Opinion ID: 162578
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Assumed land use changes within 1000 feet predicted the wetlands' level of functionality.

Text: 88 The Appellants allege that the Agencies violated the HGM protocols by treating all three types of wetlands as having the same functions and associated indicators based on the assumption that land use changes within 1000 feet of the wetlands' perimeter adequately explains variations in the wetlands' function. Aplt. Br. at 66. Appellants cite to a 1993 Wetlands Research Program Technical Report that states, Each population of wetland types or classes would be identified with a unique list of functions and associated indicators. (If the list is not unique in some way for the wetland type, then it is probably not adequate for assessment. In other words, the classification was not specific enough and the functional profile was not adequately prepared.) I Aplt.App. at 82 (Mark Brinson, A Hydrogeomorphic Classification for Wetlands). 89 The NAP instructs that [t]he functional profile is based on the experience and expertise of the A-team and information collected from reference wetlands. 62 Fed.Reg. at 33,610. Based on their experience and expertise, the A-team concluded that the amount and degree of anthropogenic influences either within or surrounding a wetland serve as an indicator of the level of wetland functionality. This assumption was based on several regional guidebooks developed in Florida and research completed in Canada. III Aplee. App. at 1122.2. Additionally, information was collected from reference wetlands that verified the model. IV Aplee. App. at 1379, 1380. Consequently, this court is unable to say that this decision of the Agencies' experts renders the EIS inadequate. See Custer County, 256 F.3d at 1036. 90