# Presentation: 923886

## New England’s Role in the NWCA

- NEAEB ANNUAL MEETING
- Bartlett, NH
- March 26, 2008
- Jeanne Voorhees
- U.S. EPA, Region One
- Michael E. Scozzafava
- U.S. EPA, Office of Water

**EPA’s National Wetland Condition Assessment (2011):**

**Notes:**
Introduction: Good Afternoon, I’m Jeanne Voorhees from EPA Region 1, Wetlands Unit.  

The presentation I’m giving today was adapted from an EPA HQ’s presentation given to the National Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Work Group in September 2007.  I’ve tailored this presentation to make it more regionally specific by identifying NE’s current role in the NWCA 

## Presentation Overview

- National Water Resource Survey Background
- National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA)
- New England’s Role in the NWCA

**Notes:**
I’ll give you a brief summary of the background behind the National Water Resource Survey

Discuss the National Wetland Condition Assessment’s role in the national survey, 

And, discuss NE state’s current role in the condition assessment

## Recent Critiques of Water Monitoring Programs

- General Accounting Office (2000)
- National Research Council (2001)
- National Academy of Public Administration (2002)
- Heinz Center Report (2002)
- Draft Report on the Environment (2003)
- Environmental Integrity Project, Flying Blind (2004)

**Notes:**
Beginning in 2000, several reports were published critiquing water monitoring programs.

General Accounting Office, 2000:  EPA and States cannot make statistically valid inferences about water quality and lack data to support management decisions

National Research Council, 2001: Found that a uniform, consistent approach to ambient monitoring and data collection is necessary to support core water quality programs

National Academy of Public Administration, 2002: Realized that improved water quality monitoring information is necessary to help states make more effective use of their limited resources

Heinz Center Report, 2002: There is inadequate data for national reporting on fresh water,  coastal and ocean water quality indicators.

Draft Report on the Environment, 2003: Found that Currently, there is no means to develop a national picture of water quality

Environmental Integrity Project, Flying Blind, 2004: Found that Basic CWA reporting requirements are not adequately met.	

## Bottom Line

- States and Tribes do not have data needed to make decisions
- Set water quality standards
- Develop watershed plans and TMDLs
- Evaluate effectiveness of programs
- Data inadequate for statistically-valid characterization of water quality condition in U.S.

**Notes:**
Please keep in mind the critiques were done on a nationwide basis. I don’t necessarily agree that our states don’t have data needed to make management decisions

but overall on a national basis, these critiques indicated that EPA and the states fall far short of where we need to be, and basically that we lack the data to support CWA decisions

It’s also been found that on a national basis, we cannot comment on condition of our waters.
Currently, we can only report on 19% Rivers and streams, 43% Lake , 36% Estuaries (sq miles), <4% Wetland (acres) 

## National Water Resource Survey Schedule

|  | FY07 | FY08 | FY09 | FY10 | FY11 | FY12 | FY13 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Lakes | Field | Lab, data | Report | Research | Design | Field | Lab, data |
| Rivers | Design | Field | Lab, data | Report | Research | Design | Field |
| Streams | Research | Design | Field | Lab, data | Report | Research | Design |
| Coastal | Report | Research | Design | Field | Lab, data | Report | Research |
| Wetlands | Research | 
Research | Research | Design | Field | Lab,data | Report |

**Notes:**
As a result of these critiques, EPA has been directed by OMB to conduct surveys of the nation’s water resources;

Lakes
Rivers
Streams
Coastal, AND
Wetlands 

## Purpose of the Surveys

- Provide statistically-valid, scientifically defensible reports to the public on the condition of U.S. waters
- Answer key questions:
- What is the extent of waters that support healthy ecosystems?
- What is the extent of resources affected by key water quality problems/stressors?
- Is water quality improving?
- Are we spending pollution control dollars wisely?

**Notes:**
The purpose of the surveys is two fold:

1) Provide statistically-valid, scientifically defensible reports to the public on the condition of U.S. waters

2) We’d like to be answer key questions: 
What is Extent of waters that support healthy ecosystems?
What is the extent of the resource affected by water quality problems/stressors?
Is water quality improving?
Are we spending pollution control dollars wisely?

The focus of this presentation is on the wetlands portion of the national water resource surveys.

## National Wetland Condition Assessment

**Notes:**
So what’s the plan and process for the National Wetland Condition Assessment, 

And 

How does New England fit into it’s overall scheme?

## National Wetland Condition Assessment (2011)

| Activities |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2007-2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Research | Design | Field | Lab/Data | Report |
| Scientific issues
Policy issues
Supplemental data analysis
Methods refinement | Target population
Indicators
Field/ Lab practices
Quality assurance plan | Training
Site reconnaissance
Sample collection
Field quality assurance | Lab analysis
Lab quality assurance
Data entry
Data quality assurance | Data analysis
Presentations
Peer review
Final report |

**Notes:**
For the wetlands condition assessment we need to achieve
Research
Design
Field Work
Lab/Data analyses
Reporting 

by 2013

SO, We have a tall order to fill and a lot to do in relatively short amount of time to be able to produce a final report in 2013.  

## NWCA Background

- 1,000 sample points nationally
- Provide States and Tribes $8.4M in CWA 106 grants to participate
- $8,000 per site in lower 48
- $400K set aside for AK, HI, territories
- Money is allocated to states and tribes based on number of sampling sites within their jurisdiction

**Notes:**
The CA itself will included 1,000 randomly selected points across the U.S.

States and Tribes will be provided $8.4M in CWA 106 grants to participate.  Here in NE, states and tribes will receive
$8,000 per site

Money will be allocated to states and tribes based on number of sampling sites that fall within their jurisdiction

States and tribes can elect to do the surveys themselves or they can be contracted out.  Currently we don’t have information on the number of sites or their location in NE.

##  Leveraging NWCA to Implement State and Tribal Intensification Studies

- Additional state and tribal investment
- Intensify sampling throughout state or tribal jurisdiction
- Smaller-scale assessment that informs state-level management and policy needs
- Capture “rare” wetlands of interest not included in the national draw (e.g. vernal pools)

- MN Statewide Probabilistic
- Wetland Quality Survey

**Notes:**
In addition, If the states and tribes want to do a more in-depth assessment, they can elect to do an “Intensification Study”.  

For this to occur, the states need to supply or find the additional funding.
The additional sites would be randomly drawn to bring the total number of sites 50.

The benefits of an intensified study might be to use the information to 
address state-level management and/or policy needs.

An intensified study, could also capture some of the rarer wetlands that might be of interest to a state or tribe but were not included in the  national draw.

## NWCA Planning Process

- Planning has started
- Transparent, inclusive process with states and tribes
- Indicators/methods informed by state and tribal experience

**Notes:**
Planning for the CA has been ongoing since early 2007

Because there is A LOT of good work going on in the states – HQ and ORD would like to draw heavily from state’s experience so that the process is kept inclusive and transparent.  Everyone can contribute to the CA, and it is strongly encouraged by HQ.

To this end, The New England states are in a valued position to participate in the development of the CA because of the work they have done to advance wetland monitoring.  For example, All of the NE states have participated in the New England Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Work Group (affectionately known as NEBAWWG) for the past ten years through the leadership of the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission and Region One.  So, NE has a lot of experience to bring to the CA.

To date, ME DEP, VT DEC, MassDEP, and MassCZM regularly participate on conference calls related to the CA. 

## Benefits of National Wetland Condition Assessment Information

- First-ever assessment of baseline wetland condition
- Eventually, track trends in wetland condition
- Greater national focus on wetland quality
- Compliment FWS Status and Trends Report

**Notes:**
Once accomplished, the CA will provide the first baseline for wetland condition on a national scale,

And

Willl eventually enable us to follow trends in wetland condition.

Overall, and I believe most importantly, the CA will give greater national focus on wetland quality, rather than just wetland acreage, 

Also, the CA will Compliment USFWS Status and Trends Report

## Collaboration with FWS

- FWS Status and Trends reports document trends in wetlands acreage
- NWCA will evaluate the ambient condition of the nation’s wetlands resources.
- EPA will collaborate with FWS in designing NWCA
- ensure the national condition assessment most effectively complements the Service’s Wetlands Status and Trends Study.
- Together these reports will offer the most comprehensive ecological evaluation

**Notes:**
HQ has been been collaborating with the USFWS during this design phase of  the CA.

This collaboration ensures that the CA compliments the FWS status and trends study, which  has been documenting wetlands acreage across the US since the early 70’s.

One step in this collaboration has been to use the FWS plots from the Status and Trends report as sampling frame for the CA.

## Indicators of Wetland Condition

**Indicators of Wetland Condition**

*U.S. EPA, April 2006*

- 3 – Level Technical Approach

**Notes:**
So how do we measure wetland condition?  

Overall, the basis of the CA lies in a 3 level approach
Basically:
Level 1: A landscape assessment, can be done from the desktop using GIS and aerial photography

Level 2: Rapid Wetland Assessment, employs simple metrics, and takes about 1-2 hours in the field depending on size of assessment area.  
Level 3: Intensive Site Assessment, is a more traditional WQ monitoring approach that may include Setting transects, collecting samples and calculating Indices of biological integrity.

HQ has been hosting a series of webinars related to Wetland Condition Indicators. Some NE states have participated in these webinars.

Additionally, a few weeks ago an Indicators Workshop was held in Portland, OR.  States, Tribes, universities and other wetland experts convened to help develop a list of potential indicators, primarily for level 3.  MEDEP, MassCZM and EPA-Region 1 were requested to participate in this workshop.  It was an intensive and very well-organized workshop.  A lot was accomplished by the Group through the leadership of HQ.

## Reference Condition

**Notes:**
Of course, if we’re examining the condition of wetlands we need a reference base.  

Defining reference condition has been a challenge, but it’s being tackled.  To date, reference and associated terms such as reference standard, reference site, reference gradient, stressor, condition, etc. Are being defined 
If we’re going to be doing a CA, then we need to establish a reference condition.

Steps are being taken now to establish a reference condition for the NA.  

One of these first steps has been to define just what we mean by “reference”, reference standard, reference gradient, and other associated terms like condition, stressor, and ecosystem integrity.

Again, the NE states have taken the opportunity to participate in this aspect of the CA by offering suggested definitions, comments, and edits on a list of definitions related to “Reference”

## Take Home Messages

- Much to achieve in limited timeframe
- Coordination & Cooperation
- Nothing’s Perfect
- Wetlands Recognition
- Wetlands Condition

**Notes:**
So many indicators, so little time, so little money, so little staff!

This effort will take a lot of coordination and cooperation among HQ, ORD, EPA Regions, States, Tribes, universities, and other wetlands experts to pull this off and report on wetlands condition by 2013.

We realize that Nothing is perfect, and the final report will have it’s limitations, 

BUT it’s very exciting to have wetlands monitoring and assessment recognized on a national scale with the other water resources, 
and most importantly and exciting too is that wetlands condition (rather than just acreage) will be examined. 

NE has a lot to offer to the CA.  And this is a good thing, because it provides an opportunity for NE to be one of the leading regions in the development of the CA.

In closing, for those state folks that are here today, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to participate in this effort, and I really encourage you to continue to do so.

## For More Information

- EPA Region One
- Jeanne Voorhees (_[voorhees.jeanne@epa.gov](mailto:voorhees.jeanne@epa.gov)_)
- Hilary Snook (_[snook.hilary@epa.gov](mailto:snook.hilary@epa.gov)_)
- EPA Office of Water
- Michael Scozzafava (_[scozzafava.michaele@epa.gov](mailto:scozzafava.michaele@epa.gov)_)
- Chris Faulkner (_[faulkner.chris@epa.gov](mailto:faulkner.chris@epa.gov)_)
- Rich Sumner (_[sumner.richard@epa.gov](mailto:sumner.richard@epa.gov)_)
- Lynda Hall (_[hall.lynda@epa.gov](mailto:hall.lynda@epa.gov)_)
- Susan Holdsworth (_[holdsworth.susan@epa.gov](mailto:holdsworth.susan@epa.gov)_)

## Personal Favorite Take Home Message

- “Ask not what the NWCA can do for you, but what you can do for the NWCA”!

**Notes:**
NE has a lot to offer to the CA.  And this is a good thing, because it provides an opportunity for NE to be one of the leading regions in the development of the CA.

In closing, for those state folks that are here today, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to participate in this effort.