Compensation wetlands planning—

Process using a watershed-based approach that involves advance planning to protect and restore wetland resources within the watersheds.

Compensatory mitigation—

Final step in the mitigation sequencing process to offset the loss of wetland or other aquatic resources if adverse impacts remain after avoidance and minimization.

Connectivity—

The extent of terrestrial habitat between wetlands that is suitable for overland migration by animals.

Constructed wetland—

A created wetland that has been developed on a former upland environment with poorly drained soils for the primary purpose of contaminant or pollution removal from wastewater or runoff; also referred to as a treatment wetland.

Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)—

A federal agency that has promulgated NEPA regulations, which are binding on other federal agencies.

Cropped wetlands (CW)—

Agricultural lands with hydric soils.

CWA—

Clean Water Act.

CZMA—

Coastal Zone Management Act.

EPA—

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Ephemeral wetland—

A wetland in which water is present for short intervals between periods in which the wetland has no water.

ESA—

Endangered Species Act.

Exotics—

Nonnative species of plants or animals that have been introduced to a region.

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act—

Federal law that requires federal agencies to consult with the USFWS about habitat loss.

Food Security Act—

Federal law that contains the Swampbuster provision.

FWPA—

Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act.

FWPCA—

Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

GAO—

General Accounting Office.

General permit—

Regional, nationwide, and programmatic permits issued by the Corps pursuant to Section 404(e) for activities that should result in only minimal individual and cumulative impacts.

GIS—

Geographic information system.

HGM—

Hydrogeomorphic.

Hydric soils—

Soils that remain wet at least part of the year and that support hydrophytic vegetation.

Front Matter (R1-R26)

Executive Summary (1-10)

1 Introduction (11-21)

2 Outcomes of Wetland Restoration and Creation (22-45)

3 Watershed Setting (46-59)

4 Wetland Permitting: History and Overview (60-81)

5 Compensatory Mitigation Mechanisms Under Section 404 (82-93)

6 Mitigation Compliance (94-122)

7 Technical Approaches Toward Achieving No Net Loss (123-137)

8 Institutional Reforms for Enhancing Compensatory Mitigation (138-168)

References (169-186)

Appendix A Survey of Studies: Comparison of Mitigation and Natural Wetlands (187-198)

Appendix B Case Studies (199-210)

Appendix C Analyses of Soil, Plant, and Animal Communities for Mitigation Sites Compared with Reference Sites (211-216)

Appendix D California Department of Fish and Game, South Coast Region; Guidelines for Wetland Mitigation (217-218)

Appendix E Examples of Performance Standards for Wetland Creation and Restoration in Section 404 Permits and an Approach to Developing Performance Standards (219-233)

Appendix F Memorandum for Commanders, Major Subordinate Commands, and District Commands, April 8, 1999 (234-238)

Appendix G Army Corps of Engineers Standard Operating Procedures for the Regulatory Program (239-284)

Appendix H Selected Attributes of 40 Common Wetland Functional Assessment Procedures (285-291)

Appendix I Functions, Factors, and Values Considered in Section 404 Permit Reviews (292-293)

Appendix J Biographical Sketches of Committee Members (294-298)

Glossary (299-304)

Index (305-322)