ABSTRACT [Abstracts Page 2, Abstracts Page 3] Please note, not all speakers have submitted abstracts. (This page last updated on 8/14/07) Return to Main Conference Site

ASSESSING SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURES USING LH-PCR ALONG A GRADIENT OF MICROTOPOGRAPHY IN A VIRGINIA PALUSTRINE FORESTED WETLAND
Dr. Changwoo Ahn Assistant Professor Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University 4400 University Drive, MS5F2 Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 (703) 993-3978; Fax: (703) 993-1066 http://mason.gmu.edu/~espp/people/facultybios/ahn.html
There has been little understanding of soil microbial community patterns in wetlands. Wetlands are delineated mostly by vegetation and hydric soil field indicators that distinguish wetlands from uplands. Palustrine forested wetlands have relatively short hydroperiods, thus are often subject to losing their status as jurisdictional wetlands, which leads to the needs for restoration. We studied redoximorphic features, field indicators and microbial communities of soil along a gradient of microtopography in a palustrine forested wetland in Virginia. We hypothesized that microbial community is more diverse in hollows than in hummocks since relatively lower moisture and soil organic matter content in hummocks may limit microbial developments. We fingerprinted soils collected from different microtopographic locations using Length Heterogeneity Polymerase Chain Reaction (LH-PCR).  Two hummocks had sandy clay loam soils with mean chroma values of > 4 (hues of 10YR), showing no indication of ‘hydric soils’. Two hollows, however, had silty/clay loam soils with mean chroma values of 2 (hue of 2.5 YR) with gleying and redox concentrations, indicative of seasonally inundated forested wetland with significantly higher soil moisture and organic matter content compared to soils in hummocks. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) of the fingerprints suggested that microtopography has a recognizable impact (Global R= 0.30, p = 0.1 %), showing significant differences of microbial community structures between hummocks and hollows. Soil microbial communities were also significantly different between surface (0-10 cm) and subsurface (10-20 cm) layers of soils (Global R= 0.33, p = 0.1 %).  The diversity measures of fingerprints of soils were different by microtopography with higher diversity in hollows relative to hummocks, although not by soil depth.  Characterizing soil microbial community profiles can be potentially applied to the examination of wetlands since the signature may be closely related to hydroperiods and/or inundation regimes, and physicochemistry of the sites.
THE NATIONAL WETLAND MAPPING STANDARD AND THE 2009 WETLAND MAPPING INITIATIVE
Presenter/Author: Jane Awl Tennessee Valley Authority 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902-1401 (865) 632-6362; Fax: (865) 632-4582 djawl5@tva.gov
Historically, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) had the responsibility of mapping wetlands for the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI). Currently USFWS only has funding to complete 1% of the map per year. Consequently, the national wetlands map is out of date and much of the country has never been mapped.  As more state, tribal, county, and nongovernmental organizations have become interested in mapping wetlands, it has become important to develop a standard that everyone can use to map and share wetland data.  It is also important for wetland data to mesh with other water features such as in the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), so that wetlands can be integrated and understood in a holistic context, whether at the watershed, ecosystem, or regional level.  A National Wetland Mapping Standard has been developed by a multi-agency workgroup under the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), and specifies minimum requirements for inclusion of wetland data into the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). Although this standard is structured to be extensible over time, it was developed with a forward-looking perspective to accommodate technology enhancements and assure long-term usability. A multi-agency funding proposal addresses the need to complete the national wetlands digital map, implementing the standard.  Part of the funding would be allocated for upgrading the NWI database and facilitating data exchange, while the larger portion would be used as grant money to the states, tribes and local communities to map wetlands, with a goal of increasing wetland mapping by at least 10% per year.
ASSESSMENT OF THE CONDITION AND BIODIVERSITY VALUE OF ISOLATED AND HEADWATER WETLANDS IN THE CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS OF TENNESSEE
Presenter*/Authors: Jane Awl*, Britta Dimick, and Scott Bower Tennessee Valley Authority 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902-1401 (865) 632-6362; Fax: (865) 632-4582 djawl5@tva.gov and James Groton Scientific Applications International Corporation 151 Lafayette Drive, P.O. Box 2501 Oak Ridge, TN 37831
Due to Supreme Court decisions, isolated and headwater wetlands may be less likely to receive protection under the Clean Water Act. These wetlands were assessed within the 52,000 acre Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area (WMA) within the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, as well as those within a surrounding one mile radius (41,000 acres), using aerial photo-interpretation, GIS and onsite methods. The study compared the results of Natural Habitat Integrity Indices, a modified version of the Ohio Rapid Assessment Method developed for use in Mountain wetlands in the Southeastern US, and field indicator approaches. Areas which had been previously mined for coal were compared with less disturbed areas. Results of GIS and onsite assessments of wetland condition aligned well. Results indicate that wetlands within the WMA are in overall better condition than their counterparts in the surrounding private properties. Historic disturbance by coal mining was not a reliable indicator of current wetland condition. Numerous rare species and rare biological communities are associated with the isolated and headwater wetlands in the WMA. Geologic and substrate features which were strong indicators of biodiversity functions included vernal pools, springs and seeps, sinkholes, underground streams, waterfalls, braided streams, cliffs, rock outcrops, and sphagnum mats.
PRECISION MAPPING OF BIOMASS IN SPARTINA ALTERNIFLORA MARSHES OF THE VIRGINIA COAST RESERVE USING AIRBORNE HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGERY
Presenter*/Authors: Charles M. Bachmann* Naval Research Laboratory Remote Sensing Division Coastal & Ocean Remote Sensing Branch Coastal Science & Interpretation Section, Code 7232 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20375 bachmann@nrl.navy.mil Elijah Ramsey USGS National Wetlands Research Center 700 Cajundome Boulevard Lafayette, LA 70506 elijah_ramsey@usgs.gov Robert R. Christian East Carolina University Department of Biology BN-108 Howell Science Complex Greenville, NC 27858-4353 ChristianR@ecu.edu Linda Blum University of Virginia Department of Environmental Sciences 261 Clark Hall Charlottesville, VA 22904-4123 lkb2e@virginia.edu			Amina Rangoonwalla USGS National Wetlands Research Center 700 Cajundome Boulevard Lafayette, LA 70506 Marcos Montes and Robert Fusina Naval Research Laboratory Remote Sensing Division Coastal & Ocean Remote Sensing Branch Coastal Science & Interpretation Section, Code 7232 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20375 Wei Chen and Jeffrey Bowles Naval Research Laboratory Remote Sensing Division Coastal & Ocean Remote Sensing Branch Coastal Experiments Section, Code 7231 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20375 and Thomas Ainsworth Naval Research Laboratory Remote Sensing Division Coastal & Ocean Remote Sensing Branch, Code 7263 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20375
Over the past seven years, the Naval Research Laboratory has been collecting airborne hyperspectral imagery (HSI) over the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research (VCR-LTER) site, a chain of barrier islands, shallow water lagoons, and mainland marsh systems.  A variety of commercial and in-house HSI cameras have been used, including HyMAP, PROBE, and the NRL PHILLS.  These have been used to develop high-precision species level land-cover maps of some of the barrier islands.  This paper focuses on the remote retrieval, calibration, and validation of the biomass of Spartina alterniflora marsh systems on both the barrier islands and mainland marsh system.  In this paper, we concentrate on three years of overflights by the NRL PHILLS HSI camera in 2004-2006, with particular emphasis on the imagery from 2005. In situ measurements that coincided with the periods of PHILLS over-flights included biomass, canopy light penetration measurements in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) bands, as well as canopy level and leaf level spectrometry.  After atmospheric correction, a regression between PHILLS spectral imagery and in situ measurements of biomass was calculated, and the resulting model was then applied to the entire scene to map biomass distribution.  The final product shows a physically reasonable result and demonstrates the utility of the methodology for long-term monitoring of salt marsh productivity.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HEADWATER WETLANDS AND WATER QUALITY IN NORTH CAROLINA
Presenters*/Authors: Virginia Baker* North Carolina Division of Water Quality 2321 Crabtree Boulevard Raleigh, NC 27604 (919) 715-3475; virginia.baker@ncmail.net and Rick Savage* Computing Consultant II 2321 Crabtree Boulevard, Suite 250 Raleigh, NC 27604 (919) 715-3479; rick.savage@ncmail.net
Headwater wetlands play a critical role in terms of water quality in North Carolina watersheds. Water quality in NC has been affected by watershed development resulting in the increase of pollutants that flow into headwater wetlands and firstt order streams. In order to better understand the importance of headwater wetlands the NC Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) conducted a water quality monitoring study of 23 headwater wetlands. The purpose was to determine if headwater wetlands improve water quality and whether headwater wetlands in natural watersheds have higher water quality and a better capacity for reducing pollutants than headwater wetlands in developed watersheds.  At each site, NCDWQ monitored 19 chemical and physical water quality parameters at upstream and downstream sample stations and determined the quality of the wetland, surrounding buffer, and watershed with the Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM-www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/401/oram50sfs.pdf) and a Land Use Index (LUI-Brown and Vivas, 2003). The water quality results of the upstream and downstream monitoring stations were compared to determine if water quality improves as it flows through headwater wetlands. The analysis of the results indicated that headwater wetlands effectively reduce pollutants in downstream waters. A statistical correlation analysis of the ORAM and LUI scores with water quality results of each site indicated there is a significant correlation between the water quality and the condition of the surrounding buffer and watershed. Finally, statistical analyses indicated that headwater wetlands in more developed watersheds actually had a better capacity to reduce pollutants than headwater wetlands in more natural watersheds.
Brown, M.T. and M.B. Vivas. A Landscape Development Intensity Index. Gainesville: University of Florida, 2003 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Wetlands and Water Quality. Edited February 2001. Accessed 31 March 2006. Available http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/401/oram50sfs.pdf.
APPLICATION OF AN ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION AND SOCIETAL VALUE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY TO DERIVE MONETARY COMPENSATION FOR WETLAND IMPACTS
Presenter/Author: Bruce A. Bayne URS Corporation 335 Commerce Drive, Suite 300 Fort Washington, PA 19034 (215) 367-2471
Compensation for wetland impacts that occur in the northeastern portion of the United States is often accomplished through restoration, enhancement, and/or creation efforts. Compensatory options may also include monetary donation, which directs funding towards mitigation banking credits or other forms of restoration/creation of wetland habitat.  State and federal mitigation guidance documents designed to ensure that wetland services are not lost or diminished, require assessment of ecological functions and societal values when developing compensation designs or replacement ratios.  However, the resulting level of compensation prescribed by regulatory agencies is often based on the acreage of impact rather than lost or impacted ecological functions.
To integrate ecological functions within the process of determining and setting compensatory levels for wetland impact at a site in Delaware, a rapid assessment valuation methodology was employed to determine monetary values associated with wetland functions.  This approach applied the Evaluation of Planned Wetlands (EPW) methodology to assess wetland functions and societal values of an approximately one acre man-induced wetland located within a remediation site.  Quantified wetland functions for the site were then used in combination with regional wetland restoration/creation costs to determine a monetary compensation level commensurate with lost ecological functions associated with unavoidable wetland impacts.
TIDAL WETLAND RESTORATION ON THE EAST BRANCH OF THE ELIZABETH RIVER: DESIGNING WETLAND MITIGATION THAT SATISFIES REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND MULTIPLE PUBLIC AGENCY MISSIONS
Presenters*/Authors: Charles Benton*, Tina Randazzo*, and Tim Morris URS Corporation 1600 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 400 Morrisville, NC 27560 (919) 461-1435
Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), the provider of public transportation services for Hampton Roads, Virginia, is proposing to bring Light Rail Transit (LRT) to Norfolk, Virginia. LRT will help alleviate traffic congestion along the I-264 corridor.  Construction activities associated with the proposed LRT system will permanently impact wetlands associated with several tidal creeks that are tributaries to the East Branch of the Elizabeth River.  The Elizabeth River has been identified as one of the most highly polluted bodies of water in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In their efforts to find a suitable mitigation site in Norfolk’s densely developed urban area, HRT has entered into a partnership with the City of Norfolk, and the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) to provide wetland restoration on a property adjacent to the East Branch of the Elizabeth that has historically been used for the disposal of construction debris.  The wetland restoration plan includes both the re-establishment and enhancement of Spartina tidal wetlands. Development of the wetland restoration plan has had to overcome several hurdles to satisfy the wetland permit requirements and the missions of several public agencies. The wetland mitigation design not only meets HRT’s compensatory requirements, but also incorporates elements consistent with the City’s and NRHA’s missions to provide a environmental, educational, recreational, and social opportunities and benefits to the residents of Norfolk.
WETLAND AND STREAM ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION ADOPTED BY ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AS A TOOL TO REMEDIATE AND MINIMIZE STORMWATER IMPACTS
Presenter*/Authors: Joe Berg* Project Manager/Restoration Ecologist Biohabitats, Inc. 2081 Clipper Park Road Baltimore, MD 21211 (410) 554-0156; Fax: (410) 554-0168 www.biohabitats.com Keith Underwood Underwood & Associates 1753 Ebling Trail Annapolis, MD 21401 Merril Plaitt and Anne Arundel Department of Public Works 2660 Riva Road Annapolis, MD 21401
In an effort to improve the stream and wetland conditions in developed watersheds, Anne Arundel County, Maryland has adopted the use of a technique of wetland and stream ecosystem restoration as the preferred means of conveying stormwater runoff.  Based on an inventory of stormwater outfalls, the County has concluded that the majority of pipe outfalls, rip-rap and gabion level spreaders and energy dissipation devices used to convey stormwater have failed and resulted in more than $600 million in damage to streams, adjacent wetlands, and steep slopes. The wetland and stream ecosystem restoration approach integrates wetland and stream restoration through the use of sand-bedded channels, grade control weirs, and shallow pools which raise the local shallow groundwater table, establish sand seepage wetlands, reconnect the adjacent floodplain to the stream, hydrate adjacent riparian habitat, reduce erosion and sediment transport, increase nutrient and pollutant removal from stormwater runoff, extend the duration of wetland hydrology, increase summer base flow in perennial streams and extend the duration of flow in intermittent and ephemeral streams. This approach has been established as the preferred technique to remediate failed stormwater outfalls as well as for stormwater conveyance in new development projects. Anne Arundel County, Underwood & Associates, and Biohabitats have developed and presented five (5) one (1) day-long workshops covering theory, design and construction to approximately 300 professionals involved in stormwater management design and permitting, wetland and stream restoration design, and local, state and Federal regulators and resource agency staff responsibility for reviewing and permitting these projects.
LINKING MULTIPLE SCALE MEASUREMENTS IN VIRGINIA SUDDEN DIEBACK AND UNAFFECTED MARSHES
Presenter*/Authors: Robert R. Christian* and Amanda Marsh East Carolina University Department of Biology Greenville, NC 27858 christianr@ecu.edu Charles Bachmann Naval Research Laboratory Remote Sensing Division Coastal & Ocean Remote Sensing Branch Coastal Science & Interpretation Section, Code 7232 Coastal Experiments Section, Code 7231 Washington, D.C. 20375 and Elijah Ramsey III and Amina Rangoonwala U.S. Geological Survey National Wetlands Research Center Lafayette, LA 70506
A sudden die-back event occurred in 2004 within the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-term Ecological Research site (VCR LTER).  Its occurrence coincided with ongoing remote sensing, ecosystem, plant and leaf level studies.  Additional efforts were thus directed toward the die-back area through 2006.   These efforts resulted in intensive evaluation of the site at multiple scales and ability to link these measurements to unaffected marshes within the VCR.  At small (cm) scales, little change in microbial biomass could be found. Potential signs of stress occurred in leaves of Spartina alterniflora, and edaphic conditions were modified at times within the impacted area.  We found significant change at the 1-100 scale in ground cover and surface elevation.  Ecosystem function at this scale may be most affected by the die-back.  Food web relationships were modified with fewer snail grazers and extensive areas of algal mats and purple sulfur bacteria during parts of the year.  Some of these changes were also noted in remotely sensed imagery that helped place the event into landscape scale.   The area is slowly recovering, and it remains to be seen if total recovery occurs.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION HIGH IN CORPS PERMIT PROGRAM
Presenter/Author: Kim Diana Connolly Associate Professor University of South Carolina School of Law Main & Greene Streets Columbia, SC 29208 (803) 777-6880; connolly@law.sc.edu
Professor Connolly will be discussing the results of her May 2007 Environmental Law Reporter article entitled Survey Says: Army Corps No Scalian Despot and National Wetlands Newsletter entitled. These articles used empirical data to respond to Justice Antonin Scalia's description (in Rapanos v. United States) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps) administration of the Clean Water Act Section 404 as enlightened despotism. While Justice Scalia (and many others over the years) accuse the Corps permitting process of being overly burdensome and inefficient, the facts demonstrate otherwise. Professor Connolly evaluated data collected from Corps Customer Service Surveys nationwide, which show that the majority of permit applicants are highly satisfied with the permitting process. She is engaged in further research on this topic which she will discuss at this presentation as well.
WETLAND PROTECTION IN MASSACHUSETTS - MAPPING, MONITORING, MANAGEMENT
Presenter/Author: Charles T. Costello Section Chief Wetlands Mapping Program Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection One Winter Street Boston, MA 02108 Charles.Costello@state.ma.us
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has conducted a large scale statewide wetland resource mapping project over the past 15 years. The goal of the project has been to accurately map wetlands and hydrological connections and to distribute this digital data to all levels of government and the private land use community.  Over time the methods and capabilities of this program have improved as the tools of remote sensing have become more affordable and available. This important dataset has been instrumental in allowing DEP to detect wetland changes caused by both natural and illegal means.   The wetland permitting program has utilized this mapping data to become more effective and time-efficient.  Another useful application of this digital mapping data has been the development of an effective wetlands enforcement strategy.  The program has currently embarked on a multi-year updating of the original analogue wetlands data using stereo digital imagery and on-screen editing.  The program has also conducted a mapping inventory of its declining estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation (Zostera marina) resources for two time periods: 1995 and 2001.  Work is currently underway on a third iteration of this dataset.  Research is also being conducted to accurately assess the extent and effect of light attenuation in the state’s nutrient stressed coastal embayments and to predict and direct the likelihood of future resource recovery.
DEVELOPING THE WETLAND GEOSPATIAL LAYER OF THE NSDI
Presenter/Author: Thomas E. Dahl U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Onalaska, WI (608) 783-8425
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the lead federal agency responsible for building the wetlands layer of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The wetlands layer of the NSDI currently has wetlands geospatial digital data covering 1.9 billion acres of the United States and its territories. These data were developed in partnership with numerous organizations and cooperators and are made available over the Internet via the Service’s Wetlands Mapper and through The National Map hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).  The Service continues to modernize and expand its digital data holdings. In partnership with USGS, the Service implemented the National Wetlands Geodatabase Project to manage, provide data discovery, access, and applications for the wetlands data in a seamless format.  This technology provides resource managers and the public with digital wetland map information that is being used in geographic information systems as well as assessment reports and resource modeling to address complex conservation issues.
Recent progress to implement an advanced data model for the Wetlands Geodatabase allows the Service to provide riparian data, historic wetlands information, functional assessment classifiers, and assimilate contributed data as updated information becomes available. The development of Wetland Mapping Standards through the Federal Geographic Data Committee help provide guidelines for data collectors and contributors as the wetlands layer of the NSDI expands and is updated.
FLORISTIC QUALITY INDEX (FQI) AS AN ASSESSMENT TOOL IN FORESTED WETLANDS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC
Presenter*/Authors: Douglas A. DeBerry*1, James E. Perry, and John D. Nichols Virginia Institute of Marine Science College of William and Mary Gloucester Point, VA 1Current address: Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. 351 McLaws Circle, Suite 3 Williamsburg, VA 23185 (757) 220-0500; Fax: (757) 220-8544 ddeberry@vhb.com
Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) is an ecosystem valuation technique that uses a characteristic of the existing vegetation termed “conservatism” to infer ecosystem integrity.  The result is a unitless index – the Floristic Quality Index (FQI) – higher values of which indicate greater floristic quality and ecosystem integrity (i.e., FQI should be negatively correlated with degree of anthropogenic disturbance, and positively correlated with plant diversity indices).  We present data from two studies in Virginia using FQI to assess wetland condition in forested systems, and one study using FQI in forested wetland creation sites.  In all three studies, vegetation layer was important in the performance of the index.  For example, in southeastern Virginia mineral flat wetlands, herbaceous and sapling layer FQI’s were negatively correlated with index of land use disturbance based on local watershed (buffer) condition (Spearman’s r = -0.67, -0.86, p = 0.03, <0.001), but canopy FQI’s were positively correlated with disturbance (r = 0.57, p = 0.07).  Further, a cross section of 15 forested wetland sites in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of Virginia showed similar vegetation layer discrepancies when FQI’s were compared with vegetation diversity indices (e.g., herbaceous layer: r = 0.86, p < 0.001; shrub/sapling layer: r = 0.81, p < 0.001; canopy: r = 0.48, p = 0.07).  Finally, herbaceous layer FQI’s calculated across 15 created wetland sites in Virginia showed a unique correlation with site ordination values (Canonical Correspondence Analysis) (r2 = 0.50, p = 0.02), but no such relationship was observed in the developing woody sapling layer (r2 = 0.03, p = 0.20).  These results indicate that a judicious application of the FQI concept in mid-Atlantic forested wetlands, with strict attention to vegetation layer, may be beneficial in the overall goal of wetland condition assessment.
BALANCING WETLAND REGULATION WITH STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ON A WATERSHED-WIDE BASIS: A CASE STUDY
Presenter/Author: Andrew T. Der Associate and Directorof Environmental Services Loiederman Soltesz Associates, Inc. 2 Research Place Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 948 2750
The regulation of development-related activities can require complex approaches to the preservation and monitoring of riparian wetland systems when managing associated upland stormwater sources. Growth and transportation needs can be addressed in a manner which avoids and minimizes stream and wetland impacts while remaining compatible with effective stormwater management strategies. Loiederman Soltesz Associates has worked with the regulatory agencies to address complex regulatory issues associated with the wetland permit application for the example project.  First of several development projects in a 405 hectare (1000 acre) watershed of the Potomac River in the greater Washington, DC area of Maryland, the development project succeeded in wetland regulatory compliance and implemented a performance monitoring effort which emphasized stream habitat conditions as a success indicator.  Through a joint effort with agency regulators, impacts were minimized and mitigated by innovative design revisions and approaches to wetland re-creation and stormwater control.  Subsequent development projects in this watershed are currently expanding in a manner which utilizes and refines data obtained from this initial project.  The positive outcome of this process is attributable to the following factors.
An effective partnering of engineering and ecology.
Emphasis on the wetland/water quality connection
Innovative riparian wetland preservation and best management practices.
A site-specific water quality/stream biomonitoring plan for the affected watershed to monitor performance.
A pro-active and cooperative "win-win" public involvement process including the property owners and agency staff.
ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS ON WETLAND MITIGATION IN NORTH CAROLINA
Presenter/Author: Sean Doig North Carolina State University (919) 593-4423; spdoig@ncsu.edu
This presentation outlines the results of a research project that used geographic information systems (GIS) and digital county tax data to assess the potential on-the-ground restoration sites and restoration costs in five USGS hydrologic units located in a region of North Carolina that is experiencing rapid growth and development.  Study results show that a lack of appropriate wetland restoration sites may create supply shortfalls in the coming years and decades. Additionally, North Carolina’s in-lieu fee program may create an artificial price ceiling that limits participation in the wetland mitigation market, further reducing supply.  The presentation concludes with a discussion of long-term implications of these findings and alternative solutions.
LEAF FALL DISTRIBUTION FOR TREES IN WOODED BUFFERS ALONG HEADWATER STREAMS IN NORTH CAROLINA
Presenter*/Authors: John Dorney* North Carolina Division of Water Quality Wetlands Unit 2321 Crabtree Boulevard Raleigh, NC 27604 john.dorney@ncmail.net and Tom Walker U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Asheville, NC
Stream mitigation has traditionally involved restoration of stable dimension, pattern and profile in order to address streambank stability issues as well as habitat restoration through planting of wooded buffers and construction of hard structures. However in the outer coastal plain, streambank stability is a less important issue due to much gentler slopes and less erosive velocities.  Additionally, wetlands are almost always present adjacent to stream channels and in small watersheds, surface flow tends to be as much diffuse flow as channel flow.  In order to reflect these unique characteristics of outer coastal plain streams, the US Army Corps of Engineers and NC Division of Water Quality developed and implemented a new guidance document with the assistance of a variety of stakeholders.  This guidance (now in its second version) allows stream mitigation credits on headwater, coastal plain streams by filling in existing ditches and planting adjacent wooded buffers without the extensive earth moving needed to create stream sinuocity.  Success criteria include evidence of surface flow, establishment of adjacent wetlands, restoration of an aquatic community and tree growth all with respect to reference conditions.  This guidance has been used by several public and private mitigation providers in the outer Coastal Plain over the past several years.  Examples of restoration done under this guidance will be discussed.
FUTURE SEA LEVEL RISE AND THE MEADOWLANDS
Presenter*/Authors: Teresa Doss*, Murat Utku P.E.1, Abdulai Fofanah2, and Vincent DeCapio3 The Louis Berger Group, Inc. Florham Park, NJ 07932 (973) 765-1920, tdoss@louisberger.com www.louisberger.com 1(973) 765-1874, mutku@louisberger.com 2 (973) 765-1808, afofanah@louisberger.com 3(973) 765-1848, vdecapio@louisberger.com
The tidal fringe brackish marshes of the Meadowlands were formed as a result of post-glacial sea level rise. Continued sea level rise, no matter the cause, will continue to affect the distribution, structure and function of these coastal ecosystems. These marshes maintain their stability relative to the tide through a combination of the accumulation of organic matter and periodic inputs of sediments from storms.  However, even under accelerated sea level rise, research has shown that this type of coastal ecosystem will be able to maintain suitable conditions for vegetative growth if hydrologic conditions allow natural sediment accretion processes to continue.
One of the foremost steps needed to successfully manage and protect the environmental, recreational, and economic resources and investments along the shorelines of the Meadowlands is to recognize and understand the complex causes and dynamic processes related to sediment accretion, including the ensuing ecological change in state and function in the face of sea level rise. However, sediment accretion processes within the Meadowlands have yet to be modeled and are not well understood.
This presentation will describe a theoretical model developed as a decision tool to evaluate potential impacts of sea level rise on sedimentation patterns and sediment accretion across a variety of vegetative coastal habitats in the Meadowlands. The model is applied to a potential restoration site in the Meadowlands to investigate the potential effects of restoration efforts on future sea level rise changes.
COMBINING WETLANDS EDUCATION AND OUTREACH WITH REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT FOR THE IMPROVED OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF A LOCAL WETLANDS PROGRAM
Presenter/Author: Kevin R. Du Bois, P.W.S. Virginia Certified Wetland Delineator Bureau of Environmental Services 508 City Hall Building 810 Union Street Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 664-4369; Fax: (757) 664-4370 kevin.dubois@norfolk.gov
In Virginia, local wetland permitting and enforcement responsibilities are carried out by an appointed body of citizens.  Since its inception in the early 1980s, the Norfolk Wetlands Board has adapted its enforcement program to maximize its effectiveness and this presentation will address one of those recent changes.
The Norfolk Wetlands Board developed a wetland education workshop to teach citizens about the values and functions of wetlands, the permit process and typical violations, and about City efforts to restore wetlands.   The workshop provides a public service in helping to prevent “unknowing” violations and wetland violators who complete the workshop have a portion or all of their civil charges dismissed.
Feedback from the wetlands class has been overwhelmingly positive and has increased Board comfort in assessing civil charges improving enforcement authority throughout the City.  For the 10-year period prior to implementing the Board’s wetland education workshop, the annual average for total fines collected was only $768.  After the class was implemented, the annual average for total fines collected rose to $4,600.   Through train-the-trainer sessions, the workshop format has been distributed to interested municipalities within Virginia so that the model can be successfully reproduced.
Developing the Wetland Education Workshop has given the Norfolk Wetlands Board a valuable and effective tool for implementing its wetland enforcement program.  Establishing a proper balance between monetary disincentives and educational outreach, the Board continues to protect the City’s wetland resources while maintaining support for their enforcement program in the community and in City government.
A REVIEW OF LIVING SHORELINE INITIATIVES IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
Presenter/Author: Kevin R. Du Bois, P.W.S. Virginia Certified Wetland Delineator Bureau of Environmental Services 508 City Hall Building 810 Union Street Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 664-4369; Fax: (757) 664-4370 kevin.dubois@norfolk.gov
In 2005, the State’s Virginia Marine Resource Commission revised its Wetlands Mitigation-Compensation Policy and Supplemental Guidelines and refocused local government’s attention on requirements to achieve “no net loss” of existing wetland acreage and function. Restating criteria for determining unavoidable losses, minimization, and removing exemptions for mandatory compensation for impacts to vegetated wetlands, has supported the emergence of “Living Shoreline” solutions to waterfront erosion control projects.
The City of Norfolk Wetlands Board and its staff have assisted in the design, permitting, installation, and monitoring of a variety of Living Shoreline projects ranging from small residential shorelines, to multi-acre sites open to the public.   This presentation will provide a brief overview of the projects implemented including before and after photographs, and will describe design issues, implementation challenges, and lessons learned.
INTEGRATING WETLANDS INTO A FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT
Presenter*/Authors: Dwight R. Dunk, PWS* Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM) One Cambridge Place 50 Hampshire Street Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 452-6601, dunkdr@cdm.com Virginia Roach, PE and Killilea Jr., Frank
The Chubbs Brook flood relief project was designed for the City of Beverly, Massachusetts by Camp Dresser & McKee Inc. to alleviate flooding in the tributary areas of Chubbs Brook. The improvements were designed, permitted, and constructed from 1999 to 2005 to increase flood storage capacity in the upper reaches of the watershed and improve channel hydraulics in the lower reaches of the brook. This discussion will focus on the integration of approximately 20 acres of existing wetlands in the upper watershed for temporary floodwater storage to detain and desynchronize flood flows. The environmental considerations inherent with this project required close coordination with regulatory agencies to ensure the protection of wetland functions and values, especially amphibian breeding habitat. In addition to conducting hydrological/hydraulic modeling, potential adverse affects to wetland vegetation and herptofauna habitat were evaluated. These data were submitted to the local, state and federal agencies with the environmental documents and permit applications required for this project. Post-construction monitoring was a condition of the Section 401 Water Quality Certification and two years of vernal pool monitoring has been completed. This presentation will summarize the flood relief project, describe the participatory permitting process used for this project, review the ecological data collection and analysis used to secure permits, and report on the first two years of post-construction monitoring.
ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF WETLAND RESTORATION USING A SIMPLE BAYESIAN NETWORK
Presenter/Author: Stephen D. Earsom Federal Highway Administration Water & Ecosystem Team 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 (202) 366-2851
Examples are relative scarce of restoration projects that rigorously follow the tenets of adaptive management.  This may be because 1) appropriate models must be posed to predict and test the results of management actions, 2) monitoring data that populate the models may be perceived as costly and difficult to collect, and 3) the data must be analyzed after being collected.  However, the sophistication of the model and data should be calibrated to the management question and restoration objectives.  Highly accurate and/or precise data fed into a complex algorithm may not be warranted if decisions can be based on semi-qualitative categories or acceptable ranges.
To illustrate this concept, a wetland restoration case study is provided.  Results of a lumped-parameter water balance model are used in conjunction with expert opinion to develop an initial cause-effect model.  This Bayesian network, designed to be as simple as possible while still addressing restoration objectives, can be updated with categorical data collected on an annual basis.  It can be expanded as necessary to include other cause-effect relationships pertinent to management actions.
Use of conceptually simple, portable, flexible models that can be developed using data or expert opinion, and updateable with new data, will assist in the widespread adoption of adaptive management strategies at both the field and programmatic levels.
Continued, Page 2
Go to: Abstracts Page 2; Abstracts Page 3
Return to Agenda
Return to top
Return to Main Conference Site