Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of Wetlands Classification System

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of

Wetlands Classification System

ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FGDC is sponsoring a public review of an existing wetlands

classification system, ``Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater

Habitats of the United States,'' by Cowardin et al., USFWS, FWS/OBS-79/

31, to be considered for adoption as an FGDC standard. If adopted, the

standard must be followed by all Federal agencies for data collected

directly or indirectly (through grants, partnerships, or contracts).

In its assigned leadership role for developing the National Spatial

Data Infrastructure (NSDI), the FGDC recognizes that the standards also

must meet the needs and recognize the views of State and local

governments, academia, industry, and the public. The purpose of this

notice is to solicit such views. The FGDC invites the community to

review, test, and evaluate the proposed classification system. Comments

are encouraged about the content, completeness, and usability of the

proposed standard.

The FGDC anticipates that the proposed wetlands standard, after

updating or revision, will be adopted as a Federal Geographic Data

Committee standard. The standard may be forwarded to other standards

organizations for adoption if interest warrants such actions.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 15, 1995.

CONTACT AND ADDRESSES: Requests for written copies of the

classification system being proposed as a standard, and reviewer

comments concerning this standard, should be sent by mail to Wetlands

Standards Review, FGDC Secretariat (attn: Jennifer Fox), U.S.

Geological Survey, 590 National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,

Reston, Virginia, 22092; telephone 703-648-5514; facsimile 703-648-

5755; or Internet ``[email protected]''. The proposed standard may also be

purchased from the Government Printing Office/Superintendent of

Documents at 202-512-1800, Document No. 024-010-00665-0, or the

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at 703-487-4650; it is

also available for viewing on the Internet at the National Wetlands

Inventory Home Page; the URL is: http://www.nwi.fws.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For classification purposes, wetlands are

defined as: lands that are transitional between terrestrial and aquatic

systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the

land is covered by shallow water, and that have one or more of the

following attributes: (1) At least periodically, the land supports

predominantly hydrophytes; (2) the substrate is predominantly undrained

hydric soil; and (3) the substrate is non-soil and is saturated with

water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing

season of each year.

Areas of deepwater, traditionally not considered wetlands, are

included in this classification system as Deepwater Habitats. Deepwater

Habitats are defined as: permanently flooded lands lying below the

deepwater boundary of wetlands, including environments where surface

water is permanent and often deep, with water, rather than air, the

principal medium within which the dominant organisms live.

The classification system presents a method for grouping

ecologically similar wetlands. It is hierarchical, with wetlands

differentiated as follows: system, subsystem, class, subclass,

hydrologic modifiers, water chemistry modifiers, dominance type,

special

[[Page 35218]]

modifiers (relating to human activities). This wetlands classification

standard was developed by a team of wetland ecologists with the

assistance of local, State, and Federal agencies as well as private

organizations, academia, and individuals. It went through four major

revisions and extensive field testing prior to its official adoption by

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1980. This document serves as the

wetlands classification standard for all Federal agencies involved in

portraying spatial data. It is also the classification system of choice

for most State and county agencies currently using wetlands spatial

data.

Specific implementation details for particular technologies or

procedures (photointerpretation and cartographic design) are not

addressed. Additional documents exist that provide an example of the

implementation of the proposed wetlands classification standard, but

are not a part of the standard. These documents are: (1)

Photointerpretation Conventions (updated 1995), (2) Cartographic

Conventions (updated 1994), and (3) Digitizing Conventions (updated

1994). These documents may be obtained on request through the FGDC

Secretariat at the above address. Two additional documents providing

increased detail to support the classification are the ``National List

of Plant Species That Occur In Wetlands,'' USFWS, Biological Report

88(24) and ``Hydric Soils of the United States,'' Natural Resources

Conservation Service, Misc. Publ. #1491. The plant list may be accessed

through the National Wetlands Inventory Home Page (Ecology Section);

the URL is: http://www.nwi.fws.gov

Dated: June 28, 1995.

Richard E. Witmer,

Associate Chief, National Mapping Division.

[FR Doc. 95-16600 Filed 7-5-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-31-M