National Wetlands Inventory

Service Wetlands Programs

In general terms, wetlands are lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface. The single feature that most wetlands share is soil or substrate that is at least periodically saturated with or covered by water. The water creates severe physiological problems for all plants and animals except those that are adapted for life in water or in saturated soil.

Wetlands are the cornerstone of many important and complex ecosystems. Their health and distribution in watersheds provide countless benefits for fish, wildlife, and people. Over the last 200 years, more than 50 percent of our nation’s wetlands have been lost and many of the over 100 million acres of remaining wetlands are degraded. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others in many ways to protect and restore wetlands.

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

B-
· BayScapes, Landscaping to protect water resources, Homeowner's guides, Chesapeake Bay
· Bird Habitat Conservation Division homepage
· Birdscape magazine, articles about wetlands restoration

C
· Chesapeake Bay Virtual Tour
· Clean Water Act, Section 404, Dredge and Fill project review
· Coastal Barrier Resource System management and mapping
· Coastal Grants

· Coastal partnerships with other agencies

The Coastal Program works with other Federal and non-federal partners to conserve and restore coastal habitats. Working in 15 high-priority coastal ecosystems, the Service and partners have restored wetlands, protected coastal habitats through easements, reopened coastal streams for fish passage, and restored stream-side habitat. To learn more: http://www.fws.gov/cep/cepcode.html.

· Coastal Program resources assessments, ex: Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, and Texas coastal
· Contaminants and water quality standards
· Contaminants remediation
· Contaminants technical assistance for pesticides, oil spills and Superfund sites

Pollution is one of the American public's greatest environmental concerns, and wetlands have been severely affected. The Service is dedicated to protecting wildlife and their habitat from pollution's harmful effects. Service professionals specialize in detecting toxic chemicals; assessing their effects; and preventing harm to fish, wildlife, and their habitats for the enjoyment of people. For more information, see: http://contaminants.fws.gov/.

· courses in conservation for adults - National Conservation Training Center

D -
· Duck Stamp homepage, saving wetlands with stamps

The sale of Duck Stamps buys lands and waters for National Wildlife Refuges. The sale of Junior Duck Stamps funds wetlands conservation and education. The Federal Duck Stamp and the Junior Duck Stamp contests are the only Federal art contests. The Duck Stamp is one of the most successful wetland conservation ventures in existence. For information: http://duckstamps.fws.gov/

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E -
· educators and kids wetlands page
· Endangered Species homepage

Endangered Species Recovery. The Service estimates that 46% of U.S. endangered plants and animals depend on wetlands for their survival. In addition to wetlands- dependent birds and fish, 72% of freshwater mussels are imperiled and 40% of amphibians are imperiled or vulnerable. In working with others to recover endangered species, the Service is also protecting and restoring the wetlands on which they depend. Read more at: http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html.

· Endangered Species Bulletin
· endangered species consultation with Federal Agencies and private landowners, and other partners such as tribes and states
· Endangered Species Grants
· Endangered Species Recovery Plans and monitoring of habitat
· Endangered Species Recovery Plans and habitat restoration
· Environmental Quality Division homepage

F -
· Federal Aid to States (PR&DG funds)
· FERC (Federal Energy Reg. Comm.) hydropower licensing review
· Fish Habitat

Wetlands play a critical role in the life cycle of fish species. Today, 37% of U.S. fish species are imperiled, with 116 listed as endangered or threatened. To protect declining fish species the Service works closely with people, States, and Tribes to conserve and rehabilitate wetlands and aquatic habitats. For the fisheries habitat initiative see: http://fisheries.fws.gov/CAF/Habitat.htm.

· Fish passage restoration through local partnership
· Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act consultation with Agencies
· Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance to Tribes, Military, others
· Friends groups for Refuges

G -
· Grants
  Coastal Grants
  Endangered Species Grants
  international grants
  Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act matching grants
  North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) - grants
· Gulf of Maine Coastal Program resources assessments

H -
· hydropower licensing review under FERC (Federal Energy Reg. Comm.)

I -
· images - photographs and drawings, Service image library
· international grants (Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, Russia, elephants, great apes, rhinoceros and tigers)
· international habitat conservation assistance
·  International wetlands conservation
· Invasive Species program - interagency cooperation and Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force

Non-native plants and animals severely impact our Nation’s lands and waters, including habitat resources within the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Service is working to prevent and control invasive species that can displace native species, radically change the habitats they invade, and impact human health by transmitting disease. See: http://invasives.fws.gov/.

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J -
· Joint Ventures - five Mountain/Prairie interagency partnership initiatives under the North
  American Waterfowl Management Plan (ex: prairie pothole, playa lakes, Rainwater Basin)
· Junior Duck Stamp Contest

K -
· kids and educators wetlands page

L -
· landowners, partnering with to cost-share habitat restoration
· library, Service conservation library

N-
· National Conservation Training Center many wetlands related courses offered
· National Wetlands Inventory, Southwest Region, Northeast Region, Alaska Region
· National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS)
· The Nature of Learning
· Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act matching grants (U.S., Latin America, and Caribbean)
· NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) project reviews
· New York Bight Coastal Program resources assessment
· transportation planning
· North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) - wetland grants to organizations and individuals (US, Mexico & Canada)

O -
·Oil spills

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P -
· Partners for Fish and Wildlife program homepage

The Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife program has worked with more than 27,000 farmers, ranchers, and other landowners who want to restore wetlands on their land. The program benefits the landowner and the public by improving or providing habitat for fish, wildlife and plants, improving water quality and watershed health, and reducing pollution. The Service enlists the assistance of a wide variety of other partners to restore habitat on private lands. For information see: http://partners.fws.gov/index.htm

· partnering with landowners to cost-share habitat restoration
· pesticides
· Playa Lakes Joint Venture
· Prairie Pothole Joint Venture

R -
· Rainwater Basin Joint Venture
· Ramsar International Convention on Wetlands, U.S. website. Fact sheets
· Realty - buying or leasing habitat for the NWR System
· Refuges - National Wildlife Refuges. Wetlands and Refuges fact sheets, Wetland Homes for Wildlife

National Wildlife Refuges have an important role in protecting and restoring wetland habitat. Many Refuges were established to protect large wetland ecosystems such as the Okefenokee NWR in Georgia, Laguna Acosta NWR in Texas, Salton Sea NWR in California, and Yukon Delta NWR in Alaska. There are more than 530 Refuges that protect wetlands and other habitats important to fish and wildlife. For more information see: http://refuges.fws.gov/.

· Restoration Projects:
     · Jackson Lane Preserve, MD

S -
· Schoolyard habitat
· Service's Kids/Educators Page
· Service protects and restores wetlands (pdf)
· Shorebirds Sister Schools Program
· Spatial Data Sources for FWS
· Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! Protect Your Waters
· Superfund sites

T -
· Texas coastal Coastal Program resources assessment
· training, Service offered training at the National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV

W -
· water quality standards and contaminants
· wetland maps and reports
· wind energy projects review
· wetlands introduction, northeast region, National Wetlands Inventory
· wetlands Kids & Educators Page