[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 129 (Thursday, July 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35217-35218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-16600]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of
Wetlands Classification System
ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FGDC is sponsoring a public review of an existing wetlands
classification system, ``Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater
Habitats of the United States,'' by Cowardin et al., USFWS, FWS/OBS-79/
31, to be considered for adoption as an FGDC standard. If adopted, the
standard must be followed by all Federal agencies for data collected
directly or indirectly (through grants, partnerships, or contracts).
In its assigned leadership role for developing the National Spatial
Data Infrastructure (NSDI), the FGDC recognizes that the standards also
must meet the needs and recognize the views of State and local
governments, academia, industry, and the public. The purpose of this
notice is to solicit such views. The FGDC invites the community to
review, test, and evaluate the proposed classification system. Comments
are encouraged about the content, completeness, and usability of the
proposed standard.
The FGDC anticipates that the proposed wetlands standard, after
updating or revision, will be adopted as a Federal Geographic Data
Committee standard. The standard may be forwarded to other standards
organizations for adoption if interest warrants such actions.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 15, 1995.
CONTACT AND ADDRESSES: Requests for written copies of the
classification system being proposed as a standard, and reviewer
comments concerning this standard, should be sent by mail to Wetlands
Standards Review, FGDC Secretariat (attn: Jennifer Fox), U.S.
Geological Survey, 590 National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,
Reston, Virginia, 22092; telephone 703-648-5514; facsimile 703-648-
5755; or Internet gdc@usgs.gov''. The proposed standard may also be
purchased from the Government Printing Office/Superintendent of
Documents at 202-512-1800, Document No. 024-010-00665-0, or the
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at 703-487-4650; it is
also available for viewing on the Internet at the National Wetlands
Inventory Home Page; the URL is: http://www.nwi.fws.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For classification purposes, wetlands are
defined as: lands that are transitional between terrestrial and aquatic
systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the
land is covered by shallow water, and that have one or more of the
following attributes: (1) At least periodically, the land supports
predominantly hydrophytes; (2) the substrate is predominantly undrained
hydric soil; and (3) the substrate is non-soil and is saturated with
water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing
season of each year.
Areas of deepwater, traditionally not considered wetlands, are
included in this classification system as Deepwater Habitats. Deepwater
Habitats are defined as: permanently flooded lands lying below the
deepwater boundary of wetlands, including environments where surface
water is permanent and often deep, with water, rather than air, the
principal medium within which the dominant organisms live.
The classification system presents a method for grouping
ecologically similar wetlands. It is hierarchical, with wetlands
differentiated as follows: system, subsystem, class, subclass,
hydrologic modifiers, water chemistry modifiers, dominance type,
special
[[Page 35218]]
modifiers (relating to human activities). This wetlands classification
standard was developed by a team of wetland ecologists with the
assistance of local, State, and Federal agencies as well as private
organizations, academia, and individuals. It went through four major
revisions and extensive field testing prior to its official adoption by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1980. This document serves as the
wetlands classification standard for all Federal agencies involved in
portraying spatial data. It is also the classification system of choice
for most State and county agencies currently using wetlands spatial
data.
Specific implementation details for particular technologies or
procedures (photointerpretation and cartographic design) are not
addressed. Additional documents exist that provide an example of the
implementation of the proposed wetlands classification standard, but
are not a part of the standard. These documents are: (1)
Photointerpretation Conventions (updated 1995), (2) Cartographic
Conventions (updated 1994), and (3) Digitizing Conventions (updated
1994). These documents may be obtained on request through the FGDC
Secretariat at the above address. Two additional documents providing
increased detail to support the classification are the ``National List
of Plant Species That Occur In Wetlands,'' USFWS, Biological Report
88(24) and ``Hydric Soils of the United States,'' Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Misc. Publ. #1491. The plant list may be accessed
through the National Wetlands Inventory Home Page (Ecology Section);
the URL is: http://www.nwi.fws.gov
Dated: June 28, 1995.
Richard E. Witmer,
Associate Chief, National Mapping Division.
[FR Doc. 95-16600 Filed 7-5-95; 8:45 am]
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