United States Environmental Protection Agency June 2009 etland So Objectives Facilitate the development and implementation of wetland monitoring and assessment programs within Region 3 states Promote state reporting on the quality of wetland resources Facilitate the integration of wetlands into traditional water quality programs Strengthen partnerships within Region 3 (states, feds, National Estuary Programs) to leverage opportunities for water quality improvements through wetland protection or restoration projects Coastal America Coordination - Facilitating MARIT-South to capitalize on the existing and established partnerships within the Region's National Estuary Programs and the Chesapeake Bay Program Office to effectively manage ecosystem restoration through the Corporate Wetland Restoration Partnerships Provide technical assistance to federal, state or local governments in the development and/or implementation of watershed based restoration/ improvement plans Build states capacity for wetland monitoring and assessment through technical and financial assistance Effective coordination with OWOW grant initiatives to increase Region 3 influence in grants program, ensuring greatest yield to Region 3 states Efficient and effective administration of grants and coordination with states and other grantees Office of Monitoring and Assessment Environmental Assessment & Innovation Division EPA Region 3, Philadelphia, PA Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Consistent, thorough, and timely state wetland monitoring and assess- ment programs are a critical tool for states and tribes to better manage and protect wetland resources. They allow states and tribes to estab- lish a baseline in wetlands extent, condition and function, detect change, and characterize trends over time. Monitoring and assessment plays an important role in the other core elements of wetlands programs. Watershed / Wetland Restoration and Mitigation A critical need exists to restore lost or degraded wetlands and water- sheds for water quality, habitat, flood control and other purposes. EPA has limited direct funding for wetlands protection and restoration. Wet- lands restoration actions that are encouraged and supported through partnerships are greater in scope. They are important at the federal (especially with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S Department of Commerce, and U.S. Department of Interior), state, and local levels, as well as with the private sector and NGOs. By encouraging and support- ing the restoration efforts of others, EPA can leverage much more resto- ration than through direct financial support alone. Supporting and foster- ing strategic wetlands program-wide partnerships is critical to the suc- cess of the national wetlands program. Wetland Program Development Grants and Agreements EPA seeks to build the capacity of all levels of government, particularly states, to develop and implement effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management. Region 3's Wetland Program De- velopment Grants provide States, local governments, interstate agen- cies, and State Universities an opportunity to carry out projects that de- velop and refine comprehensive wetland programs. ------- IRTll Office of Monitoring & Assessment nmental Assessment & Innovation Di Region 3, Philadelphia Legacy Sediment Restoration Wetland & Stream Restoration Technica Grant Review ^— "*-^^^, mid-atlantic wetland workgroup \2B2l The Mid-Atlantic Wetlands Workgroup (MAWWG) is currently funded through a Wetland Program Development Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The workgroup is administered by staff from the Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Wetland Center. MAWWG consists of participants representing federal and state regulatory personnel and scientists from the following states: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Meetings/ workshops are held twice a year with development and implementation of wetland monitoring strategies for the mid-Atlantic region as a broad goal. Census of all NWI mapped wetlands Stratified random selection of wetlands for site stressor checklist 5ite visit Direct measurement of ecological services U.S. EPA's National Wetlands Monitoring Workgroup has endorsed the concept of a Level 1, 2, 3 approach to wetland monitoring. Level 1, "landscape assessment," relies on coarse, landscape scale inventory information, typically gathered through remote sensing and preferably stored in, or convertible to, a geographic information system (CIS) format. Level 2 is "rapid assessment" at the specific wetland site scale, using relatively simple, rapid protocols. Level 2 assessment protocols are to be validated by and calibrated to Level 3 assessments. Level 3 is "intensive site assessment," and uses intensive research-derived, multi-metric indices such as Hydrogeomorphic Approach (HGM) or Indices of Biologic Integrity (IBI). Partnerships MAWWG Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Coastal America EPA Estuary Programs PA, VA, DE, MD, WV Regina Poeske (poeske.regina@epa.gov) Team Leader 215-814-2725 http://www.epa.gov/ reg3esdl/wetlands/wetland_science_team.htm ------- |