The National Wetland Condition Assessment: National Data on Wetland Quality to Inform and Improve Wetlands Protection

摘要

During the summer of2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with federal agencies, states, tribes, and academic partners, will sample 900 wetland plots across the country, providing the first national picture on the quality of U.S. wetlands. Jloe authors provide an overview of the assessment process and how the data will be used. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with states, tribes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and other federal partners, will conduct the first-ever National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) in 2011. This survey is the fifth in a series of National Aquatic Resources Surveys carried out by EPA and state partners to improve understanding of the quality of the nation's waters. The results of the NWCA will be published in 2013, and repeat surveys will be conducted every five years, resources permitting. The NWCA is designed to build on the success of the FWS Wetland Status and Trends (S&T) Report. Just as the S&T Report characterizes wetland acreage by category across the conterminous United States, the NWCA will characterize wetland condition nationwide for many of the same wetland classes. When paired together, the two efforts will provide the public and government agencies with comparable, national information on wetland quantity and quality.