Coordinator: Jon Kusler, Associate Director, Association of State Wetland Managers

Workshop Goals: The principal goal will be to identify promising approaches for simultaneously assessing riverine wetlands, streams, floodplains, and riparian areas in a watershed context for regulation, watershed planning, restoration, water quality monitoring, and other purposes. More specific goals include:

·	Identify and examine the use of assessment methods for integrated or coordinated assessment of functions, values, acreage and condition of  riverine wetlands, streams,  floodplains, riparian (e.g., HGM, IBI, Rosgen). What methods have been applied to these areas individually and collectively? What has worked? Not worked? What are the issues?
·	Suggest future directions for integrated assessment approaches for riverine wetlands, streams, riparian areas, and floodplains (e.g., classification, use of “reference”, techniques to identifying ‘functions”).
·	Help plan the “assessment” component and prepare materials for a larger workshop concerning the restoration of riverine wetlands, streams, floodplains, and riparian areas in a watershed context which will be held in the Northeast in the fall of 2005.

Need for Workshop: Streams, riverine wetlands, riparian areas and floodplains are closely related hydrologically and ecologically. They are shaped by the same erosive and depositional processes. All function to store and convey flood waters.  All are important to control point and nonpoint source pollution. All are important as habitat.
Development proposals often simultaneously impact streams, riverine wetlands, riparian areas and floodplains. In evaluating such proposals, regulators at federal, state, tribal or local levels must assess the impacts of the proposed activities on the functions, values, and acreage of these ecosystems. They also must determine the adequacy of impact reduction and compensation measures.
At a broader scale,  federal agencies, states, tribes, and local governments need to assess the functions, values of these systems on an area-wide basis as part of stormwater management, floodplain management, point and nonpoint pollution control, source water management, greenway and recreation planning, and other watershed and comprehensive land use planning and management activities.
The National Mitigation Action Plan released by the Bush Administration in December 2002 reaffirms the goal of “no net loss” of the nation’s wetlands and the goal of “increasing the functions and values of our wetlands”.  It called for, among other things, “integrating compensatory mitigation into a watershed context”.  It also states as a guiding “theme” of the Action Plan “consultation with the Tribes, States, and interested parties to provide a consistent voice on compensatory mitigation matters”
A Regulatory Guidance Letter from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) issued at the same time as the Mitigation Action Plan and pertaining to Section 10 and Section 404 permitting provides that “(A)pplicants (for permits) will be encouraged to provide compensatory mitigation projects that include a mix of habitats such as open water, wetlands, and adjacent uplands. When viewed from a watershed perspective, such projects often provide a greater variety of benefits.”  The Regulatory Guidance Letter states that Corps Districts may, under certain circumstances, give credit for inclusion of “riparian areas” and “upland areas” within a compensatory mitigation project.
Unfortunately, ecological and hydrologic assessment approaches for streams, riverine, wetlands, riparian areas and floodplains have developed separately and focus on different factors. Limited efforts have been made to integrate or coordinate assessment approaches and to prepare guidance for regulators and other wetland managers concerning the simultaneous application of assessment methods. Over a period of years, much useful knowledge has been developed concerning assessment of individual types of aquatic ecosystems but this knowledge has not been adequately synthesized and integrated for simultaneous application.
This workshop will bring together experts in riverine wetland, stream, floodplain, and riparian area management to tap their collective expertise and suggest future directions for coordinated or integrated assessment approaches.
Audience:  This workshop is not for everyone. It is for a technical audience interested in integration and cutting across disciplines and areas of technical expertise. We are looking for participants who can contribute to the overall dialogue for simultaneously assessing riverine wetlands, streams, riparian areas, and floodplains.  The audience will be limited to invitees and others wishing to attend (due to limitations on the size of the room).
May 4. Agenda and Format:  The following is proposed for discussion purposes:

7:30a.m.-8:30a.m.	Registration
8:45a.m.-9:00a.m.	Welcome. Jeanne Christie; Jon Kusler, Association of State Wetland Managers
9:00a.m.-9:15a.m.	Introductions. Everyone will be asked to identify themselves.
9:15a.m.-10:30a.m.	Assessment in a Watershed Context, Promising Directions

	Panel:
	·	Progress in Implementing the Mitigation Action Plan, Assessment of Wetlands, Streams and Related Ecosystems for Compensatory Mitigation Purposes. Palmer Hough, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
	·	The Need for Multilevel Assessment Approaches: Legal and Practical Considerations. Jon Kusler, Association of State Wetland Managers
	·	Evolution in Our Thinking Concerning Assessment of Wetlands, Streams, Riparian Areas, and Floodplains. Possible Future Directions. Paul Adamus, Oregon State University

10:30a.m.-10:45a.m.	Break
10:45a.m.-11:15a.m.	Reference-based Assessment of Stream-Riparian Zones for Watershed Restoration Plainning. Mark Brinson, East Carolina University
11:15a.m.-12:00p.m.	Utilizing IBI Models for Rivers, Streams, Floodplains, and Riparian Areas.

	bbbb¨	Chris Faulkner, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
	bbbb¨	Tom Danielson, Main Department of Environmental Protection

12:00p.m.-1:00p.m.	Lunch (Sandwiches) Discussion. Recommendations for Future Approaches.  We will go around the table. Each workshop participant will be asked to identify what they consider to be their highest priorities.
1:00p.m.-1:30p.m.	Evaluating Condition in a Watershed Context. Denice Wardrop, Penn State University
1:30p.m.-2:00p.m.	Proper Functioning Condition (Riparian Zones). Ronald Wiley, Bureau Land Management
2:00p.m.-2:30p.m.	River Assessment Methods. Eric Somerville, Nutter & Associates, Inc.
2:30p.m.-2:45p.m.	Break
2:45p.m.-4:00p.m.	Promising Future Directions

Panel (15 minutes each):

	bb·	Mark Sudol, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
	bb·	M. Siobhan Fennessy, Kenyon College
	bb·	Margaret Palmer, University of Maryland
	bb·	Diane Eckles, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

4:00p.m.-5:00p.m.	Promising Future Directions. General Discussion: Future Directions: Elements of an Integrated Approach. Each workshop particpant will be asked to identify what they consider to be their highest priorities.
5:00p.m.-5:15p.m.	Concluding Remarks
Registration Fee: $45. This will include materials, room rental, A.V., lunche, and coffee breaks. (Registration form in PDF Format)
Travel and Lodging: All speakers and participants will be responsible for their own travel.
Hotel Information: We recommend the Channel Inn at (202) 554-2400; http://www.channelinn.com/. Government Rate: $139.00 plus 14.5% tax. It is 1 and 1/2 blocks from the metro; 2 miles from the airport; Cab is under $10.00; Free Parking; and is approximately 3 miles from the Hall of States.
For More Information Contact: The Association of State Wetland Managers, Institute for Wetland Science and Public Policy, 1434 Helderberg Trail, Berne, NY  12023-9746; 518-872-1804; Fax: 518-872-2171; E-mail: aswm@aswm.org.

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Printable agenda in PDF format.

Last updated: 4/20/05