Dear Wetland Mapping Consortium Members,
Last week the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Team (NWI) sent out an email to ASWM’s state wetland mapping contacts and NWI’s wetland mapping contacts regarding a request for information on new and/or planned wetland mapping projects. The email was quickly forwarded among professional circles and we realized that to be comprehensive in our effort, we needed to also share it with all of you and request your participation as well. We will share our progress in compiling this information with all of you as this outreach effort progresses. Here is the original email request:
The Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Team (NWI) are requesting your assistance in identifying new wetland mapping projects either planned or underway. You are probably aware that in recent years the National Wetlands Inventory’s responsibilities have changed in response to diminishing resources. Currently NWI’s primary focus is adding wetland maps developed by third parties (states, nonprofit organizations, etc.) to the National Wetlands Inventory dataset. To ensure that the wetlands data to be added will meet Federal Wetland Mapping Standards and the Quality Assurance/Quality Control requirements, NWI staff would like to touch base with third parties undertaking wetland mapping projects early in the process.
Below are links to review the projects that have already been identified and we’re asking you to let us know if you are aware of wetland mapping projects that are missing.
The Mapping Projects that Have Been Identified:
• As you may know, ASWM completed a wetland mapping outreach effort in 2013. You can find the link to ASWM’s state by state descriptions of the 2013 status of wetland mapping coverage, including new projects underway or planned, here.
• The 'Wetland Mapping Projects Mapper' is now available on the right hand side of the Wetlands Mapper homepage. Here you can find the link to an online mapper showing recently accepted wetland mapping projects and known active wetland mapping projects identified by NWI here.
• If you are aware of wetland mapping projects that have been completed recently or that are currently underway, and that are not identified in either of these datasets, please let us know. Please provide the name, e-mail address and phone number of the person(s) carrying out the project by replying to this email and cc’ing NWI. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact myself or Jeanne Christie at (207) 892-3399, by replying to this email, or by contacting Jane Harner (608) 238-9333 x114.
In the coming months, ASWM and NWI will be posting a comprehensive set of materials to assist wetland mappers in meeting the Federal Wetlands Mapping Standards and QA/QC requirements so that their projects can be added to the National Wetlands Inventory dataset. You will be able to review those materials as they are developed and posted here and here.
Best Regards,
Marla J. Stelk
Policy Analyst
Association of State Wetland Managers
Fax 207.892.3089
Phone 207.892.3399
ASWM Website
ASWM Blog
