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ASWM NEWS				Photos by Jeanne Christie, ASWM
Wetland Assessment: Measuring the Quality of the Nation's Wetlands, by Leah Stetson (2/08)
A commonly accepted principle among architects and designers is that 'form ever follows function,' which means that the shape or appearance of a structure should be predicated by its intended purpose--whatever it does. But when wetland scientists talk about function, condition and values--there are different views on what these things mean and what they say about the quality of a wetland. [Full Article]
Checklist of Suggested Considerations in Developing Wetland Assessment Methods
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RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS
New: Wetland Assessment Toolkit   A new practical guide has recently been published by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The guide is intended to enable concerned individuals to assess a wetland by considering its biological, ecological, developmental, and economic values. The toolkit shows how an assessment (including that of the species in the wetlands) can strengthen wetlands conservation. It specifically outlines the steps in designing, preparing for, carrying out, and communicating the results of an integrated wetland assessment. While primarily written for situations in developing countries, the lessons in this 144-page toolkit can be useful at other locations as well. The three main sections in the toolkit cover the integrated assessment process, the tools themselves, and examples describing detailed case studies. This is an invaluable tool to help counter the serious and rapid loss of wetland bird habitat, and it is available free for downloading at: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iwa_toolkit_lowres.pdf
“Recommendations for Reconciling Wetland Assessment Techniques” Jon Kusler, Esq., Ph.D. Association of State Wetland Managers, Inc. http://www.aswm.org/propub/reconciling.pdf Wetland Assessment Report Series: Jon Kusler, Esq., Ph.D. Association of State Wetland Managers, Inc.
“Assessing Functions and Values” http://www.aswm.org/propub/functionsvalues.pdf “Wetland Assessment for the Courts” http://www.aswm.org/propub/courts.pdf “Integrating Wetland Assessment Into Regulatory Permitting” http://www.aswm.org/propub/integrating.pdf
Common Questions: Wetland Assessment by Jon A. Kusler, Association of State Wetland Managers, Inc. (06/26/06) (PDF)
“Application of Elements of a State Water Monitoring and Assessment Program for Wetlands” EPA, April 2006 This document includes the recommended elements of a state water monitoring and assessment program. http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/monitor/#elements “A Practical Guide for the Development of a Wetland Assessment: the California Experience” Martha A. Sutula, Eric D. Stein, Joshua N. Collins, A. Elizabeth Fetscher, and Ross Clark http://www.wrmp.org/docs/cram4/WREB4201_157-175.pdf “An evaluation of wetland assessment techniques and their applications to decision making” MA Thiesing, EPA http://www.environment.gov.au/ssd/publications/ ssr/pubs/techniques-ssr161.pdf
A Rapid Assessment System for Riparian and Stream Corridors for California: A Discussion on How Can We Improve a Rapid Assessment System for Streams? A. L. Riley, Ph.D., Watershed Division and Jill Marshall, P.G., TMDL and Planning Division of the San Francisco Bay Region Water Quality Control Board http://www.aswm.org/fwp/assessment/cram_ 6-01-07_final.pdf
Rapid Permit Process for Stream Protection. San Francisco Bay Region Water Quality Control Board, California, February 2008 http://www.aswm.org/fwp/assessment/rapid_permit_ process_for_stream_protection_0208.pdf
Rapid Permit Checklis. San Francisco Bay Region Water Quality Control Board http://www.aswm.org/fwp/assessment/rapid_ permit_checklilst_outline_0208pdf
Application of Watershed Ecological Risk Assessment Methods to Watershed Management EPA – Federal Register April 14, 2008 EPA is announcing the availability of a final report titled, ``Application of Watershed Ecological Risk Assessment Methods to Watershed Management'' (EPA/600/R-06/037F), which was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). Ecological risk assessment (ERA) is a process for analyzing environmental problems and is intended to increase the use of ecological science in decision making in order to evaluate the likelihood that adverse ecological effects may occur or are occurring as a result of exposure to one or more stressors. Applying ERA principles to watershed management makes scientific information more relevant to the needs of environmental managers. The document will be available electronically through the NCEA website at: http://www.epa.gov/ncea A limited number of paper copies will be available from the EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242; telephone: 1-800-490-9198; facsimile: 301-604-3408; e-mail: nscep@bps-lmit.com
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ASSESSMENT IN THE NEWS
New Wetlands Mapping Standard Precedes National Assessment ENS – August 20, 2009 To help cope with the impacts of climate change on wetlands, the federal government has adopted a Wetlands Mapping Standard designed to guide current and future digital mapping projects and enhance the overall quality and consistency of wetlands data. "There is no doubt the negative impacts of climate change on fish and wildlife will be significant," said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, announcing the new standard on August 18. "A major conservation challenge is predicting the level of those impacts and determining what management actions can be taken to help species adapt," he said. "And open access to accurate, up-to-date geospatial wetlands information is critical to meeting this challenge." The new wetlands mapping standard will support future national wetlands assessment efforts, the secretary said. For full story, go to: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2009/2009-08-20-093.asp
Florida Study: Estero Bay Watershed Lost 6.5 Percent of Wetlands in a Year
By Charlie Whitehead – Naples Daily News – January 26, 2008
A new Estero Bay watershed study shows a dismal environmental future if the way development permits are reviewed isn't changed. An assessment of the 345-square-mile watershed by Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council planner and former state biologist Jim Beever says more than 25 percent of the watershed is already developed, and a recent 12-month period saw a decrease in wetlands within the watershed of 6.4 percent. That's 3,755 acres of wetlands in 2006 that agencies like the South Florida Water Management District, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Corps of Engineers allowed to be destroyed. For the article, go to: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jan/26/ study-estero-bay-watershed-lost-65-pecent-wetlands/
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FEDERAL WETLAND ASSESSMENT LINKS
For direct access to the available EPA water quality and assessment reports, including wadeable streams, National Coastal Condition reports, updated information on the progress of the lakes assessment, as well as preliminary information about the rivers and streams assessment progress, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/reporting.html The National Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Work Group is open to new participants. Interested wetland managers may contact Mike Scozzafava by email at Scozzafava.MichaelE@epamail.epa.gov to be included on the email list or to gain access to the password-protected website for the work group. Also visit, http://epa.gov/owow/wetlands/survey/ for specific information on the National Wetland Condition Assessment.
USGS’s New Ecological Assessment Methods (Searchable) Database http://assessmentmethods.nbii.gov/ EPA’s fact sheet on Wetland Monitoring and Assessment http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/techfram.pdf USGS Wetland Assessment History http://water.usgs.gov/nwsum/WSP2425/ functions.html Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Wetland Assessment Alternatives Dennis Durbin, FHWA http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/conference/ presentations/Durbin_Dennis.ppt Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Rapid Assessment Procedures Brian Smith, FHWA http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/conference/ presentations/Smith_Brian.ppt Army Corps of Engineers Reports on Hydrogeomorphic Wetland Assessment http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/wetlands/ guidebooks.html
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STATE WETLAND ASSESSMENT LINKS
MA: Coastal Zone Management Wetland Assessment http://www.mass.gov/czm/wastart.htm and http://www.mass.gov/czm/wetlandassessment.htm University of Massachusetts’ (Amherst) Conservation Assessment and Prioritization System (CAPS) http://www.umass.edu/landeco/research/ caps/caps.html Developing Metrics of an Ecological Integrity Assessment Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Joe Rocchio www.natureserve.org/.../CL-7B-Developing%20 Metrics%20of%20Ecological%20Integrity-Joe%20Rocchio.ppt California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) http://www.cramwetlands.org/ Montana’s Rapid Assessment Method http://www.deq.state.mt.us/wqinfo/Wetlands/ WetlandRAForm.asp Oregon Wetland Assessment Manual http://www.oregon.gov/OWEB/docs/ pubs/wa_manual 99/05_rip_wet_print.pdf Oregon’s Wetland Assessment Methods http://www.oregonstatelands.us/DSL/WETLAND/ technical_resources.shtml Maine Wetland Assessment Bioassessment http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docmonitoring/ biomonitoring/index.htm ME: Beginning with Habitat http://www.beginningwithhabitat.org/index.html Maine Natural Areas Program http://www.mainenaturalareas.org/docs/program_ activities/ Ohio EPA’s Assessment reports http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/wetlands/Wetland Ecology Section_reports.html Ohio EPA’s An Ecological and Functional Assessment of Urban Wetlands in Central Ohio Vol. 1: Condition of Urban Wetlands using Rapid & Intensive Assessment Methods by John Mack and Mick Micacchion http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/wetlands/ L919ReportVol_1_EcologAssessUrbanWTLDs.pdf Louisiana Wetland Monitoring and Assessment of Restoration http://www.gao.gov/new.items/ d08130.pdf
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