# Presentation: 719950

## Wetland Assessment Methods

- FHWA Needs

## Laws and Regulations

- National Environmental Policy Act
- Section 404 CWA Regulatory Program
- Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands
- Isolated wetlands under EO 11990

## FHWA Regulation

- 23 CFR 777, Mitigation of Impacts to Wetlands
- Requires consideration of wetland functions and values to be impacted or replaced
- Determination of landscape level functions and significance of impacted wetlands and mitigation needs
- Consider both the short and long term effects of the project

##         Other Guidance

- FWHA Policy of a net gain of wetlands
- 1.5:1 compensation ratio
- Section 404 Mitigation Action Plan
- Emphasizes landscape level functions
- Functional replacement
- Best available science
- Corps REGL 2-02
- Watershed approach
- Assessment of Streams

## Challenges for Linear Highway Projects

- Impacts could occur in different drainage areas
- Wetlands within and among drainages could be of various types
- Wetlands in different areas may perform different functions

## FHWA Assessment Needs and Objectives

- Methodology that is broader in scope to account for different wetland types and functions
- Flexible – Utilize 1 assessment methodology for one project that takes into account different wetland sizes, functions, and types.
- 		Large projects on New Alignment, such as Legacy 	Parkway – over 100 acres impacts
- 		Small projects – widening, realignments, safety – 	often less than acre of impact

## FHWA/DOT Needs in Assessment 

- Standardized – One methodology per region or  statewide uniformity
- Rapid – Able to accommodate project timelines
- Functionally based – Since linear projects may impact several different types of wetlands, a functionally based assessment is necessary.
- Quantitative – determine appropriate mitigation ratios and identify suitable mitigation sites by site characteristics – NEPA, 404, 11990
- Efficient in use of personnel time

## FHWA/DOT Needs

- Identify all information needs for  regulatory permitting requirements within the method’s basic framework
- Multi stage for different project scopes
- Expandable for large projects

## Assessment Objectives

- Allowances for integration of ecosystem based mitigation including wildlife habitat, vegetated buffers, uplands, and open water habitat
- Applicable to Banking Preference – Recognize appropriate applications of bank in mitigation
- Recognize that on-site mitigation is not feasible in all instances
- Monitoring – recognize important indicators
- Determine success in mitigation – specific functional indicators or condition indices

## Alternatives in Assessment

- Hydrogeomorphic Approach (COE)
- Has withstood legal challenge (on Legacy Parkway Project – over 100 acres of impacts)
- Quantitative when correctly developed and applied – provides a numerical output
- Establishes appropriate mitigation ratios
- Identifies critical site parameters
- Can address all functions, including wildlife
- Updatable

## HGM Downside

- Long development time before application
- Can be relatively time consuming when applied to smaller projects
- Needs special development to assess landscape level functions – such as wildlife
- Does not differentiate wetland types well – weak alternatives analysis

## Alternatives In Assessment

- New England Methodology (CORPS NED)
- Relatively quick
- Addresses all functions
- Does not provide numerical output
- Does not help define mitigation ratios
- Is not expandable for larger projects
- Requires special studies that are not defined in the method to be developed for larger projects
- Does not address landscape relationships

## Assessment alternatives

- Montana DOT Methodology
- Combines quantitative and subjective approaches to give subjective assessment of wetland condition, function and value
- Recognizes specific wetlands functions
- Yields wetland value ranking

## Alternatives in assessment

- Washington DOT methodology
- Uses HGM like characteristics to define wetland functions
- Can associate landscape level functions
- Helps identify specific mitigation site characteristics
- Adaptation of New England methodology

## FHWA Hopes For

- Continued development of a functional based approach that will
- Be flexible for smaller projects
- Expandable for large projects
- Identify all permit needs
- Operate in accordance with the regulations
- Regionally standardized
- Help establish appropriate mitigation ratios