[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 ``[email protected]''. 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]
BILLING CODE 4310-31-M