Assistance 0 22,000 0 22,000 7,000
FWS
Landowner
Incentive
Program 0 0 469 469 0
FWS
National
Coastal
Wetlands Grant
Program
(mandatory
CWPPRA
funds)
993 0 4,670 5,663 0
FWS
National
Wildlife Refuge
System
36,906 114,135 1,876 152,917 5,937
41
FWS
National
Wildlife Refuge
System
(mandatory
Migatory Bird
Fund)
0 0 17,865 17,865 0
FWS
North American
Wetlands
Conservation
Act
appropriated
14,056 32,984 52,066 99,106 0
FWS
North American
Wetlands
Conservation
Act (mandatory
CWPPRA
funds) 23,030 54,046 93,249 170,325 0
FWS
North American
Waterfowl
Management
Plan - Joint
Ventures
2,599 16,995 1,132 20,726 -6,426
FWS
Partners for
Fish and
Wildlife
Program 17,546 4,000 0 21,546 2,546
Total 99,130 280,561 181,857 561,548 9,617
Table F-2. DOI Programs Supporting the President's Wetlands Goal in FY 2008.
Planned Accomplishments (in acres)
Agency Program
Restore or
Create Improve Protect
Total
Wetlands
FY 2008
Difference
from FY 2007
(continued)
42
annually through a national competitive process. Grants for an
individual project are limited to $1 million. Funding for this
program comes from excise taxes on fishing equipment and
motorboat and small engine fuels. States are required to provide
either 50 or 75 percent of the total cost of the project, depending
on whether the state has established and maintains a special fund
for acquiring coastal wetlands, other natural areas, and open
space. The program does not provide grants to support planning,
research, monitoring activities, or construction or repair of
structures for recreational purposes.
http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants
National Wildlife Refuge System: The mission of the
National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by FWS, is to adminis-ter
a national network of lands and waters for the conservation,
management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish,
wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United
States for the benefit of present and future generations of
Americans. Approximately one-quarter of the 96-million-acre
National Wildlife Refuge System consists of wetlands. The Refuge
System protects, restores, rehabilitates, enhances, and conducts
research on these wetlands. The Refuge System manages
wetlands to enhance their value for migratory waterfowl and
shorebirds, threatened and endangered species, and a myriad of
native fish, wildlife, and plants. The wetland restoration and
conservation programs of the Refuge System protect the
biodiversity and environmental health of these habitats across
diverse landscapes, and provide wildlife-dependent recreational
opportunities for the American public.
http://www.fws.gov/refuges/
North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA)
Program: This program supports voluntary public–private
partnerships to conserve North American wetland ecosystems.
It provides matching grants to public and private groups and
agencies for wetlands restoration and protection in the United
States, Canada, and Mexico. More than 14.6 million acres of
wetlands and associated uplands have been affected by
protection, restoration, or enhancement activities since 1991.
http://birdhabitat.fws.gov/NAWCA/grants.htm
North American Waterfowl Management Plan–Joint
Ventures: This tri-national strategic plan fosters the creation of
partnerships between the Federal government, states, tribes,
corporations, private organizations, and individuals to cooper-ate
in the planning, funding, and implementation of projects to
conserve and enhance wetland habitat in high-priority “joint
venture” regions. The plan calls for 16.1 million acres of
wetlands and associated uplands to be protected and 12.1
million acres to be restored or enhanced.
http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/NAWMP/index.shtm
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program: Authorized by
the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act, this voluntary program,
begun in 1987, works with landowners to restore wetlands on
private lands using cooperative agreements. The FWS has entered
into more than 41,000 agreements with partners. The program
has restored 800,000 acres of wetlands, more than 1.6 million
acres of uplands, and more than 6,000 miles of riparian and in-stream
habitat. FWS also provides technical assistance to other
Federal, state, and local agencies under this program.
http://www.fws.gov/partners
DOI Programs that Maintain the Wetlands Base
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
Wildlife Habitat Augmentation Program: The
program’s purpose is to implement projects that protect,
enhance, and restore riparian, wetland, and associated habitats
within the watersheds of USBR’s California Central Valley
Project. This project consists of a system of 18 dams and
reservoirs, canals, power plants, and other facilities located
mainly in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. The project
manages about nine million acre-feet of water for urban,
industrial, agricultural, and environmental uses; produces
electrical power; and provides benefits for flood protection,
navigation, fish and wildlife, recreation, and water quality.
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp.html
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Wildlife Refuge System: In FY 2006, the
National Wildlife Refuge System managed 145,461 acres for
moist soils and 945,771 acres received other water-level
manipulation. In FY 2007, those management activity accom-plishments
are expected to be 115,030 moist soil acres
managed, with water-level manipulation being achieved on
888,436 acres of water impoundments. FY 2008 funding
request is $8.152 million.
http://www.fws.gov/refuges/
National Wetlands Inventory (NWI): The goal of the
NWI is to produce information on the characteristics, extent,
and status of the Nation’s wetlands and deepwater and riparian
habitats in order to promote the understanding and conserva-tion
of these resources. Federal, state, and local government
agencies; tribes; academic institutions; Congress; and the
43
private sector use this information and digital maps to guide
natural resource planning, management, and project develop-ment.
Wetlands data are used in planning for emerging conser-vation
issues such as energy development, avian influenza, and
global climate change, where they are used to model sea-level
rise. The wetlands data are available over the Internet. Wetlands
status and trend data and reports provide contemporary
information for decisionmaking and for wetlands policy
formulation and assessment. The FY 2008 funding request is
$4.8 million.
http://www.fws.gov/nwi
Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration
Program: The Division of Environmental Quality provides
approximately $1.5 million in toxicology, ecology, and habitat
restoration expertise to EPA and other Federal and state
partners to minimize impacts to wetlands during the cleanup of
contaminated areas. The division makes substantial contribu-tions
to maintaining the base of wetland acres as well as
restoring and improving wetlands at former hazardous waste
sites and areas impacted by oil and chemical spills.
http://contaminants.fws.gov/Issues/Restoration.cfm
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
USGS provides scientific expertise to address wetlands
management issues identified by Federal resource managers. This
expertise helps decision makers build and implement adaptive
management strategies to support wetlands restoration and
creation and to effectively improve and protect coastal, forested,
and freshwater wetlands. USGS wetlands science addresses
priorities in understanding the wetland structure, dynamics,
functions, and interactions with the surrounding landscape;
responses to natural and anthropogenic stressors; role of
wetland functions (ecosystem services) from a socioeconomic
perspective; and the support tools to help managers identify and
achieve sustainable wetland conditions in restoration, creation,
and rehabilitation activities. USGS wetlands research is primarily
focused in the following regions:
Prairie Pothole Region/Great Plains: Research in this
region expands the ecological understanding of processes that
influence wetland functions and values in agriculture landscapes.
Research on global climate change, sediment and nutrient
dynamics, the effectiveness of wetland restoration and enhance-ment
for flood storage and wildlife habitat, and the potential of
prairie pothole wetlands to sequester carbon are also being
addressed. FY 2008 funding request is $0.375 million.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/factsheet/wetlands.htm
Great Lakes: In this region, the effects of Great Lakes
water-level fluctuations on wetlands are being researched, in
addition to global climate change studies of wetlands that focus
on interactions between climate change, lake levels, ground-water
hydrology, and wetland response. This research provides
scientific information to support the restoration, conservation,
and management of wetlands. FY 2008 funding request is
$0.790 million.
http://www.glsc.usgs.gov
Gulf Coast: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita placed a high
priority on research, spatial analyses, predictive modeling,
technology development, and information synthesis and
outreach related to the impacts to the Nation’s critical Gulf
Coast coastal and freshwater wetlands and habitats. USGS
wetlands science in this region provides the scientific informa-tion
needed by resource managers and planners to stabilize,
restore, rehabilitate, and manage wetlands, including seagrass
beds, inland grass beds, coastal saltwater and freshwater
marshes, and forested wetlands. In addition, global climate
change studies in the Lower Mississippi River Valley focus on
riverine and coastal wetland response to CO2 levels and sea-level
rise. FY 2008 funding request is $6.63 million.
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov
Atlantic Coast: Wetlands research in the Atlantic region
provides scientific information on restoration, enhancement,
and creation of coastal and estuarine wetlands. Studies on
global climate change focus on wetland response to sea-level
rise and wetlands management options. In addition, the effects
of varying fire regimes on wetland habitats and response to sea-level
rise are being investigated. FY 2008 funding request is
$2.376 million.
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/wetlands/
44
45
Fiscal Years
1996-2006
Total
Acres of
Compensatory
Wetland
Mitigation
Acres of
Wetland
Impacts
Mitigation
Ratio/Percent
Increase
Acreage
Gain
Total 49,882 18,327
2.7:1
170 percent 31,555*
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Programs
Supporting the President’s Wetlands Base
Under the Federal-aid highway legislation (Title 23,
United States Code, Highways), state transportation agencies
may use national Highway System and Surface Transportation
Program funds to finance wetland and natural habitat conserva-tion
planning and implementation, as well as compensatory
mitigation and restoration projects that offset unavoidable
losses from transportation projects. The Department of
Transportation/Federal Highway Administration has a goal of
1.5-to-1 wetland acre mitigation. Under the Federal-Aid High-way
Program, FHWA has achieved over 49,000 acres of wetland
mitigation since 1996, with the mitigation amount exceeding
the amount impacted by over 31,000 acres. Through FHWA,
the Department of Transportation also funds research on
wetlands mitigation in connection with highways.
*Gains from mitigation programs are not counted as acres toward the
President’s wetlands goal.
Eligibility
In 1980, FHWA issued 23 CFR Part 777, Mitigation of
Impacts to Privately Owned Wetlands, which gave sponsors of
Federally assisted highway projects the flexibility to use Federal-aid
funds to mitigate impacts to wetlands. The regulation was
updated in 2000 to include more recent legislative, regulatory,
and policy developments. The regulation specifies that funds
eligible for mitigation and enhancement apply to all projects
carried out under the Federal-Aid Highway Program.
Funding
Because Federal-aid highway programs operate under
contract authority implemented through the states, total annual
expenditures of Federal assistance are at the discretion of the states
within obligation limits established by Congress for each program.
The total of all expenditures each year for a given program must be
at or below the congressional obligation limit. But the Federal
Government does not direct program expenditures under the
annual limit; instead, the states determine how and where the
funds are spent based on levels allocated to them by formula each
year. Therefore, the states determine what portion of their total
allocated fundin