Status report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009

              Status Report for the National
Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Status Report for the National
Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Habitat and Resource Conservation
Branch of Resource and Mapping Support
Arlington, Virginia 22203
October 2009
ii
Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
This document may be referenced as: Tiner, R.W. (editor). 2009. Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory
Program: 2009. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Habitat and Resource Conservation, Branch of Resource and
Mapping Support, Arlington, VA. 48 pp.
iii
Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
PROGRAM CONTACTS - U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE
SERVICE
David Stout
Chief, Division of Habitat and Resource Conservation
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203-1610
(703) 358-2278
Marty Kodis
Chief, Branch of Resource and Mapping Support
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203-1610
(703) 358-2161
For other NWI contacts, check web at: http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Organization/staff.html
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Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
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Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments……………………………………………………………………………………………… vii
Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………… ix
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………… xi
Overview of National Wetlands Inventory Program by Ralph Tiner……………………………………………… 1
Background…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
How Mapping Techniques Have Changed………………………………………………………………………… 1
How NWI Products Have Changed………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Why the National Wetland Status and Trends Study Was Started……………………………………………… 4
Where We are Today in Mapping the Nation’s Wetlands………………………………………………………… 4
Who Has Contributed to the NWI?………………………………………………………………………………… 5
How the NWI Budget Has Changed……………………………………………………………………………… 5
How NWI Data Are Used Across the Country…………………………………………………………………… 6
Beyond Standard NWI Mapping – Special Projects……………………………………………………………… 8
Regional Status of the NWI……………………………………………………………………………………… 12
Regions 1 and 8: Pacific and Pacific Southwest by Bill Kirchner………………………………………………… 13
Region 2: Southwest by Jim Dick���………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Region 3: Great Lakes/Big Rivers by Brian Huberty…………………………………………………………… 20
Region 4: Southeast by John Swords……………………………………………………………………………… 23
Region 5: Northeast by Ralph Tiner………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Region 6: Mountain-Prairie by Kevin Bon ………………………………………………………………………… 31
Region 7: Alaska by Jerry Tande…………………………………………………………………………………… 34
Washington Office Activities: FY2009 by Bill Wilen……………………………………………………………… 38
References……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 39
Appendix A: List of Selected NWI Publications…………���…………………………………………………… 41
Appendix B: List of Contributors to the NWI……………………………………………………………………… 46
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Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
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Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
Acknowledgments
The leadership for the program provided by past project leaders – John Montanari and Donald Woodard – and all the
work done by a large cadre of photointerpreters and cartographers (too numerous to mention individually) working
on the project at the National Wetlands Inventory Center (St. Petersburg, Florida) and in the regions through the
NWI’s 30-year history are greatly appreciated. Also former regional wetland coordinators are recognized for their
efforts to move the NWI from its infancy to where we are today: Dennis Peters (Region 1), Warren Hagenbuck
and David Dall (Region 2), Ron Erickson and Kim Santos (Region 3), John Hefner and Charles Storrs (Region 4),
Charles Elliott (Region 6), and Arthur Laperriere, Jon Hall, and Bill Pearson (Region 7). Special thanks go to all the
agencies and organizations that have contributed to the NWI in various ways to the success of the NWI (Appendix
B). The editor, Ralph Tiner, expresses his gratitude for the material and peer review of the draft provided by the
NWI’s regional, Washington Office, and Madison Office personnel: Bill Kirchner, Jim Dick, Brian Huberty, John
Swords, Kevin Bon, Jerry Tande, Bill Wilen, Jo Ann Mills, and Tom Dahl, and for the maps and data provided by
Mitch Bergeson and Julie Michaelson. This report would not have been possible without their contributions.
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Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
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Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
Executive Summary
The National Wetlands Inventory
Program (NWI) has been producing
wetland maps and geospatial
wetland data for the United States
since the mid-1970s. The focus
on the program has been on two
fronts: 1) map or digital database
preparation and delivery to the
public, and 2) projecting and
reporting on national wetland
trends using a probability-based
sampling design. The status of
mapping has been made available
through various media throughout
the program’s 30-year history (e.g.,
state atlases, regional status maps,
and now through the internet via
the Wetlands Mapper online tool).
Annual progress reports have
been produced for internal uses,
but the NWI has never produced
a national status report for public
distribution. Given the evolution
of the NWI, the diversity of
products and activities with which
the program is involved, and the
wide public use of our products, the
NWI decided to prepare this first
status report. Being the first such
report, it provides an introduction
to the NWI Program in addition to
reporting on the annual progress
and activities across the regions.
Future annual reports will focus on
yearly accomplishments.
The NWI has produced wetland
data for more than 90 percent of the
conterminous United States, the
entire state of Hawaii, and nearly 30
percent of Alaska. This work was
done with the cooperation of other
agencies including the Corps of
Engineers, EPA, numerous states,
and several universities. Prior to
budget cuts exacted in 1996, the
NWI was generating wetland data
at a rate that covered as much as 10
percent of the lower 48 states per
year. Today the annual production
rate is down to about 1-2 percent.
Consequently, most of the data were
derived from mid-1980s imagery,
so the data in many areas do not
reflect current conditions, especially
in places where much development
or natural change has occurred
over the past 20 years. Yet even
where the information is dated,
many, if not most, of the wetlands
mapped by NWI still remain in one
form or another. Today’s improved
mapping techniques, however, allow
for better wetland detection, so
that more wetlands can be found
and better boundaries delineated.
Some states have initiated wetland
inventories that are being used to
update the NWI data. However this
is not the case nationwide as many
states still lack current wetland
data and the resources to update
NWI data. Emerging conservation
issues related to global climate
change (including sea-level rise,
storm flooding, and drought) and
domestic energy development have
heightened the need for updated
(more real-time) wetlands data.
Applications of NWI data include
use in: 1) predicting the impacts of
sea-level rise, 2) wetland restoration
planning, 3) planning for energy
independence (primarily in the
West and Alaska), 4) analyzing
carbon sequestration in wetlands,
5) landscape-level or watershed-based
wetland characterizations
and functional assessments, 6)
planning and management for
National Wildlife Refuges (including
targeting areas for acquisition) and
other federal lands, 7) planning,
modeling, research, and monitoring
for Strategic Habitat Conservation
work by the Service, 8) recovery
planning for endangered species,
fish, migratory birds, marine
mammals, and other imperiled
species, and 9) invasive species
management.
In the mid-1970s, the creators of
NWI thought the inventory would be
done in a few years given their vision
of the inventory as a broad-brushed
survey of wetlands (1:250,000 scale).
When the direction was changed
to produce a more comprehensive
inventory by producing maps at a
scale of 1:24,000, it was clear that the
inventory would not be completed in
the near future. To meet the needs
for answering the question of how
much wetland is there in the Nation,
the NWI developed a statistically
based national wetland status
and trend (NWST) study. Using
data from 3,635 four-square mile
plots, the NWST study generated
estimates of major wetland types
and reported on wetland trends from
the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. This
study found that 458,000 acres of
wetlands were lost annually during
this 20-year period. Two publications
were written on these findings,
one reporting the results (acreage
summaries of the status and trends;
Frayer et al. 1983) and the other
describing the diversity of wetland
types across the country, their
values, the impacts of these changes
on wildlife and other wetland
functions, and current threats (Tiner
1984). The combination of these
reports educated policy-makers and
the public on the status and threats
to the Nation’s wetlands and the
significance of these losses and was
instrumental in influencing public
policy and helping improve wetland
conservation. Subsequent national
status and trend reports covered
the mid-70s to mid-80s, and every
decade thereafter. The NWI now
receives some funding from other
agencies (Corps of Engineers,
Environmental Protection Agency,
Natural Resources Conservation
Service, and National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration-
National Marine Fisheries Service)
to conduct these assessments.
The next national trends study is
scheduled for completion in FY2010.
While the focus of the NWI has been
on producing wetland data (maps
and geospatial data), our partners
have been interested in having
us prepare a variety of related
products. They have provided funds
to develop special products that
include riparian habitat inventories,
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Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
regional and local wetland trends
reports, watershed-based wetland
characterization and preliminary
functional assessment reports,
reports on the natural habitat
integrity of watersheds, and
inventories of potential wetland and
riparian restoration sites. These
products have become part of the
suite of products that the NWI
can provide on an as-needed and
as-funded basis.
The NWI Program has come a
long way since its beginnings in the
mid-1970s. It is much more than a
mapping operation, providing data
and analyses that allow decision-makers
to make better informed
decisions on the fate of wetlands
and that have helped educate the
American public on wetlands, their
values, status, and threats.
Photo Credit: Ralph Tiner, USFWS
xi
Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
Introduction
Wetlands are the cornerstone of
the Nation’s most ecologically and
economically important ecosystems.
They benefit fish, wildlife, and
people. The National Wetlands
Inventory Program (NWI) was
established in the 1970s to provide
valuable information on the status
of wetlands to decision-makers for
making more informed decisions
on the fate of these vital natural
resources. While the NWI has
produced annual progress reports
for internal administrative purposes,
this is the first status report
produced to describe program
accomplishments for agencies,
organizations, and others outside
the Service. The report begins
with a brief overview of the NWI
that describes how the program
has changed over the years. The
overview is followed by a review of
the status of the NWI in each region,
coordination activities, a summary
of some interesting uses of NWI
products, and a list of major regional
wetland publications produced by
the NWI for the region. This report
provides specific information on
the regional activities of the NWI
Program. A separate annual report
on the activities of the National
Standards and Support Group
has been prepared (U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service 2009). That report
focuses on the status of the wetlands
master geospatial database including
data collection, contributed data, and
its relation to the U.S. Geological
Survey’s National Map, Geo-spatial
One Stop, and Data.gov.
Photo Credit: Ralph Tiner, USFWS
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Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
Photo Credit: USFWS
1
Background1
The National Wetlands Inventory
(NWI) Program was established
by the Service in 1974 to conduct
a nationwide inventory of U.S.
wetlands to provide its biologists
and others with information on the
distribution of wetlands to aid in
wetland conservation efforts. To do
this, the NWI developed a wetland
classification system (Cowardin et al.
1979) which is now both the official
Service wetland classification system
and the federal standard for wetland
classification (adopted by the
Federal Geographic Data Committee
on July 29, 1996: 61 Federal Register
39465). The NWI also had to
develop techniques for mapping
and recording the inventory
findings. The NWI relies on trained
photointerpreters (image analysts)
to interpret wetlands and deepwater
habitats from aerial photography
or digital aerial imagery. The NWI
started mapping wetlands at a small
scale (1:250,000 map which covers an
area the size of 128-1:24,000 USGS
topographic maps or approximately
7,400 square miles). Service
field personnel were not satisfied
with this product so eventually
large-scale (1:24K) maps became
the standard product delivered
by the program. As computer
mapping technology evolved, the
NWI maps were digitized for
geographic information system
(GIS) applications. In the mid-1990s
due to budget cuts and technology
innovations, the NWI discontinued
production of paper maps in favor
of distributing NWI data via online
“mapping tools” where people could
make custom maps for their area of
interest. Today, the NWI serves its
data up on a variety of base maps
through a tool called the “Wetlands
Mapper” and on a current aerial
image via a link to Google Earth (see
examples in “Products” section).
GIS users can also connect their
application to real-time data directly
through an online wetland mapping
service or download NWI data
for their own applications (maps,
data analyses, and reports). Data
can be downloaded by quad or by
state. The techniques used by the
NWI have recently been adopted
by the Federal Geographic Data
Committee as the federal wetland
mapping standard (FGDC Wetlands
Subcommittee 2009). This standard
will be applied to all federal grants
involving wetland mapping to
insure that such mapping by states
and others can be added to the
NWI’s wetlands master geospatial
database.
How Mapping Techniques Have
Changed
The mapping techniques of the
NWI have also evolved over time.
At the outset, the NWI produced
maps by first interpreting wetlands
and deepwater habitats from
high-altitude aerial photography
(including 1:130,000, 1:80,000, and
1:62,500 photos). Acetate overlays
were attached to the aerial photos
and the interpreter outlined and
labeled wetlands and deepwater
habitats with pen and ink (Figure
1). Data from the overlays were
then transferred by cartographers
to mylar overlays attached to a
standard topographic map (e.g.,
1:24,000 for lower 48 states and
Hawaii, and 1:63,360 for Alaska).
Small-scale maps including
1:100,000 maps were then made by
cartographers through an engraving
process. The final step would be
digitizing data from large-scale
NWI maps to create a geospatial
database. As GIS and mapping
technology advanced, the process of
data collection and map production
became an integrated operation
(single step) done on-screen by the
photointerpreter. Interpreters
delineated wetlands onscreen and
data were simultaneously entered
into a digital data layer that could
be used to generate maps at various
scales using GIS technology. Today,
nearly all of the NWI data are
created through this on-screen
process. This technology also
Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
Overview of the NWI Program
By Ralph Tiner
Figure 1. Interpretation of aerial photographs using stereoscope, acetate overlays, pen and ink, and
collateral data.
1 For more background information on the NWI Program, consult: “National Wetlands Inventory: A Strategy for the 21st Century” (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service 2002).
2
facilitated use of other sources
in the interpretation process as
other digital datasets (e.g., USDA
soil survey geographic database
and USGS national hydrography
datasets) could be viewed with the
source imagery to identify areas
where wetlands are likely to be
based on the presence of hydric
soils, for example. The bulk of the
NWI mapping was done by private
contractors and universities (e.g.,
University of Massachusetts, South
Dakota State University, Texas Tech,
and Virginia Tech). In the Midwest,
Ducks Unlimited has recently been
contracted to do NWI mapping.
How NWI Products Have Changed
Through most of the NWI’s history
large-scale wetland maps were the
prime product (Figure 2). Today
the basic products are: 1) wetlands
master geospatial database that
can be used to generate maps
and statistics about the status of
the Nation’s wetlands and 2) the
national wetlands status and trends
reports derived from data collected
from four-square mile plots. The
NWI has also produced a variety
of reports summarizing the results
of its work for regional and local
geographic areas.
Wetland Map Data. NWI geospatial
data are available via the internet
(http://www.fws.gov/wetlands) and
individuals can produce custom maps
showing NWI data on planimetric
maps (Figure 3) or on aerial imagery
using a link to Google Earth (Figure
4) or on topographic maps (Figure
5) using the USGS National Map
Viewer (http://nmviewogc.cr.usgs.
gov/viewer.htm). The Service is
responsible for producing and
maintaining the wetlands layer
of the National Spatial Data
Infrastructure which is a major
component of the Department of
Interior’s geospatial line of business
portfolio and E-government through
the Geospatial One-Stop Initiative
and “The National Map” and as a
standards-compliant layer on the
new data.gov.
Figure 2. Example of 1:24K NWI map – Milton, DE quadrangle. (Note: Legend has been deleted for
this figure.)
Figure 3. Example of custom NWI map made from the “Wetlands Mapper.” This map covers the area around
Milton, DE - a portion of the area shown in Figure 2.
Overview of the NWI Program
3
Figure 4. NWI data displayed on Google Earth image for the Milton, DE area.
Figure 5. NWI data displayed on a USGS topographic map using the National Map Viewer for the Milton, DE area.
Overview of the NWI Program
4
NWI Reports. Reporting the
findings of the actual mapping has
been inadequate to date; only in the
Northeast Region have such reports
been routinely published (e.g.,
state wetland reports summarizing
the mapping results). The NWI
also has prepared “special project
reports” for work often funded by
outside agencies including local and
regional wetland trend reports, local
wetland status reports, watershed-based
wetland characterization and
preliminary functional assessment
reports, coastal submerged aquatic
vegetation inventory reports,
and watershed-based reports on
natural habitat integrity (see section
“Beyond Standard NWI Mapping
– Special Projects”). A sample
list of the various types of NWI
reports published to date is given
in the Appendix A. Many of the
reports are now online and can be
searched on the NWI website (http://
www.fws.gov/wetlands/) using the
“Documents Search Engine” (type
in subject of interest); some may also
be accessed online at the Service’s
Conservation Library (http://library.
fws.gov/WetlandPublications.html).
The NWI will be placing more
emphasis on summarizing the results
of their work and many reports will
be published in 2010 and beyond.
Why the National Wetland Status and
Trend Study Was Started
Initially, the creators of NWI
thought the inventory would be done
in a few years given their vision of
the inventory as a broad-brushed
survey of wetlands (1:250,000 scale).
When the direction was changed
to produce a more comprehensive
inventory by producing maps at
a scale of 1:24,000, it was rather
obvious that the inventory would
not be completed in the near future.
To meet the needs for answering
the question of how much wetland
is there in the Nation, the NWI
developed a statistically based
national wetland status and trend
(NWST) study. Using data from
3,635 four-square mile plots, the
NWST study generated estimates
of major wetland types and reported
on wetland trends from the mid-
1950s to the mid-1970s. This study
found that 458,000 acres of wetlands
were lost annually during this
20-year period. Two publications
were written on these findings,
one reporting the results (acreage
summaries of the status and trends;
Frayer et al. 1983) and the other
describing the diversity of wetland
types across the country, their
values, the impacts of these changes
on wildlife and other wetland
functions, and current threats
(Tiner 1984). The combination
of these reports educated policy-makers
and the public on the
status and threats to the Nation’s
wetlands and the significance of
these losses and was instrumental in
influencing public policy and helping
improve wetland conservation.
Subsequent national status and
trend reports covered the mid-70s
to mid-80s, and every decade since
as authorized by the Emergency
Wetland Resources Act of 1986
(Dahl and Johnson 1991, Dahl 2000,
and Dahl 2006).2 The NWI now
receives some funding from other
agencies (Corps of Engineers,
Environmental Protection Agency,
Natural Resources Conservation
Service, and National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration-
National Marine Fisheries Service)
to conduct these assessments.
The next national trends study is
scheduled for completion in FY2010.
Where We Are Today in Mapping the
Nation’s Wetlands
The maps below shows the status of
the NWI across the country and the
date of the imagery used to produce
the data (Figures 7 and 8). Over the
past 30 years, the NWI has produced
wetland data for most of the county,
with digital data available for about
61 percent of the country.
As can be seen in Figure 8, the
effective date of the NWI for most
of the coterminous U.S. is 1980s
(mostly derived from mid-1980s
1:58,000 color infrared photos), with
substantial areas based on 1970s
imagery (1:80,000 black and white
photos). From the 1991 to 1996, the
NWI was producing data for 5% of
the lower 48 states per year. Today,
NWI data are being updated by the
Service at a rate of 1-2% per year
with the help of outside partners.
The program has averaged this
slower rate since receiving a
50% budget cut in 1996 done in a
response to the Administration’s
effort to reduce the federal deficit.
This action severely reduced the
funding available for mapping
work (funding available for actual
mapping declined from about
Figure 6. NWI produced two reports from its first national wetland status and trends study.
2 This Act also established a target for completing nationwide mapping for the lower 48 states by September 30, 1998 and for Alaska by
September 30, 2000 but adequate funding to do this was never authorized; in fact the NWI budget was reduced by about 50% in 1996 as part of a
government-wide effort to reduce federal spending and eliminate the federal deficit.
Overview of the NWI Program
5
$5M to $1.5M) and significantly
compromised the NWI’s ability to
produce contemporary wetland data.
Funding devoted to the Service’s
map production was also low in
both 2008 and again in 2009 as the
program focused on producing the
analysis for the national wetland
status and trends report due in 2010.
Since the NWI is not producing
wetlands data at the rate it was in
its early years, a number of states
have taken the initiative to produce
their own wetland inventory for
priority areas. In July 2009, the
Federal Geographic Data Committee
established a federal wetland
mapping standard that requires
agencies receiving federal funds for
such efforts to follow; this will insure
that new wetland data produced with
federal dollars will be collected in a
format ready for entering into the
national wetlands master geospatial
database (Federal Geographic Data
Committee 2009).
Who Has Contributed to the NWI?
Over the past 30 years, the NWI has
had many cooperators in conducting
the inventory. Some partners have
provided funding to perform the
surveys, some conduct the surveys,
some participate by reviewing draft
NWI data, while others distribute
NWI data. Cooperators include
states, other federal agencies,
tribal governments, regional and
local governments, and nonprofit
organizations (Appendix B). We
have also received funding from
other Service programs to map
wetlands including the Prairie
Pothole Joint Venture, Partners for
Fish and Wildlife, and the National
Wildlife Refuge Program. Partners
in 2009 include the states of Oregon,
Oklahoma, Montana, and Wisconsin
as well as the Bureau of Land
Management, the Forest Service,
Tennessee Valley Authority, and
Ducks Unlimited. These partners
provided for 85 percent of the data
added to the Wetlands Mapper this
year.
How the NWI Budget Has Changed
The NWI budget has risen and
fallen since 1975 and has flattened
at around $5M (Figure 9). In 1986,
the program received roughly a $1M
boost, while in 1992, a $3M increase
occurred. These increases provided
income that was dedicated strictly
to mapping, leading to substantial
increases in map production and
cost-sharing from other agencies
(Figure 10). In 1996, the NWI
budget was reduced by about 50%
which severely hampered the
program’s ability to keep NWI maps
up-to-date and to produce original
mapping for unmapped areas. For
FY2009, the NWI budget was $5.3
million. Nearly $3.7M was required
to pay salary, space, equipment, and
Washington Office overhead to keep
the program running, leaving $1.6M
for projects. Of the latter, more than
half of the “mapping funds” were
dedicated to conducting the 10-year
Figure 7. Status of NWI data for the country. Non-digital data are hardcopy maps or interpreted photo-overlays,
while scans represent data scanned from hardcopy maps for use on the Wetlands Mapper.
Figure 8. Era of imagery used for NWI; the white areas have not been mapped.
Overview of the NWI Program
6
NWI Funding 1975 - 2009
$0
$2,000
$4,000
$6,000
$8,000
$10,000
$12,000
$14,000
$16,000
$18,000
1975
1978
1981
1984
1987
1990
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
APPROPRIATED
SUPPLEMENTAL
REIMBURSABLE
TOTAL
1996
1993
NWI APPROPRIATED FUNDING 1975 - 2009
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
$6,000
$7,000
$8,000
$9,000
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
national wetland trends analysis
($875K), leaving $725K available for
regional mapping projects. Once
the 2010 trends project is completed
more funding will be allocated
to wetland mapping. The NWI
has identified over $100 million in
projects for updating areas where
current data are needed to meet
Service priorities.
How NWI Data Are Used Across the
Country
While habitat degradation and
destruction from traditional sources
continue, emerging conservation
issues related to global climate
change (including sea-level rise,
storm flooding, and drought) and
domestic energy development have
heightened the need for updated
(more real-time) wetlands data.
Applications of NWI data include
use in: 1) predicting the impacts of
sea-level rise, 2) wetland restoration
planning, 3) planning for energy
independence (primarily in the
West and Alaska), 4) analyzing
carbon sequestration in wetlands,
5) landscape-level or watershed-based
wetland characterizations
and functional assessments, 6)
planning and management for
National Wildlife Refuges (including
targeting areas for acquisition) and
other federal lands, 7) planning,
modeling, research, and monitoring
for Strategic Habitat Conservation
work by the Service, 8) recovery
planning for endangered species,
fish, migratory birds, marine
mammals, and other imperiled
species, and 9) invasive species
management. General uses of NWI
data are summarized below; see
regional status reports for specific
examples.
Wetland Protection and
Management. The general public
consults NWI data on a daily basis
via the NWI website (Wetlands
Mapper and Google Earth) when
considering land purchases and
development. Landowners,
developers, real estate agents, and
environmental consultants review
NWI data as a first step in assessing
the potential restrictions of land
for residential, commercial, and
industrial development. The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers uses
NWI data during its permit review
process (e.g., cumulative effects
determinations and potential sites
for mitigation banking) and includes
a link to NWI data on its online
permit tracking system (Figure 11).
A national association of pesticide
developers uses NWI data to reduce
the effects of their products on
wetland habitats.
Climate Change Impact Analysis.
An important use of NWI data
has arisen from concern about the
impacts of climate change. The
EPA-developed Sea-Level Affecting
Marshes Model (SLAMM) predicts
the possible effects of sea-level rise
on coastal wetlands and adjacent
lowlands. This model uses NWI data
plus information on local topography,
accretion and erosion rates, dikes,
and development in making these
predictions. SLAMM has been run
for a few large estuaries including
Puget Sound, Chesapeake Bay, and
Delaware Bay and for numerous
National Wildlife Refuges along the
Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts
(Figure 12). The Service plans
to apply SLAMM to all coastal
refuges to aid in planning acquisition
and management. Some existing
applications are posted online by
the Service’s Chesapeake Bay Field
Office (http://www.fws.gov/
Figure 9. Appropriated funding for NWI since 1975.
Figure 10. Funding for the NWI including reimbursable funding from other sources since
1975. Dollar amounts are in thousands of dollars (e.g., $8,000 = $8,000,000). This graph does
not include funds secured by individual regions for NWI mapping and special projects where
contracts were processed through the regions. (Note: These figures do not include reimbursable
funding received by the Service from other federal agencies for two national wetland status and
trend studies ($1.8M in 2004-5 and $800K in 2008-9).
Overview of the NWI Program
7
slamm/; for additional information,
see summary of Washington Office
activities in this report). Since
rising sea level threatens the
integrity of dikes forming coastal
waterfowl impoundments, refuge
managers are using SLAMM and
other data to formulate a strategy
for determining when to keep
maintaining the dikes and when to
abandon such structures. Climate
change will also pose significant
consequences for inland wetlands
with predicted shifts in precipitation
patterns. NWI data are being used
to quantify loss of wetlands in the
prairie pothole region attributed
to predicted drought in the upper
Midwest. These declines will affect
populations of waterfowl, shorebirds,
and endangered species, and also
could have a major impact on
farmers, food security, and biofuels
development. Since wetlands store
carbon, wetland restoration can be
important in reducing carbon dioxide
concentrations in the atmosphere.
Dr. Ed Nater (University of
Minnesota) has used NWI data
to help quantify carbon stored on
wetlands. Restored farmed wetlands
may form the basis for carbon-credit
trading to mitigate greenhouse
emissions from other sources that
affect global climates. Existing
NWI data serve as a starting point
to identify potential restoration
sites (farmed wetlands and former
wetlands when used in combination
with soil data) as well as to monitor
carbon sinks for purposes of meeting
future carbon sequestration needs.
Emergency Planning and
Recovery. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)
and state agencies use NWI data
to assist in the remediation and
planning after hurricane disasters.
The NWI Program partnered
with the U.S. Geological Survey’s
National Wetlands Research
Center to convert existing NWI
maps to digital data and update the
information for Louisiana for use by
federal, state, and local agencies in
recovery and planning efforts. This
new information will also be used
for a myriad of other purposes to
help protect wetlands and wetland-dependent
or associated wildlife,
fish, and plant species. In May 2006,
the Service
responded to a request from the
Center for Disease Control and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Centers for Epidemiology and
Animal Health (APHIS) related to
avian influenza (bird flu). Because
of the human health threats posed
by a potential pandemic, infectious
disease specialists wanted to develop
a model to assess the threat level
based on transmission of avian
influenza virus spread through wild
populations of migratory waterfowl
and other water birds. To conduct
these analyses, disease specialists
needed to know where and how
many wetlands and surface water
bodies might serve as staging
areas for migrating birds. They
requested the Service’s assistance in
acquiring digital NWI data from the
Service’s wetlands master geospatial
database. The Service accessed and
provided its entire wetlands digital
dataset for the conterminous United
States (40+ gigabytes) for the avian
influenza study on May 30, 2006.
APHIS will use this information to
develop models of areas susceptible
to avian influenza outbreaks
should migratory bird populations
become infected. This may have
consequences for the deployment of
emergency response medical teams
Figure 11. NWI data are integrated into the Corps’ permit tracking system. Green areas = NWI wetlands,
blue areas = NWI deepwater habitats, and pink and white areas = Corps field-verified wetlands in a project
area. The latter wetlands were mostly below the target mapping unit; the dark green wetland below I-94 is
3.3 acres in size.
Figure 12. SLAMM uses NWI data to identify wetlands and marsh elevations for predicting and displaying
the effects of sea-level rise in coastal regions: Year 2000 conditions (left) and Year 2100 conditions (right); note
inundation of former coastal marshes.
Overview of the NWI Program
8
Figure 13. NWI data are used in conducting migratory bird surveys to identify bird density in various habitats: breeding pairs in the Prairie Potholes
Region (left) and marsh bird habitat preferences as part of a nationwide survey (right).
and supplies should large numbers
of birds become infected along
migratory routes in close proximity
to human population centers.
Wildlife Management and
Conservation. Since an estimated
46% of endangered or threatened
species are associated with wetlands,
NWI data (including riparian habitat
data for western states) is being
used to help determine occurrence of
species and design plans for species
recovery. Certain NWI codes may
be used to identify potential habitat
for some species, or could be used
in combination with other data to
locate such habitat (see regional
status sections for some examples
of these applications). Waterfowl
management is a major focus of
the Service and the Prairie Pothole
Region (PPR) is the Nation’s
premier waterfowl production area.
NWI data have been used to produce
breeding pair accessibility maps (aka
“Thunderstorm Maps”) for the PPR.
These maps display predictions of
the number of upland nesting duck
pairs that could potentially nest in
the upland portion of every 40-acre
block of the PPR of Minnesota and
Iowa. These predictions are based on
the known maximum travel distances
of hens from wetlands to their nest
sites and regressions (statistical
models) created from four-square
mile survey data predicting the
number of duck pairs that utilize
every individual wetland in the PPR
during a “typical” breeding
season (Figure 13). The maps are
used to help identify priority sites
for the protection or restoration
of grassland habitats for breeding
waterfowl, but are also useful
in identifying priority wetland
complexes to be protected through
acquisition and easements, or to be
enhanced by private lands wetland
restorations. Sixteen states,
Guam, and the Virgin Islands have
identified NWI data as needed
information for wildlife conservation
planning (GA, IL, KS, MA, MI, MN,
MT, NV, NH, NM, NY, OH, PA, TX,
VA, and WV).
Aid to Other Mapping Efforts.
The NWI data have been used by
numerous agencies and academic
institutions as base data for
identifying wetlands for a host
of remote sensing applications.
Data have been used to assist
investigators in performing
supervised and unsupervised
classification of wetlands as
part of regional or national
inventories of land use and land
cover. For example, NOAA’s
C-CAP Program that produces
data and maps showing changes
in coastal watersheds uses NWI
data to aid in detecting wetlands
on satellite imagery. Similarly,
university researchers have used
NWI data in testing more local or
site-specific applications of remote
sensing technologies. NWI data
has provided a foundation for more
detailed wetland mapping in some
states and local areas. For example,
the State of Delaware relied heavily
on NWI data when updating
wetland data for a statewide wetland
database and essentially updated the
NWI with more current imagery.
Biggest User Complaint about
NWI data: We have heard from
numerous users across the country
that while they still use NWI
data where it is the only source of
wetland data available, the main
complaint is that the data are too old
for many applications and that the
NWI data should be updated more
frequently. In areas where more
recent wetland data are available
from state or other sources, NWI
data are no longer used, except in a
historical context.
Beyond Standard NWI Mapping -
Special Products
The NWI through existing staff
and mapping contractors have the
skills and technology to do more
than produce standard NWI data
and wetland status and trends
analyses. To meet the needs of our
cooperators for additional wetland
and related habitat information,
we have developed a few other
products. These products include
riparian habitat classification and
mapping, enhanced NWI mapping,
landscape-level wetland functional
assessments, potential wetland
restoration site inventories, and
natural habitat integrity indices
Overview of the NWI Program
9
for use in watershed condition
assessments.
Riparian Habitat Classification and
Mapping. In the regions where
evaporation exceeds precipitation,
riparian habitats are as critical
for wildlife as wetlands are in the
more humid regions. As much as
80 percent of wildlife species in
these regions depend on riparian
habitats. Such habitats are
important migration corridors. The
condition of riparian habitats is also
important for maintaining healthy
aquatic systems. Given these well-recognized
values, the NWI felt it
would be beneficial to include these
habitats in its inventory in Regions
1, 2, 6, and 8. To standardize this
mapping, the NWI developed a
riparian classification system and
mapping conventions (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service 1997). This
classification has been used in
combination with the FWS’s wetland
classification system to produce
NWI maps showing both riparian
areas and wetlands in the arid
regions of the country (Figure 14).
Enhanced NWI Data for Landscape-level
Wetland Characterizations
and Functional Assessments. In the
1970s and 1980s, the basic need for
wetland data was inventory-based,
that is, knowing where wetlands
were on the landscape and how they
differed in terms of vegetation type
and hydrology. With strengthened
wetland regulations since the late
1980s and early 1990s, another need
has surfaced - wetland functional
assessment. As techniques were
being developed for on-the-ground
assessment of wetland functions,
the NWI sought ways to enhance
its inventory so that landscape-level
assessments of wetland
functions could be derived from
its database. To accomplish this,
hydrogeomorphic-type descriptors
were created to describe landscape
position (i.e., the relationship
between a wetland and a waterbody
if present), landform (the shape or
physical form of a wetland), and
water flow path (the directional
flow of water). In addition, other
descriptors were formulated to
better address the diversity of
waterbodies, especially for ponds,
since every wetland trend study
showed an increase in pond acreage
while vegetated wetlands declined.
Collectively these descriptors are
referred to as LLWW descriptors
(landscape position, landform, water
flow path, and waterbody type; Tiner
2003). Applying these descriptors
to the NWI database significantly
increases the functionality of the
database. The NWI has worked
with wetland specialists in the
Northeast to develop correlations
between wetland functions and the
wetland characteristics recorded in
the enhanced NWI database (Tiner
2003b). The NWI has used these
techniques to produce watershed-based
wetland characterizations and
preliminary functional assessments
for a number of watersheds in
the Northeast (Figure 15) and is
applying these procedures in pilot
study areas across the Nation (e.g.,
Anchorage Alaska, California’s
Ventura River watershed, Corpus
Christi area of Texas, South
Carolina’s Horry and Jasper
Counties, the Mississippi Coast,
and Wyoming’s Shirley basin). The
results of the pilot studies will be
published in 2010. A few states are
applying these attributes to their
wetland data. Recently, the Federal
Geographic Data Committee’s
federal wetland mapping standard
includes a recommendation to
add these descriptors to wetland
inventories to increase the
functionality of the database. In
FY2010, NWI will publish reports
for wetlands in New Jersey, Rhode
Island, Delaware, South Carolina,
Mississippi, Texas, and other areas
that include preliminary functional
assessments.
Potential Wetland Restoration Site
Mapping. For special projects,
the NWI has inventoried potential
wetland restoration sites (Figure
16). These sites include former
wetlands that have been drained
or filled but are still in a condition
where restoration is possible (Type
1 restoration sites) and existing
wetlands that have functions
impaired by ditching, excavation,
impoundment, or cultivation
(farmed wetlands). The former
sites are identified using soil maps
and locating hydric soil areas that
are not mapped as NWI wetlands
and do not have any buildings or
other structures built upon them.
Type 1 sites are mostly cropland
on hydric soils (effectively drained
sites), but also may include former
wetlands that have been used as
dredge material disposal sites
and other impoundments. These
restoration site inventories are
often part of watershed-based
wetland inventories and functional
assessments as the data used in
these investigations make it easy to
document potential wetland
Figure 14. Portion of an NWI map showing wetlands and riparian habitats.
Overview of the NWI Program
10
restoration sites. In watershed
assessments, it is also possible to
identify sites for possible restoration
of streamside vegetation.
Tool for Assessing Natural Habitat
Integrity. The health of wetlands
and waters is dependent on the
condition of adjacent lands, with
the condition of wetland and stream
buffers being particularly important
for wetland and aquatic wildlife.
With the availability of land use/
cover geospatial data, it is possible to
integrate NWI data with such data
to show and report on the condition
of natural habitat surrounding these
features and for watersheds as a
whole. The NWI developed a set of
“natural habitat integrity indices”
that can be used for reporting on
the condition of natural habitats for
large geographic areas (Tiner 2004).
Thirteen indices were created: seven
addressing habitat extent (i.e., the
amount of natural habitat occurring
in the watershed and along wetlands
and waterbodies), four dealing with
habitat disturbances (emphasizing
human-induced alterations to
streams, wetlands, and terrestrial
habitats), and one composite index.
The eight “natural” habitat extent
indices are “natural” cover, river
corridor integrity, stream corridor
integrity, vegetated wetland buffer
integrity, pond buffer integrity, lake
buffer integrity, wetland extent, and
standing waterbody extent. The four
“habitat disturbance indices” involve
dammed stream flowage,
channelized stream flowage,
wetland disturbance, and habitat
fragmentation by roads. The last
index - “composite natural habitat
integrity index” – may be calculated
in two ways: one is comprised of
the weighted sum of the habitat
extent indices minus the sum of
the disturbance indices (weighted
composite natural habitat integrity
index), while the alternative is a
simple sum of the extent indices
minus the sum of the disturbance
indices (simple summed composite
natural habitat integrity index).
These indices were intended to
augment, not supplant, other more
rigorous, fine-filter approaches
for describing the ecological
condition of watersheds and for
examining relationships between
human impacts and natural
resources. NWI has applied the
indices to special projects funded
by the Service or state agencies
interested in assessing the overall
condition of natural habitat for
individual watersheds (e.g., Tiner
and Bergquist 2007). Region 3 has
also applied these indices to their
entire region to produce a map of
watershed health (Figure 17). The
State of Montana has adapted these
techniques for assessing individual
watersheds (e.g., Vance et al. 2009),
while the Commonwealth of Virginia
has used some of these indices in
their watershed integrity model to
report on the health of the state’s
watersheds (Ciminelli and Scrivani
2007).
Figure 15. Example of a watershed map showing wetlands with potential for
provision of fish and shellfish habitat.
Figure 16. Portion of potential wetland restoration map for Maryland’s Coastal Bays watershed.
Overview of the NWI Program
11
Figure 17. Region 3 poster detailing watershed health across the region based on application of natural habitat indices. (Note: This is the first version
for the region.)
Overview of the NWI Program
12
Regional Status of the NWI
Status Report for the National Wetlands Inventory Program: 2009
Photo Credit: USFWS
13
Region 1/8: Pacific and Pacific Southwest
by Bill Kirchner
Regional Wetland Coordinator
USFWS, Region 1/8, Portland, OR
Current Mapping Status. Nearly all of the Region has been mapped with the only areas lacking NWI data being
parts of Idaho, Nevada, and southern California (see status map below). California’s Coast Range has 1970s-era
NWI data in map form only, while the state’s desert area in the southeast is the only area without NWI maps. For
the five main islands of Hawaii, NWI data were derived from 1970s imagery, except for Oahu and Kauai which were
updated using 2005 imagery. About 37 percent of Idaho has NWI data in digital form, and many areas have not been
mapped. Most of Nevada’s NWI digital data come from maps at the 1:250,000-scale. A few areas have more detailed
data including Humbolt River corridor and associated drainages and lakes around Reno. NWI data for Oregon were
derived from 1970s imagery along the coast and 1980s imagery for the majority of the state; the entire coast has
been updated with 2005 data. Washington is completely mapped and digitized. Its 1,487 quads mostly reflect 1980s
status, while areas in the northern Cascades and eastern basin represent 1970s status.
Regional Status of the NWI
14
FY09 Mapping Activities. In
California we continued to complete
quads covering the Salinas River
Valley. Eighteen quads were
updated by the California State
University, Monterey Bay. For the
Hawaiian Islands, NWI data for
the island of Kauai (12 quads) were
updated. The Oregon Watershed
Enhancement Board funded the
digitizing of the remaining 748 NWI
raster scans to bring the statewide
NWI digital coverage to 100 percent:
703 quads representing 24.3 million
acres worth of data were added
to the wetlands master geospatial
database this year.
Mapping in Progress for FY2010. A
strategic refuge mapping initiative
was started in 2007 to produce
contemporary digital NWI data for
more efficient project evaluation and
assessment of impacts to species of
concern at each refuge. In FY2010,
work will continue on the following
refuges: Julia Butler Hansen (WA),
Malheur (OR) and Humboldt
Bay (CA). We will complete NWI
mapping for California’s Napa and
Sonoma Valleys (a 17-quad update).
The State of California is updating
193 quads in southern California
and we will provide quality control.
We are working with the Hoopa
Valley Tribe (CA) on a wetlands
inventory for their reservation
where we provide training in
wetland classification and mapping
and will complete quality control to
produce NWI-compliant data. We
will provide quality assurance for the
continued digitization of the Oregon
maps.
FY09 Special Projects.
Support for National Wetlands
Status and Trends Project. In
2009 and throughout 2010, Region
1 conducted and will pursue the
completion of change analysis for
all the national wetland status and
trend plots in Region 1/8 states
as well as the plots in Utah and
Montana. We will also conduct the
review and analysis for the 290 new
West Coast plots that are needed
for EPA’s 2011 wetland condition
assessment report.
Field Office Support. The Region
provided technical assistance to the
Central Washington Field Office
by completing NWI updates on a
four-quad area in the Yakima River
basin. The data are being used for
cumulative impact analysis by the
field office to determine the impacts
of gravel mining on hydrology and
wetland resources in the floodplain.
FY09 Coordination with Others.
The R1/8 NWI is working with a
number of agencies to carry out the
mission of the NWI; these agencies
have been listed in the mapping
status section above. We are also
working with the Idaho Fish and
Game to digitize existing maps in
the Clearwater River Basin. In
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 1/8: Pacific and Pacific Southwest
15
FY2010 we plan to work with the
State of California in conducting for
a statewide trend analysis.
FY09 Presentations. 1) “Assessment
of Wetland Functions Using
Enhanced National Wetlands
Inventory Data: Ventura River
Watershed (California) and
Nanticoke River Watershed
(Maryland and Delaware)” at
Association of State Wetland
Managers Conference (October
2008), Portland, OR.; 2) “Sea Level
Affecting Marsh Model (SLAMM)”
at Oregon State FWS Office (July
2009), Portland , OR.
FY09 Other Activities. R1/8 NWI
provides direction and leadership
for updating the “National List of
Plants that Occur in Wetlands.” The
Regional Coordinator continues to
work with the Corps of Engineers,
Natural Resource Conservation
Service, and the Environmental
Protection Agency on this effort
that should produce a new national
wetland plant list for public
review and comment in 2010. We
also provide technical support
to the State of California in the
development of a statewide wetland
monitoring program. To date a
technical definition of “wetlands”
and a draft rapid assessment method
to evaluate wetland functions
have been produced; for 2010
development of the monitoring
program will continue and we will
provide technical support on a
planned statewide status and trend
study.
Regional Applications of NWI Data.
The following are some examples of
uses of NWI data.
Identification of Internationally
Important Wetlands. With the
completion of the update for Kauai,
the Region is working with the Field
Office and the State of Hawaii to
have the Alakai Swamp, a montane
wet forest, designated as a World
Wetland Ramsar Site.
Local Wetland Protection. The
City of Seattle has a local wetland
ordinance that is used to protect
wetland resources. The Region
provided updated NWI data to
the City for use by their Planning
Department in monitoring and
tracking of wetland restoration,
loss, and mitigation of unavoidable
impacts.
Endangered or Rare Species
Habitat Conservation. NWI data
are used to map critical habitat of
the endangered tidewater goby
(Eucyclogobius newberryi) and in
the development of the recovery plan
and designation of critical habitat for
this species.
Contaminant Effects on Wetland
Wildlife. NWI data were used to
map feeding habitat for the western
tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus)
in Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Basin. The
data were then used to calculate
the injury to this species from the
release of lead into the feeding
habitat and damages associated
with a natural resource damage
and assessment case. NWI data
for Lake Roosevelt (WA) are being
used to develop a wetland sampling
plan to assess contaminant levels
and trust resource injuries that may
be occurring from the release of
hazardous materials into the lake.
The area is under investigation by
the Service and the EPA.
Wildlife Refuge Planning and
Conservation. NWI digital data are
used for refuge planning efforts (e.g.,
Comprehensive Conservation Plans)
across the Region. In particular,
coastal refuges are using NWI data
in models that predict the effect of
various sea-level rise scenarios on
tidal marshes and adjacent lowlands
(i.e., SLAMM). SLAMM (Sea
Level Affecting Marshes Model)
has been applied to several refuges
and the entire Puget Sound estuary.
Region 1 procured a viewer from
Image Matters to visually illustrate
habitat changes in the Puget Sound
area due to sea-level rise. The
viewer was demonstrated at the 2008
Wetland and Global Climate Change
conference hosted by the Association
of State Wetland Managers and the
Pacific Northwest Chapter of the
Society of Wetland Scientists.
Regional Wetland Publications. The
following is a list of some of the more
significant wetland publications
produced by the Region’s NWI
program. Other publications may
be present; contact the Regional
Coordinator for a complete listing.
Kirchner, W.N., J. Miner, and R.
Griffin. 2008. Redwood National
Park Wetlands and Waters: Results
of the National Wetland Inventory.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Pacific Region, Portland, OR.
Kirchner, W.N., J. Miner, and R.
Griffin. 2008. Whiskeytown National
Recreation Area Wetlands and
Waters: Results of the National
Wetland Inventory. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Pacific Region,
Portland, OR.
Kirchner, W.N., J. Miner, and R.
Griffin. 2008. Florrisant National
Park Wetlands and Waters: Results
of the National Wetland Inventory.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Pacific Region, Portland, OR. U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific
Region, Portland, OR.
Kirchner, W.N., J. Miner, and
R. Griffin. 2008. Oregon Caves
National Park Wetlands and Waters:
Results of the National Wetland
Inventory. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Pacific Region, Portland,
OR.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 1/8: Pacific and Pacific Southwest
16
Region 2: Southwest
by Jim Dick
Regional Wetland Coordinator
USFWS, Region 2, Albuquerque, NM
Current Mapping Status. NWI data are available for nearly the entire Region, except for a few areas in New Mexico
and Texas. Most of these data are in map form only and not available in digital format for GIS and computer
applications. Digital data are available for most of Oklahoma, coastal Texas, the Playa Region of Texas and New
Mexico, some river corridors, and several other areas across the Region. Scans of NWI hardcopy maps have been
produced for other areas so that NWI data can be viewed online via the Wetlands Mapper. Note: The State of Texas
maintains its own database of scanned NWI maps for the entire state. These data are not currently part of the
National Dataset. For further information, please contact the Texas Natural Resources Information System
(TNRIS).
Regional Status of the NWI
17
FY09 Mapping Activities. Work
continued on updating critical
areas of the Texas coast for the
Gulf/Atlantic National Project.
We initiated updated mapping for
the area surrounding the Aransas
National Wildlife Refuge, part of
updating NWI data for coastal
refuges along the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts (FY2010). We are cooperating
with state agencies and others
to get NWI data digitized and
entered into the wetlands master
geospatial database. This year
over 24 million acres of digitized
NWI data were added the wetlands
master geospatial database and
Wetlands Mapper. The Oklahoma
Conservation Commission, in
conjunction with Oklahoma State
University, digitized NWI data for
almost 13 million acres (349 quads) of
land in Oklahoma. The Commission
has now acquired digital wetlands
data for nearly 90% of the state. The
Tennessee Valley Authority digitized
NWI data for over 11 million acres
(282 quads) covering U.S. Forest
Service National Forests in Arizona
and New Mexico.
Mapping in Progress for FY2010. An
intraregional collaborative effort
(Regions 2, 4, and 5) has been
initiated between NWI and the
National Wildlife Refuge System
to provide updated wetlands data
for all refuges on the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts. NWI data for Aransas
and Laguna Atascosa NWRs will
be updated. Other NWI-funded
mapping includes Texas Playa
Region (15 counties; 290 quads)
and Arizona updates (Agua Fria
watershed; 70 quads). The State
of New Mexico will be updating
NWI data for the Canadian River
watershed and northeastern New
Mexico (approx. 50 1:24K quads),
while the Navajo Nation will be
updating NWI data for about 400
quads. The State of Oklahoma is
digitizing 190 existing NWI maps
and the Tennessee Valley Authority
is digitizing NWI maps for the
Forest Service lands in Arizona and
New Mexico (660 quads; 21 map
scans).
FY09 Special Projects.
Support for National Wetlands
Status and Trends Project. R2 NWI
continues to provide support for
the 2010 national wetlands status
and trends study that is currently
underway: change analysis continues
on the 293 four-square mile plots
within the State of Texas with future
work planned for Louisiana and New
Mexico for FY2010.
FY09 Coordination with Others. The
Regional Coordinator sits on the
Service’s Regional Climate Change
implementation Team that is
developing support documentation
for the development of the Regional
Geographic Framework upon
which all climate change activities
will be based. R2 NWI initiated
an interagency agreement with
the U.S. Geological Survey Texas
Cooperative Fish & Wildlife
Research Unit at Texas Tech
University (USGS-TTU) to fund
digital mapping and data analysis to
evaluate the feasibility of developing
ecological models to predict potential
effects of climate change on the
playa lakes of the Southern Great
Plains. The Texas Tech Geography
Department, Center for Geospatial
Technology will complete the
updated mapping for the Texas
Panhandle. For this project, we
trained ten students in wetland
delineation and photo interpretation.
We developed an interagency
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 2: Southwest
18
agreement with the U.S. Geological
Survey/ National Wetlands Research
Center (Lafayette, LA) to fund
the first phase of digital wetlands
mapping on the south Texas coast
and Laguna Atascosa National
Wildlife Refuge. (Note: Both of these
agreements tie into the Regional
Climate Change Geographic
Framework; the Texas Coast and
the Southern Great Plains are the
primary areas of interest for Region
2 for implementing Strategic Habitat
Conservation (SHC) techniques
related to evaluating the effects of
climate change to species and their
habitats. NWI is now tied into both
of these areas through these USGS
partnerships.) We provided training
to the Navajo Nation to support
their effort to update NWI for their
entire Reservation (378 quads in
NM, CO, UT, and AZ); we will also
assist with data quality control, field
surveys, and any other required
functions needed to complete the
project. R2 NWI provided guidance
in project design and training in
wetland classification and mapping
to the University of Arizona for
conducting a statewide NWI
map updating project sponsored
by the Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality; we will also
assist in field surveys and other
ways to help complete this project.
We worked with the State of New
Mexico in drafting a proposal that
included updating and enhancing
NWI data for the Canadian River
Watershed and Northeast New
Mexico. The State’s Surface Water
Quality Bureau (SWQB) has
received funding for this project
through an EPA grant; work will be
done in FY2010.
FY09 Presentations. 1) “Applying
NWI Data to Landscape-level
Resource Management” at
Association of State Wetland
Managers Annual Meeting (March
17, 2009), National Conservation
Training Center, Shepherdstown,
WV; 2) “Addressing Current Coastal
Issues with NWI Data: Texas Coast”
Southeastern Association of Fish
& Wildlife Agencies (October 12,
2008), Corpus Christi, TX, and 3)
“Addressing Current Coastal Issues
with NWI Data: Texas Coast” at
Texas State Trustee Meeting
(October 7, 2008) in Corpus Christi,
TX.
FY09 Other Activities. Region 2’s
NWI Program has a unique role
as the Riparian Data Steward
for the country. This fiscal year,
we updated the riparian data
collection document: “A System
for Mapping Riparian Areas in the
Western United States (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service 1997).” The
document should be available to the
public early next fiscal year. We also
assisted in the development, editing
and final review of the wetland data
collection standards document –
“Data Collection Requirements and
Procedures for Mapping Wetland,
Deepwater and Related Habitats of
the United States” (Dahl et al. 2009).
Regional Applications of NWI Data.
The following are some examples of
uses of NWI data.
Identification of Restorable Playas.
The Regional Environmental
Contaminants Program; Natural
Resource Damage Assessment
(NRDA) has been using updated
NWI digital data to identify playas
in need of restoration in eastern New
Mexico. This program is working
with local landowners to restore
these important wetland habitats
by providing funding and ecological
guidance. Some of the restoration/
improvements that are being applied
include removing excavated ponds
from within the playas, creating
grass (native vegetation) buffers
to limit sedimentation and ceasing
agricultural practices in dry years.
Playa lakes, in eastern New Mexico,
are important feeding areas for
migrating birds.
Development of Shoreline
Management Plans. The
Grand River Dam Authority
(GRDA) is developing shoreline
management plans for a series of
large reservoirs in northeastern
Oklahoma. Increasing pressures
from development, both urban and
agricultural, have been cutting into
these vanishing wetland habitats.
GRDA is using updated NWI digital
data to identify wetlands associated
with these reservoirs and to develop
a plan to manage development along
these lakes including preservation of
remaining bottomland habitats.
Endangered Species Conservation.
The Endangered Species Program
has been using digital NWI data
on the Texas coast to aid in the
designation of critical habitat
for the wintering population of
the threatened piping plover
(Charadrius melodus). By referring
to certain Cowardin codes in the
NWI database, ES biologists are
able to construct more accurate
maps that identify critical habitat
areas. The NWI completed wetlands
and riparian habitat mapping
and a wetland assessment report
assessing changes and damages
to wetland/riparian vegetative
communities along a stretch of the
Gila River as a result of a major
flood in February of 2005. This
stretch of river is considered a key
area for potential southwestern
willow flycatcher (Empidonax
traillii extimus) habitat restoration
activities of the Service and other
organizations. This flycatcher
nests in fairly dense riparian tree
and shrub communities, usually
associated with rivers, swamps, and
other wetlands, mostly in forested
and scrub/shrub wetlands. Having
the remaining riparian habitats
mapped in digital format allows
GIS analysis for planning habitat
re-establishment or enhancement.
Once recovery projects are
completed, NWI data will be used
to monitoring accomplishments to
see if desired results are achieved
and maintained over the time period
required to meet the recovery goal
to increase or improve occupied,
suitable, and potential breeding
habitat. The greatest threat facing
the threatened Chiricahua leopard
frog (Rana chiricahuensis) is the
highly-invasive eastern bullfrog
(Rana catesbeiana). Using digital
maps that were prepared in a
limited pilot project by the National
Wetlands Inventory covering 70
thousand acres, recovery efforts
are underway to identify remote
wetlands that can have bullfrogs
removed and that could resist
re-colonization. Wetlands geospatial
data used in a GIS (geographic
information system) analysis will
generate distances between sites,
locate unknown wetlands for
possible re-introduction, and identify
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 2: Southwest
19
possible sites for future restoration.
These digital maps also cover
about 20% of the current habitat
of the endangered Sonora tiger
salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum
stebbinsi), also vulnerable to
bullfrogs and other invasive species,
and will be used to aid in similar
recovery efforts. These maps were
produced at a much finer scale than
the regular NWI maps in order to
locate smaller-sized wetlands, mostly
stock ponds - the current primary
habitat for both species.
Identification of Internationally
Important Wetlands. The Service’s
New Mexico Ecological Services
Field Office, BLM, and the State
of New Mexico are using NWI
digital data along the Pecos River
in southeastern New Mexico in an
attempt to designate a rare (for the
arid west) artesian outflow wetland
complex as a World Wetland Ramsar
Site. A Ramsar Wetland nomination
could include the unique saline
wetlands, saltgrass wet meadows,
saltgrass marshes, iodine bush flats,
cattail and bulrush marshes, playas,
sinkhole lakes, and wetland channels
that are found on the public lands
of the Bitter Lake National Wildlife
Refuge, the Bottomless Lakes
State Park and the Bureau of Land
Management Overflow Wetlands
Area of Critical Environmental
Concern. These “Roswell artesian
wetlands” have a unique hydrology
and are known to play a vital role in
providing important feeding areas
and resting habitat for more than
20,000 migratory birds. Several
unique plants and animals, such
as Pecos sunflower (Helianthus
paradoxus), Wright’s marsh thistle
(Cirsium wrightii), Pecos pupfish
(Cyprinodon pecosensis), Mexican
tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), arid
land ribbon snake (Thamnophis
proximus diabolicus), Blanchard’s
cricket frog (Acris crepitans
blanchardi), least shrew (Cryptotis
parva), and Roswell springsnail
(Pyrgulopsis roswellensis) as well
as over 90 species of dragonflies and
damselflies are also found in these
unique wetland habitats.
Regional Wetland Publications.
The following is a list of wetland
publications produced by or with
the assistance of the Region’s NWI
program.
Dick, J. A. and R.B. McHale. 2007.
Wetland and Riparian Habitats of
the Playa Lakes Region: Status
Report, 2006-2007. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Southwest Region,
Albuquerque, NM.
Dick, J. A. and R.B. McHale. 2006.
Monitoring Changes to Wetland
and Riparian Vegetation Resulting
from the February 13th, 2005 Flood
Event, Upper Gila River, Arizona.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Southwest Region, Albuquerque,
NM.
Moulton, D.W., T.E. Dahl, and D.M.
Dall. 1997. Texas Coastal Wetlands:
Status and Trends, Mid-1950s to
Early 1990s. U.S. Department of the
Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service,
Southwestern Region, Albuquerque,
NM. 32 pp.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 2: Southwest
20
Region 3: Great Lakes/Big Rivers
by Brian Huberty
Regional Wetland Coordinator
USFWS, Region 3, Ft Snelling, MN
Current Mapping Status. Nearly all of the Region has been mapped and a significant number of areas have been
updated (at least once). Iowa is approaching completion and the Wisconsin Wetland Inventory data has been
converted to NWI types and is entered in wetlands master geospatial database. Ducks Unlimited has finished
digitizing and updating the northern half of Ohio as well as parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The State of
Minnesota is finishing the evaluation of NWI updating methodologies and plans to begin updating in 2010.
Regional Status of the NWI
21
FY09 Mapping Activities. During this
FY, the NWI Program converted
Wisconsin wetland inventory data
to NWI types so the data could be
added to the national database.
Contributed NWI data are coming
from Ducks Unlimited who are
mapping wetlands in Illinois, Ohio,
and Michigan (see figure below –
purple areas = completed; blue
areas = in progress).
St Mary’s University (WI) produced
updated NWI data for a British
Petroleum (BP) pipeline corridor
(work funded entirely by BP).
Mapping in Progress for FY2010.
NWI funding for mapping is
undetermined at this time. The
State of Minnesota plans to begin
updating NWI data in 2010, while
the State of Iowa will continue their
efforts to update NWI.
FY09 Special Projects.
Restoration of Great Lakes
Wetlands. R3 NWI is working with
EPA on a Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative to help restore the
wetlands and other habitat for the
Great Lakes; a proposal has been
submitted that includes wetland
mapping and imagery acquisition.
Minnesota Wetland Status and
Trends. We are also working with:
the State of Minnesota DNR on
their statewide NWI update and
upgrade program and the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency on their
wetlands status and trends project.
Remote Sensing Applications for
Detecting Common Reed. We
are working with Michigan Tech
University on a project investigating
the application of satellite radar for
mapping common reed (Phragmites
australis) – an invasive species
threatening many wetlands across
the country.
FY09 Presentations. R3 NWI worked
with USGS Great Lakes Science
Center to organize and lead a day-long
symposium on Wetland Remote
Sensing and Mapping at the Society
for Wetland Scientists Annual
Meeting (June 23, 2009), Madison,
WI; presented “Remote Sensing
Technologies Overview for Mapping
and Monitoring Wetlands” at this
meeting. Also presented “Remote
Sensing Technologies Overview
for Lake Michigan” at the 2009
Lake Michigan: State of the Lake
Conference (September 29, 2009),
Milwaukee, WI.
FY09 Coordination with Others. R3
NWI has cooperative agreements
with: 1) Ducks Unlimited for
helping update NWI, 2) Michigan
Tech University for investigating
the use of radar imaging for
wetland extent and invasive species
mapping, 3) the University of
Minnesota for evaluating wetland
mapping methodologies, and 4) St.
Mary’s University for updating
Iowa’s NWI maps and BP pipeline
corridors. We are also working with
EPA and others on the Great Lake
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 3: Great Lakes/Big Rivers
22
Restoration Initiative by developing
project proposals to improve the
wetlands and habitats within the
Great Lakes watershed.
Regional Applications of NWI Data.
The following are some examples of
uses of NWI data.
Wetland Restoration, Creation,
and Enhancement Planning. The
Ducks Unlimited (DU) Great
Lakes/Atlantic Region Office is
not only a valued partner for help
producing updated NWI maps but
is also a prime user of NWI data.
Their field biologists regularly use
updated NWI maps to help plan
wetland restoration, creation and
enhancement projects out in the
field. DU also uses NWI data with
their Habitat Evaluation Network
(HEN) model to plan and target
habitat conservation in the Great
Lakes states. HEN allows both
DU and its partners to enhance
and refine wetland and upland
habitat programs for breeding
mallards under the North American
Waterfowl Management Plan and
the Upper Mississippi/Great Lakes
Joint Venture.
Energy Development Planning.
WindLogics, a leading provider of
wind knowledge for utility-scale
project development and grid
integration, is using NWI mapping
data into their discovery study
programs to assist landowners and
developers with optimum wind
farm site locations with minimal
environmental impacts on wetlands.
The company is also planning on
incorporating other Service habitat
products as they become available
to help minimize environmental
impacts with wind energy
development projects.
Transportation Assistance.
Primordial, an off-road navigation
software development company,
has developed “Ground Guidance”
software which provides for an
optimal route location through off-road
terrain. They are using NWI
maps in their navigation system to
help refine routes to avoid wetland
areas, thereby helping reduce the
environmental impact of off-road
vehicles. This software has both
civilian and military applications.
Wetland Monitoring Design. The
Iowa Department of Natural
Resources used updated NWI
data to randomly select sites for
monitoring the condition of wetlands
across the state. Semipermanently
and permanently flooded potholes
on public or private lands were
selected for study. Chemical,
physical, and biological parameters
are being monitored to determine
the ecological condition of Iowa’s
remaining wetlands.
Endangered or Rare Species
Habitat Conservation. The Missouri
Field Office uses NWI to help find
additional occurrences of Hine’s
emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora
hineana) - the only federally listed
dragonfly protected under the
Endangered Species Act. Part of
the recovery plan was to conduct
surveys in appropriate wetland
habitat, mostly small fens crawfish
burrows. Areas for surveys
include states where the species
currently exists, states where it
existed historically, and neighboring
states, 24 in total. At the end of
the 2004 survey in Missouri, it
was generally understood that all
known high-quality fens had been
searched and that it was unlikely
additional population sites would be
discovered. However in 2005, using
NWI data for a 10-county area,
the Columbia Missouri Field Office
(CMFO) began looking for unknown
fens. With partner Missouri
Department of Conservation
running a GIS analysis looking
at NWI code PEMB (palustrine
emergent wetland with saturated
water regime), the CMFO was able
to identify numerous potential sites
with appropriate habitat that were
unknown to conservation agencies in
the state. As a result of this study,
all researchers and enthusiasts in
Missouri were convinced that using
NWI digital maps data to identify
new potential habitat in Missouri
and other states would be a major
contributing factor in expanding the
knowledge and known distribution
of the Hine’s emerald dragonfly. To
date, the Service has surveyed about
150 fens in Missouri and the number
of known populations of dragonfly
has increased from 3 to 27 sites.
Once surveying is complete, the
next step is to use the NWI data to
locate possible sites for restoration
or for introduction of the species.
These actions will enable the Service
to meet the minimum number
of individuals required in this
population segment for downlisting
the species from Endangered to
Threatened and eventually for
recovery and delisting. This step will
be further facilitated once wetlands
digital data in states with existing
populations and the remainder
of the 24 states of interest are
updated from the mostly 1980s-era
maps to the current era using
finer imagery and more modern
mapping techniques and standards.
Two scientific papers have been
written on this application of NWI
(McKenzie 2005, 2005/6). Currently,
the Service is using NWI data to
identify potential whopping crane
habitat.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 3: Great Lakes/Big Rivers
23
Region 4: Southeast
by John Swords
Regional Wetland Coordinator
USFWS, Region 4, Atlanta, GA
Current Mapping Status. Seventy-eight percent of the Region has NWI data in digital format, yet most of that data
reflects early 1980s conditions. Hardcopy maps or interpreted imagery (pen and ink-marked mylar overlays of aerial
photographs) are the only available NWI product for much of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Conversion to
digital data would require considerable effort and additional funding and besides, the data are from the 1970s and
1980s. Unfortunately, for most of the Southeast, the NWI data are now over 20 years old. As the age of the NWI
data increases, the value of the data decreases. With rapid development in some areas (especially along the coast and
in metropolitan areas), the existing NWI data are more of a historic representation of wetlands that once covered the
region rather than a current account of wetlands. NWI are in dire need of updating. Consequently, the Region is
reaching out for support from other federal and state agencies to accomplish this.
Regional Status of the NWI
24
FY09 Mapping Activities. NWI-funded
projects completed and
submitted to the NWI wetlands
master geospatial database include
coastal Mississippi quads (37),
Tennessee Valley Authority climate
change quads (12), and U.S. Virgin
Islands updated quads (12) that
incorporated lidar data that was
contributed by the U.S. Virgin
Islands Territorial Agencies. A
GIS-conversion process transformed
wetland data from Florida’s land
use/cover inventory into NWI
data for nineteen 1:24K quads
that included Archie Carr and
Pelican Island National Wildlife
Refuges. Also added to the wetlands
master geospatial database were
contributed data from the U.S.
Geological Survey’s Wetlands
Research Center (Lafayette, LA)
for Mobile Bay and Baldwin County
(updated NWI data for 65 quads
along the Alabama coast).
Mapping In Progress for FY2010. A
major NWI initiative commenced
in FY09 that will provide updated
wetlands data for coastal National
Wildlife Refuges. NWI data for
the following refuges are being
updated: Region 4 work will include
the following thirty Refuges:
Alligator River (NC), Bayou
Sauvage (LA), Big Branch Marsh
(LA), Breton (LA), Buck Island (VI),
Caloosahatchee (FL), Cape Romain
(SC), Cedar Keys (FL), Cedar
Island (NC), Chassahowitzka (FL),
Crocodile Lake (FL), Currituck
(NC), Delta (LA), Egmont Key
(FL), Great White Heron (FL),
Hobe Sound (FL), Key West (FL),
Lower Suwannee (FL), Mackay
Island (NC), Mattamuskett (NC),
Merritt Island (FL), National Key
Deer (FL), Passage Key (FL), Pea
Island (NC), Pinellas (FL), Pocosin
Lakes (NC), Roanoke River (NC),
St. Marks (FL), Swanquarter (NC),
and Ten Thousand Islands (FL).
Additional ongoing projects include
updates in Western Tennessee, Cape
Canaveral Air Force Base (FL), and
contributed data for coastal Georgia
from the State of Georgia.
FY09 Special Projects.
Support for National Wetlands
Status and Trends Project. R4NWI
continues to provide support for
the 2010 national wetlands status
and trends study that is currently
underway: change analysis continues
on 130 four-square mile plots in
South Carolina and Florida.
FY09 Presentations. “Enhancing
NWI Data for Wetland Function
and Natural Habitat Integrity
Assessments” presentation at
regional symposium – “Regional
and Local Integration of GIS
Technology,” St Thomas, VI
(November 20, 2008) and at St
John’s Water Management District -
Palatka, FL (March 2009).
FY09 Coordination with Others.
Ongoing work with Georgia DNR
(EPA funded) to complete NWI
data for 73 quads along the coast
continues to move forward. R4 NWI
is assisting with quality control to
ensure that products meet NWI
standards. Seeing the success
of NWI’s conversion of existing
wetland data from Florida’s land
use/cover inventory to NWI types,
the St. John’s Water Management
District is planning to conduct a
pilot project applying the same
techniques to convert their wetland
data base to NWI types. In Puerto
Rico, the Department of Natural
Resources, Marine Resources and
the Fisheries and Wildlife Bureau
is in the process of identifying
wetland priorities and needs.
This action will aid in the pursuit
of funding to get updated NWI
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 4: Southeast
25
information. Additionally, funding
was also received from U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers to update the
NWI maps at Cape Canaveral Air
Force Base (FL). R4 NWI has
met with representatives from
natural resource agencies from the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
South Carolina, and Kentucky to
discuss the value of updating and
enhancing NWI data and have
encouraged them to pursue EPA
funds for wetlands mapping and
assessments.
Regional Applications of NWI Data.
The following are some examples of
uses of NWI data.
Local Planning. In Georgia NWI
data is used for local comprehensive
and ordinance plans, State Natural
Heritage Inventory and addressing
land conservation priorities.
Data for Statewide GIS, Regional
and Local Planning. In South
Carolina the NWI data is
downloaded by South Carolina
Departments of Health and
Environmental Control, Commerce,
Transportation (the State DOT),
Parks, Recreation and Tourism,
Forestry as well as every county
and municipal government agency
in the state that has a GIS program.
South Carolina is planning on using
NWI data to support various climate
change modeling initiatives.
Comment: For most of the Region,
NWI data are too old to be of value
for most planning efforts, especially
in the coastal zone where much
development has occurred since the
1980s.
Regional Wetland Publications.
The following is a list of wetland
publications produced by or with
the assistance of the Region’s NWI
program.
Dahl, T.E. 1999 South Carolina’s
Wetlands – Status and Trends 1982-
1989. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Southeast Region, Atlanta, GA. 58
pp.
Dahl, T.E. 2005 Florida’s Wetlands:
An Update on Status and Trends
1985-1996. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Southeast Region, Atlanta,
GA. 80 pp.
Dahl, T.E., J. Swords, and M.T.
Bergeson. 2009 Wetland Inventory
of the Yazoo Backwater Area,
Mississippi – Wetland Status and
Potential Changes Based on an
Updated Inventory Using Remotely
Sensed Imagery. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Division of Habitat
and Resource Conservation,
Washington, DC. 30 pp.
Frayer, W.E. and J.M. Hefner.
Florida Wetlands: Status and Trends
1970s to 1980s. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Southeast Region,
Atlanta, GA. 31 pp.
Hefner, J.M., B.O. Wilen, T.E. Dahl,
and W.E. Frayer. 1994. Southeast
Wetlands: Status and Trends,
Mid-1970s to Mid-1980s. U.S.
Department of the Interior, Fish and
Wildlife Service, Atlanta, GA. 32 pp.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 4: Southeast
26
Region 5: Northeast
by Ralph Tiner
Regional Wetland Coordinator
USFWS, Region 5, Hadley, MA
Current Mapping Status. Nearly all of the Region has been mapped and a significant number of areas have been
updated (at least once). Only the Adirondack region and a few small areas in New York have not been mapped.
Updated NWI data based on 1990s or 2000s imagery are available for New Jersey, Rhode Island, much of the Maine
and Massachusetts coasts, parts of western Vermont, Long Island (NY), Pennsylvania’s Poconos Region, part of
northeastern Maryland, the lower Delmarva Peninsula, and much of eastern and southwestern Virginia.
Regional Status of the NWI
27
FY09 Mapping Activities. Mapping
work included Long Island, New
York (51 quads) and Sussex County,
Delaware (27 quads). Data for the
former were finalized and entered
into the wetlands master geospatial
database, while the Delaware work
is in review.
Mapping In Progress for FY2010.
As part of a national initiative
to update NWI data for coastal
refuges, NWI data for the following
refuges will be updated: Back Bay
(MD), Blackwater (MD), Cape
May (NJ), Eastern Neck (MD),
Monomoy (MA), Parker River
(MA), Stewart B. McKinney (CT),
Supawna Meadows (NJ), and Edwin
B. Forsythe (NJ). The Regional
Refuge Program provided funds for
updating NWI data for additional
refuges: Presquile (VA), James
River (VA), Great Bay (NH),
Sunkhaze (ME), Pondicherry (NH),
Canaan Valley (WV), Erie/French
Creek (PA), Moosehorn (ME), and
the Potomac River complex (VA).
NWI data for New Jersey will be
updated with 2007 imagery using
a rapid assessment technique that
is being evaluated for future use
where high-quality NWI data exist.
This effort will allow the R5 NWI to
prepare a new state wetlands report
that will provide current wetland
acreage summaries, and the results
of enhanced NWI data including a
statewide preliminary assessment of
wetland functions.
FY09 Special Projects.
Local Wetland Trends Analysis. R5
NWI conducted a wetland trends
study for the Delaware and Catskills
watersheds of the New York City
water supply system (funded by NY
City DEP).
Eelgrass Monitoring for Long Island
Sound. We initiated a survey of
eelgrass beds in the eastern end of
Long Island Sound (funded by EPA;
work will be completed in FY10).
This work is part of a long-term
monitoring survey that we began
several years ago. Data have been
updated every three years since
2003.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 5: Northeast
28
FY09 Presentations. 1) “Assessment
of Wetland Functions Using
Enhanced National Wetlands
Inventory Data: Ventura River
Watershed (California) and
Nanticoke River Watershed
(Maryland and Delaware)”
(co-presenter with R1 Coordinator)
at Association of State Wetland
Managers Conference (October
2008): Portland, OR. 2)“Use of
Remote Sensing and GIS Technology
for Wetland, Riparian, and
Watershed Assessment, Restoration,
and Monitoring” at Southern New
England Chapter of the Soil and
Water Conservation Association and
Soil Science Society of Southern
New England Conference (February
26, 2009), Hadley, MA, 3) “National
Wetlands Inventory Update for
New England 2009” at Southern
New England Chapter of the Soil
and Water Conservation Association
and Soil Science Society of Southern
New England Conference (February
26, 2009), Hadley, MA, and 4) “The
National Wetlands Inventory: Where
We’ve Been and Where We Can Go”
(Symposium 6: Wetland Remote
Sensing and Mapping) at Society of
Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting
(June 23, 2009), Madison, WI.
FY09 Coordination with Others. R5
NWI has agreements with New York
City Department of Environmental
Protection (NYCDEP) for wetland
mapping and trends analysis and
with US EPA Region 2 for eelgrass
survey in Long Island Sound (NY).
We are working with NYCDEP on
wetland booklet summarizing results
of most recent NWI mapping and
trends analysis and cooperating with
Delaware Department of Natural
Resources and Environmental
Control in updating NWI data for
Delaware. R5 NWI is assisting
the State of California in their
development of a wetland definition
and classification system.
Regional Applications of NWI Data.
The following are some examples of
uses of NWI data.
Drinking Water Protection. The
New York City Department
of Environmental Protection
(NYCDEP) uses NWI maps and
trends data to protect wetlands
important for maintaining high
water quality for New York City’s
8.3 million residents and 40+ million
visitors. An atlas of NWI maps
was prepared and distributed to all
municipalities in the City’s three
major watershed areas (Croton,
Delaware, and Catskills) for use in
local wetland protection. NYCDEP
uses NWI data (including enhanced
NWI data) to develop research
studies evaluating water quality and
the impacts of local development
on this resource and in reporting
to EPA on the status of wetlands.
By protecting wetlands and their
role in water quality renovation,
NYCDEP is able to avoid the costs
of filtration of reservoir waters
in the Catskill/Delaware water
supply, saving the City billions of
dollars. The NWI data have been
summarized in a public information
booklet “Wetlands in the Watersheds
of the New York City Water Supply
System” to educate the public on
wetlands, their functions, their
status in the reservoir watersheds,
and what can be done to help
protect the remaining wetlands.
NYCDEP also uses NWI data
to identify wetlands that may be
eligible for protection under New
York State’s freshwater wetland
law and subject to regulation at the
federal and local levels. The NWI
data are also used in the design of
its capital construction and for the
department’s forest and stream
management, land acquisition, and
wetland monitoring programs.
Identification of Priority Wetlands
for State Regulation. For nearly two
decades, the State of Vermont has
used NWI maps to identify wetlands
of significance that received
increased protection through the
Vermont Wetland Rules. In passing
the Rules back in the 1990s, the
State decided that any wetland
shown on an NWI map would be
considered a Class 2 wetland of
significance. Class 1 and 2 wetlands
are regulated under the Rules (Class
1 wetlands are wetlands with unique
properties such as those harboring
rare and endangered species, etc.).
A Conditional Use Determination
can only be issued if it is determined
that the use will have no undue
adverse impact on protected
functions, unless such impacts are
mitigated.
Aid to Wetland Protection
Efforts. Unless replaced by more
current wetland data from state
or local agencies, NWI maps and
data serve as the main guide for
local governments across the
region. Maine Department of
Environmental Protection staff
use the NWI maps regularly to
identify and characterize sites for
biological monitoring, to provide
information for license and permit
reviews (NRPA, Site Law, discharge
permits, hydro projects), and for
enforcement issues. An example of
use of NWI data for local wetland
protection follows. The Clinton
(NY) local zoning law (local law
number 2 of 2008) dealing with
freshwater wetlands, watercourses,
lakes, ponds, and floodplains
identifies NWI maps as one of two
sources of information for locating
wetlands prior to conducting field
investigations (the other source is
the state wetland data). NWI data
have been referenced in numerous
local master plans as part of the
natural resource component. In
his book “Ecologically Based
Municipal Land Use Planning”
(Lewis Publishers 1999), William
Honachefsky identifies NWI maps
as “one of the most common maps
… to be included in municipality
natural resource inventory” and
further recognizes enhanced NWI
and its application for preliminary
assessment of wetland functions
as an important contribution for
incorporation in local master
plans. The Center for Watershed
Protection (Ellicott City, MD) has
also made similar recommendations
regarding the use of NWI in a
number of its watershed protection
guidance documents designed for
local governments and watershed
associations.
Conservation Planning. The
Service’s New Jersey Field Office
used NWI data and expertise to
develop a conservation strategy
for protecting and restoring the
Hackensack Meadowlands – the
largest estuarine wetland complex
in northern New Jersey. The NWI
contribution to the strategy included
identification of wetlands and
potential wetland restoration sites, a
landscape-level analysis of wetland
functions, and information on
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 5: Northeast
29
historic and recent wetland trends.
The NWI Program prepared a
report “The Hackensack River
Watershed, New Jersey and New
York: Wetland Characterization,
Preliminary Assessment of
Wetland Functions, and Remotely-sensed
Indices of Natural Habitat
Integrity” that served as one of the
foundations for the strategy. In
addition, this report is being used to
develop a master plan for conserving
wetlands and other natural
resources within this urbanizing
watershed. The Maryland
Department of Natural Resources
has used NWI data in preparing
strategic watershed-based wetland
conservation plans. When available,
enhanced NWI data have been used
to identify significant wetlands for
performing certain functions.
Refuge Planning and Management.
NWI is considered a fundamental
layer used for many aspects of
refuge planning and management
program. Just three examples of
refuge use of NWI data are cited.
Canaan Valley National Wildlife
Refuge (NWR) uses NWI data
on a regular basis: 1) to evaluate
habitat management projects and
identify areas where public access
can and can't be permitted, 2) to
produce informal reports to realty
staff working on acquisitions to
show relative wetland/upland acres
to support acquisition packages,
and 3) to distribute survey and
inventory points for sampling
wetland wildlife and/or specific plant
communities. The Rappahannock
NWR uses NWI data: 1) to help
develop goals, objectives and
strategies for wetland habitat
conservation in their Comprehensive
Conservation Plan for the refuge,
2) to justify land acquisition funding
requests to the Migratory Bird
Conservation Commission, 3) to
document wetlands that would be
conserved in a North American
Wetlands Conservation Act grant
request, 4) to document wetlands
that would be conserved in several
applications to the Virginia Aquatic
Resources Trust Fund, 5) to help
determine migratory bird habitat
values on lands being considered
for acquisition, and 6) to help
determine land use restrictions and
locations of vegetated buffers to
be installed through conservation
easements. Chincoteague NWR,
a coastal refuge along the Atlantic
Ocean, is one of many coastal NWRs
that are using NWI data to run
sea-level rise models that predict
the effect of rising sea levels on
refuge lands. As a result of this
application, the refuge manager
realized that the refuge boundaries
need to be modified to include lands
(currently lowland forests) that
will likely become salt marshes as
these marshes migrate landward.
This information will help shape the
refuge’s short-term and long-term
acquisition plan.
Endangered or Rare Species
Habitat Conservation. The New
York Natural Heritage Program
(NYNHP) is using NWI data and
state wetland data to target the full
range of habitats potentially used
by wetland-dependent species of
concern. Known occurrences of
these species (i.e., occupied wetlands
determined by ground surveys
and radio-telemetry) are combined
with wetlands and uplands (as
appropriate) within the known range
of the species using conservative
estimates to determine areas
that should be conserved. These
“important area” models have been
developed for numerous animals
including freshwater mussels,
dragonflies, damselflies, Tomah
mayfly (Siphlonisca aerodromia),
bogbean buckmoth (Hemileuca sp.),
devil crawfish (Cambarus diogenes),
bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii),
Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea
blandingii), spiny softshell turtle
(Trionyx spiniferus), queen snake
(Regina septemvittata), eastern
massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus
catenatus), northern cricket
frog (Acris crepitans), longtail
salamander (Eurycea longicauda),
marsh birds (including pied-billed
grebe Podilymbus podiceps, least
bittern Ixobrychus exilis, and rails),
common tern (Sterna hirundo), and
several fishes.
Twenty-six endangered mussels and
fish inhabit the Upper Tennessee
River Basin in the Clinch, Powell,
and Holston River Drainages. Home
of one of the most diverse freshwater
mussel and fish communities in
the Nation, this area contains over
85 species of mussels and 149 fish
species native to this Basin and
some are found nowhere else. To
contribute to their recovery, the
NWI mapped wetlands, waters,
and riparian corridors in these
watersheds. The Service has
been working vigorously with
state resource agencies, soil and
water conservation districts, local
watershed groups, other non-government
organizations, and
other federal agencies to restore
and protect these trust resources
through cooperative partnerships.
These data are being used to
identify high priority areas, plan for
restoration of riparian habitats to
improve water quality and reduce
sedimentation, identify and define
threats, provide baseline data for
future trend analysis, and provide
a prospective for watershed-based
protection and restoration.
Research. NWI data have been
used by numerous researchers
to identify wetlands for studying
wetland wildlife and for
environmental analysis. One such
study investigated salt marsh bird
diversity in New England and
Long Island, New York (Shriver
et al. 2004). NWI data were used
to identify potential estuarine
emergent wetland sites for this
regional study of bird breeding in
salt marshes. The State of Maine’s
biomonitoring program uses NWI
data for GIS spatial analysis for
a variety of projects including
water quality predictive model
development and support of total
maximum daily loads (TMDLs)
analysis. Researchers at the U.S.
Geological Survey are using NWI
data to quantify wetlands on the
landscape that may be influencing
the flux of organic carbon from
rivers to the Gulf of Maine.
Regional Wetland Publications. The
following is a list of some of the more
significant wetland publications
produced by the Region’s NWI
program, mainly state and regional
wetland reports. The Region
has produced numerous other
publications on the results of the
NWI (e.g., local status reports, local
trend analyses, and watershed-based
wetland characterizations and
preliminary functional assessments
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 5: Northeast
30
of wetlands); contact the Regional
Coordinator for a copy of the
regional wetland publications list.
Tiner, R.W. 2007. Maine Wetlands
and Waters: Results of the National
Wetlands Inventory. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Northeast Region,
Hadley, MA. NWI Technical Report.
22 pp.
Tiner, R.W. 2007. New Hampshire
Wetlands and Waters: Results of the
National Wetlands Inventory. U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast
Region, Hadley, MA. NWI Technical
Report. 21 pp.
Tiner, R.W. 1996. West Virginia’s
Wetlands: Uncommon, Valuable
Wildlands. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Ecological Services,
Northeast Region, Hadley, MA. 20
pp.
Tiner, R.W., and D.G. Burke. 1995.
Wetlands of Maryland. U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Ecological
Services, Region 5, Hadley, MA
and Maryland Department of
Natural Resources, Annapolis, MD.
Cooperative publication. 193 pp.
plus appendices.
Metzler, K., and R.W. Tiner. 1991.
Wetlands of Connecticut. State
Geological and Natural History
Survey of Connecticut, Dept. of
Environmental Protection, Hartford,
CT in Cooperation with U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, National
Wetlands Inventory. Report of
Investigations No. 13. 115 pp.
Tiner, R.W., Jr. 1989. Wetlands
of Rhode Island. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, National Wetlands
Inventory Project, Newton Corner,
MA. 71 pp. plus Appendix.
Tiner, R.W., Jr., and J.T. Finn.
1986. Status and Recent Trends
of Wetlands in Five Mid-Atlantic
States: Delaware, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West
Virginia. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Region 5, National Wetlands
Inventory Project, Newton Corner,
MA and U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region III,
Philadelphia, PA. Cooperative
publication. 40 pp.
Tiner, R.W., Jr. 1985. Wetlands of
Delaware. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Newton Corner, MA
and Delaware Dept. of Natural
Resources and Environmental
Control, Dover. Cooperative
publication. 77 pp.
Tiner, R.W., Jr. 1985. Wetlands of
New Jersey. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Newton Corner, MA. 117
pp.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 5: Northeast
31
Region 6: Mountain-Prairie
by Kevin Bon
Regional Wetland Coordinator
USFWS, Lakewood, CO
Current Mapping Status. NWI data have been produced for about 80 percent of the Region (the largest Service
Region in the U.S.). Data are available in both map and digital formats. Fifty-seven percent of the Region has NWI
data in digital format for computer applications. The remaining NWI data are mylar/paper maps or delineated
photography; they are being digitized and added to the wetlands master geospatial database as funding becomes
available.
Regional Status of the NWI
32
FY09 Mapping Activities. Updated
NWI data were produced for
Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin and
Wyoming’s Shirley Basin and the
remaining portion of the Powder
River Basin. The remaining
hardcopy maps in Wyoming were
converted to digital data to complete
digital NWI data for the state. Two
small project areas in Montana were
mapped: an area in central Montana
and the other in the southeastern
part of the state.
Mapping In Progress for FY2010.
Additional areas in Montana will be
mapped by the Montana Natural
Heritage Program. NWI data
for Wells County, North Dakota
will be updated for use by the
Region’s Habitat and Population
Evaluation Team. Digitizing NWI
data is planned for the northeastern
corner of Utah and for three
areas in Colorado (North Platte
River, Rio Grande Headwaters,
and Gilpin County). The former
area will nearly complete a digital
database for the Upper Colorado
Shrub Steppe Strategic Habitat
Conservation focal area.
Updating of Wells County, North
Dakota will be completed for the
Habitat and Population Evaluation
Team to show the current status of
wetlands, and possible restorable
wetlands.
FY09 Coordination with Others. We
are working with the Montana
Department of Environmental
Quality, Montana Natural Heritage
Program, and multiple other
partners to map major portions of
the state. This work includes new
mapping and updating of existing
NWI data. Approximately one-quarter
of the state (the third
largest in the contiguous United
States) is currently under contract
with more areas being added every
year. Completion of digitizing and
updating of mapping in Wyoming
was done in cooperation with
the Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality and the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. We will be working with the
Colorado Natural Heritage Program
to digitize NWI data for priority
areas in the state.
Regional Applications of NWI Data.
The following are some examples of
uses of NWI data.
Wildlife Habitat Conservation.
NWI maps were used in North
Dakota to locate nesting sites for
the endangered Piping Plover. The
Unconsolidated Shore class (US)
along lakes corresponds to the exact
habitat preferred by this bird. EPA
and local and state partners are
using updated NWI data along the
Wasatch Front and Great Salt Lake
to identify waterfowl and shorebird
feeding preferences in order to
develop alternate wetland futures
in the rapidly expanding urban
corridor around Salt Lake City.
Recently updated NWI data for the
Rainwater Basin are being used for
landscape-level wildlife conservation
planning as part of the Service’s
Strategic Habitat Conservation
initiative for this important
waterfowl production area. NWI
data provide the Division of Refuges
and its cooperators with current
wetland data to estimate existing
and potential migratory waterfowl
habitat in this priority landscape.
State Wetland Conservation. The
State of Montana and partners
are using updated and new NWI
data for a number of purposes
including: identifying wetlands and
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 6: Mountain-Prairie
33
intermittent streams not protected
by the recently limited Clean
Water Act, identifying change and
ecological functions of wetlands in
the Bitterroot Valley, and identifying
wetland and riparian habitat change
along the Yellowstone River. These
applications better inform agencies
and the public on the current
status and threats to wetlands
and riparian habitat and will aid in
improving measures to insure their
conservation.
Regional Wetland Publications. The
following is a list of some of the more
significant wetland publications
produced with support from the
Region’s NWI program.
Elliott, C.R. and M.M. Hektner.
2000. Wetland Resources of
Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone National Park,
Wyoming. 32 pp.
Johnson, R.R., K.F. Higgins, M.L.
Kjellsen, and C.R. Elliott. 1997
Eastern South Dakota Wetlands.
South Dakota State University,
Brookings, SD. 28 pp.
Johnson, R.R. and K.F. Higgins.
1997. Wetland Resources of Eastern
South Dakota. South Dakota State
University, Brookings, SD. 102 pp.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 6: Mountain-Prairie
34
Region 7: Alaska
by Jerry Tande
Regional Wetland Coordinator
USFWS, Region 7, Anchorage, AK
Current Mapping Status. Forty percent of Region 7 (R7) has been mapped covering 147.320 million acres with 30
percent available digitally via the internet. The remaining mylar/paper finals of previously mapped areas are being
digitized as time permits and added to the wetlands master geospatial database as funding becomes available.
Nearly all of R7 mapping has been accomplished utilizing 1978-1986, 1:60,000-scale, color-infrared imagery collected
as part of the Alaska High Altitude Photography Acquisition Program (AHAP). Selective updates using more recent
and finer-scale imagery have been completed for most major population centers (e.g., Anchorage-Mat-Su Boroughs,
Kenai, Juneau, and Fairbanks) and a few remote areas subject to natural resource exploration and extraction (e.g.,
National Petroleum Reserve and Arctic Coastal Plain). The older AHAP imagery has been adequate for wetlands
baseline inventory mostly due to the largely undisturbed nature of the Region. However, the need for more current
imagery may become more important for addressing changes and impacts of further resource development and the
effects of a changing climate.
Regional Status of the NWI
35
FY09 Mapping Activities. Due to
lack of funding, no new mapping
was initiated or completed in R7
in FY09. Climate change funding,
however, allowed for digitizing all
previously mapped northwest Arctic
coastal quadrangles (covering 4.597
million acres) and adding these data
to the Wetlands Mapper. These
quads extended from south of
Barrow along the northwest Alaska
coastline to east of Nome on the
Seward Peninsula, and are intended
to support coastal change analysis,
wetland gains/losses and migratory
bird habitat changes related to
climate change. The coastal Chukchi
Sea quads are anticipated to be used
by the Service and its partners for
energy-related project reviews along
the coastline of Alaska’s newest and
largest offshore oil and gas lease
sale.
FY09 Special Projects.
Arctic Coastal Change Analysis
for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Refuge: An assessment of changing
coastal shorelines and estuarine and
lacustrine wetland habitat types
along the Bering Sea coast, Yukon
Delta National Wildlife Refuge
(YKD) is being conducted utilizing
2007-08 Ikonos, 1988 color, 1978-
86 CIR, and 1950s B&W imagery.
The study area encompasses the
most productive portion of the
western Arctic coast within the
YKD, supporting one of the largest
aggregations of shorebirds and
waterbirds in the world, including
significant fractions of the Pacific
and world populations of Pacific
black brant, cackling Canada geese,
and emperor geese, as well as critical
habitat for threatened spectacled
and Steller’s eiders. Because of its
expansive, low-elevation coastal
areas, much of the Refuge and
its critical habitats are at risk of
sea-level rise and other affects of
accelerated warming.
Creation of a Database to Monitor
Changes of Cook Inlet Coastal
Marsh Habitats: NWI initiated
work to create a database for
monitoring changes of coastal
marsh habitats in Cook Inlet (south
central Alaska). Work began with
the establishment of a GIS database
of currently available vegetation
data for Westchester Lagoon in
Anchorage. Construction of a fish
passageway on Westchester was
completed as part of a program for
the reintroduction of a salmon run to
Chester Creek. NWI, in partnership
with the Anchorage Field Office and
Coastal Program FWS, collected
vegetation data and completed
photo interpretation for coastal
Westchester Lagoon. These data
will form the basis for retrospective
change analysis, modeling of habitat
change trajectories, and a baseline
for future comparative work of the
fish passageway construction area.
It is also anticipated to provide
educational materials and GIS
opportunities for local schools.
To lay the groundwork for
cooperative efforts and to ensure
that new mapping captures
biologically significant changes,
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 7: Alaska
36
NWI initiated work to align current
vegetation data with NWI mapping
conventions and an existing
Ecological Land Survey for south
central Alaska. It is anticipated
that this scalable mapping effort,
centered in Anchorage, would be
expandable to include all coastal
marshes in the Anchorage Borough.
As funding becomes available, it is
envisioned that future work might be
expanded to include upper and lower
Cook Inlet and incorporate this
comprehensive classification system
contained within the GIS database.
Fairbanks Status and Trends
Assessment: A Fairbanks status and
trends project is being conducted
by a graduate student with the
assistance of the R7 Fairbanks Field
Office and NWI staff. A field guide
to the photo interpretation and
mapping conventions and associated
plant communities was completed
and reviewed for its application by
R7 staff, the Corp of Engineers and
a Fairbanks wetlands consultant
in 2008/2009. Status mapping is
scheduled for completion October
2009, with trends studies scheduled
for completion July 2010.
The Fairbanks area is experiencing
considerable growth, particularly
in areas that are predominantly
wetland. In order to educate local
decision-makers to the value of
conserving remaining wetlands,
wetland losses must first be
quantified and the ecological
implications of these losses
described. The database will be
employed to collaborate with the
Corps, the Borough and other
agencies to identify key wetlands
in need of conservation. As a major
planning tool, the GIS database will
become the baseline for assessing
the acreage, locations and types of
wetlands lost in the Fairbanks area
since 1949. In addition to quantifying
wetlands changes, an assessment
of the function and fish and wildlife
value of specifically impacted
wetlands will accompany the final
report.
Strategic Habitat Conservation
Planning – Matanuska-Susitna
Borough: NWI staff are actively
involved with ongoing, more detailed
wetland map updates - including
aspects of wetland functional
assessments - with a Borough-Corp
of Engineers contractor. R7-NWI
completed a NWI national pilot
project in 2009 in the Mat-Su
Borough to test the enhancement
of NWI data in Alaska. The method
added new descriptors (LLWW)
to the NWI database: landscape
position (L); landform (L); water
flow path (W); and waterbody
type (W). These values may
allow performing landscape-level
functional assessments, help assess
significance of wetland losses, and
predict functions expected from
potential wetland restoration
efforts. A report and a geodatabase
were prepared for the project. The
report provides observations on
the application of LLWW in south
central Alaska.
An ongoing cooperative effort
between the Borough and NWI is
anticipated to provide improved
registration of NWI data utilizing
more recent photography and the
services of the Mat-Su Planning
Department’s GIS team. Fully
funded by the Borough, this
contributor’s data covering 2.2
million acres would meet current
national mapping standards and be
completed spring 2010.
Digitizing Historic Alaska Status
and Trends Plots: Studies were
conducted between 1985 and 1994
to develop statewide statistical
estimates of the aeral extent of
wetlands and deepwater habitats
for Alaska utilizing 2,566 four-square
mile plots. The original plot
delineations and wetland polygon
boundaries are on hard-copy mylar
overlays on unrectified aerial
photography. These sample units
were never digitized; however, future
work on the status and trends (S&T)
of Alaska’s wetlands and linkages
to ongoing status and trends of the
Nation’s wetlands will depend upon
the use of these sample units once
they have been scanned, vectorized,
attributed and incorporated into
a GIS database. The dataset has
additional applications to EPA and
their EMAP wetland condition
monitoring program in Alaska since
NWI S&T plots form the basis for
their plot locations. A pilot EPA
project is proposed for 2010 on the
North Slope. The NWI plots also
might potentially be considered for
broad assessments of climate change
effects in the Region.
The goal of the FY09 project was
to provide an assessment of the
costs and issues faced in bringing
a sample of these historic plots
into the digital age. A subset of
approximately 200 sample units
were scanned, vectorized, attributed
and incorporated into a GIS layer.
Sample units were prioritized for
the northern and western Arctic
coastal areas with further priority
given to plots falling within areas of
more recent imagery acquisitions
(e.g., 2007-2008 Ikonos, Yukon Delta
Refuge; BLM 2003 CIR, central
Arctic coastal plain). A report
accompanies a geodatabase for the
project.
FY09 Coordination with Others.
R7 NWI staff participate in a
number of committees or groups
dealing with the effect of climate
change including regional office
subcommittees dealing with species
and habitat change forecasting, and
sea-level rise and physical hazards
assessment; a cooperators group
for western Arctic coastal change
analysis and for assessing wetland
habitat gains, losses and changes;
a regional group addressing
the technical needs and talents
necessary for Regional Landscape
Conservation Regions (LCRs);
regional GIS committee. We are
also working with: 1) an interagency
cooperative group identifying agency
needs and exploring solutions for
imagery acquisition for statewide
1:24K ortho-image base maps and
digital elevation models that meet
NWI’s National Mapping Standards,
2) USGS-Alaska Science Center on a
large coastal change model proposal
for Cook Inlet west of Anchorage
that may involve a wetlands layer
update, 3) refuge management of the
Alaska Peninsula/Becharof Refuges
to develop a plan to complete
wetlands mapping of the Bristol
Bay/Alaska Peninsula region, 4)
Matanuska Susitna Borough, Corps
of Engineers and EPA on wetlands-related
issues, and Borough GIS
staff in their efforts to adjust
existing NWI data to new ortho-photo
base registration (see FY09
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 7: Alaska
37
Special Projects above), 5) Alaska
DEC and R10-EPA implementing an
EPA wetlands condition assessment
(EMAP) pilot project for FY10
providing R7-NWI status and
trends plot information, and 6) the
state DOT committee in rewriting
their wetlands assessment and
hydrogeomorphic manual.
Regional Applications of NWI Data.
The following are some examples of
uses of NWI data.
Sea-level Rise Impact Assessment.
National Wildlife Federation,
partnering with the US Fish and
Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program,
is incorporating NWI data to a
SLAMM analysis to map sea level
rise impacts on Cook Inlet coastal
habitats, create a report on the
results, and use that report as the
basis for a conference discussing
the findings and applications of
SLAMM in Alaska, and implications
for fish and wildlife managers. It
also will provide a good opportunity
to develop information useful to a
wide-range of Cook Inlet resource
issues while educating the public
about global warming impacts and
helping agencies and NGOs grapple
with difficulties of incorporating
climate change into management
decisions. Cook Inlet is part of R7’s
south-central Alaska Focal Area
for Strategic Habitat Conservation
and Green Infrastructure activities.
South-central is also home to nearly
3/4s of the State’s population.
Conservation Planning. The
Nature Conservancy used the
NWI database of estuarine and
marine coastal data in their
“Conservation Assessment and
Resource Synthesis for Southeast
Alaska and the Tongass National
Forest” recently published at http://
conserveonline.org/workspaces/
akcfm as a systematic assessment
of biodiversity values, habitat
conditions and conservation status
for the bioregion, and for providing
recommendations for how these
findings can be applied to improve
conservation within the Tongass
National Forest.
Contaminant Effect on Wildlife
Investigations. NWI maps and
digital data have been used by
the FWS Anchorage Field Office
to identify wood frog habitat for
contaminants-related studies.
Wildlife Studies. NWI digital data
have been used by USGS Alaska
Sciences Center to identify critical
Vancouver Canada geese estuarine
use areas in southeast Alaska.
Besides the identification of critical
habitat areas, use of NWI data
allowed for narrowing the flyover
areas necessary for completing
accurate inventory and monitoring
counts by expensive aircraft. NWI
data have been used by USGS
Alaska Sciences Center for habitat
identification and assessment of sea
ducks in southeast Alaska.
Environmental Impact Statements.
Digital NWI data were used by
Wrangell St. Elias National Park
in EIS preparations for an all-terrain
vehicle land cover damage
assessment within the Park (wetland
identification, condition assessments,
buffer determinations, and
reclamation efforts).
Regional Wetland Publications. The
following is a list of some of the more
significant wetland publications
produced by the Region’s NWI
program. Other publications may
be available; contact the Regional
Coordinator for a complete listing.
Hall, J.V. 2001. Status and trends of
wetlands in the Palmer/Wasilla area,
Alaska (1978 to 1996). Prepared
for U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 10, Alaska
Operations Office, 222 W. Seventh
Avenue #19, Anchorage, AK. U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, National
Wetlands Inventory, Region 7,
Anchorage, AK. 21 pp.
Hall, J.V. 1988. Alaska Coastal
Wetlands Survey. Cooperative
Report: Dept. of the Interior, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, National
Wetlands Inventory, Washington,
DC. and Dept. of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, National Ocean
Service, National Marine Pollution
Program Office, 11400 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, MD. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, National Wetlands
Inventory, Region 7, Anchorage, AK.
36 pp.
Hall, J.V. and S.E. Kratzer. 2001.
Status and Trends of Wetlands in
the Lower Kenai River Area, Alaska
(1950 to 1996). Prepared for U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 10, Alaska Operations
Office, 222 W. Seventh Avenue No.
19, Anchorage, AK. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, National Wetlands
Inventory, Region 7, Anchorage, AK.
16 pp.
Hall, J.V., W.E. Frayer and W.O.
Wilen. 1994. Status of Alaska
Wetlands. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, National Wetlands
Inventory, Region 7, Anchorage, AK.
33 pp.
Hall, J.V., B. Keating, S. Kratzer,
T.W. Jennings and L. Nakazawa.
1996. Alaska Wetlands and
Hydrography. Prepared for
Government Applications Task
Force, Central Intelligence
Committee and Civil Applications
Committee. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, National Wetlands
Inventory, Region 7, Anchorage, AK.
39 pp.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 7: Alaska
38
Washington Office Activities: FY2009
by Bill Wilen
USFWS, Region 9, Washington, DC
The Washington Office (WO-NWI)
pursues applications of NWI data
by the Service and other Federal
agencies, especially in matters
concerning environmental policies.
Some of their activities are outlined
below.
Making the Service’s Wetlands
Classification System and Mapping
Conventions Federal Standards. The
Department of the Interior through
the Fish and Wildlife Service has
been assigned responsible for
developing the digital wetlands layer
of the Spatial Data Infrastructure
by OMB Circular A-16. This action
is being done through the Federal
Geographic Data Committee’s
Wetland Subcommittee chaired
by WO-NWI staff. The Service’s
wetland definition has been the
federal standard for identifying
the limit of biological wetlands
since 1996. On July 7, 2009 the
Wetlands Mapping Standard was
adopted as the national standard.
It was developed by the Wetlands
Subcommittee built on the mapping
conventions used by the NWI.
The new standard is designed to
guide current and future wetlands
mapping projects and enhance the
overall quality and consistency of
wetlands data. Quality data on
wetlands are considered critical
for planning effective conservation
strategies to benefit fish and wildlife
resources now and in the future.
Coordination with the Department
of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). HUD’s Office of
Environment sent their President
Management Fellow (PMF) over
to the Service for a rotational
assignment with WO-NWI staff.
The intent was for their PMF to gain
enough wetland knowledge to write
a HUD guidebook on wetlands or
to recommend wetland regulations
for the agency. At their national
meeting, the Office of Environment
proposed to use the Service’s
wetland definition in their draft
wetlands rule. They recognize that
the Service’s wetland classification
system identifies the biological limit
of wetlands and is broader than the
jurisdictional limit and is therefore
more useful for their programs.
Supporting the Use and
Development of Sea Level Affecting
Marshes Model (SLAMM). Since
SLAMM uses NWI data to identify
wetlands that may be impacted
by sea-level rise, NWI staff has
been involved since the model’s
development in 1985. Currently,
SLAMM has evolved to version 5.
WO-NWI staff were instrumental
in getting SLAMM data posted
online and have been working with
the Service’s Refuge Program in
applying SLAMM to coastal refuges.
The refuges will use these data
to assist in planning for the likely
adverse impacts of sea-level rise
on coastal wetlands, neighboring
nontidal wetlands, and low-lying
uplands. WO-NWI proposed and
received funding for a three-year
$300,000 science support project
funded the U.S. Geological Survey
to help develop the scientific
foundations for future versions of
SLAMM.
WO-NWI has been deeply involved
with development of an on-line
viewer called “SLAMM-View”
from inception. For most SLAMM
simulations, an output file is
produced for each of five different
dates in a time-series (i.e., Base
Year, 2025, 2050, 2075, and 2100) for
three different scenario of sea-level
rise (e.g., IPCC A1B Mean, IPCC
A1B Max, and 1m). When examining
these outputs, interested parties
logically most often want to view
two types of combinations of these
15 different data layers: "same
scenario, different date", and "same
date, different scenario", which
in sum result in 45 unique pairs
of simulation output. This is not
feasible without a viewer. SLAMM-View
is a browser-based application
that accesses contextual layers such
as state and county boundaries,
roads, and NWI wetlands via web
mapping services, with adjustable
layer transparency and a layer-control
view that allows users to
order and turn these ancillary layers
on and off. One unique aspect of this
web-mapping tool, vital to facilitating
a comparison between the selected
pair of simulation results, is that
the dual maps are geographically-linked:
zooming or panning in one
map causes an identical action in the
other map. SLAMM-view was the
featured tool at NOAA’s spring 2009
Geo Tools Conference.
Assists in National Policy
Interpretation. WO-NWI staff
represented the Service on the
writing team for the proposed
new Floodplain Executive Order
and serves as a member of the
Interagency Ocean Policy Task
Force’s Data Integration and
Management Subgroup.
Regional Status of the NWI: Region 9: Washington Office
39
References
Ciminelli, J. and J. Scrivani. 2007. Virginia Conservation Lands Needs Assessment: Virginia Watershed Integrity
Model. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation-Division of Natural Heritage, Virginia Department
of Forestry, Virginia Commonwealth University-Center for Environmental Studies, and Virginia Department
of Environmental Quality-Coastal Zone Management Program. http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/
vclnawater.shtml
Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, and E.T. LaRoe. 1979. Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of
the United States. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC. FWS-OBS/79-61. 131 pp. http://library.fws.gov/
FWS-OBS/79_31.pdf
Dahl, T.E. 2006. Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1998 to 2004. U.S. Department
of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC. 112 pp. http://library.fws.gov/Pubs9/wetlands98-04.pdf
Dahl, T.E. 2000. Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1986 to 1997. U.S. Department
of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC. 82 pp. http://library.fws.gov/Pubs9/wetlands86-97_
lowres.pdf
Dahl, T.E. and C.E. Johnson. 1991. Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States mid-1970s
to mid-1980s. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC. 28 pp. http://library.fws.
gov/Pubs9/Wetlands70s80s.pdf
Dahl, T.E., J. Dick, J. Swords, and B.O. Wilen. 2009. Data Collect