The proposed revised Federal Manual is being released along with a Preamble 

 which further clarifies the major issues on which we are specifically soliciting public 

 input. However, we wish to emphasize that we are also requesting comments on the 

 entire proposed revised Federal Manual. 



The major revisions do the following: 



1) The Three Criteria: 



• Clarify that, except in limited specified circumstances, demonstration of aU 

 three parameters (wetland hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation and hydric 

 soils) is required for delineating vegetated wetlands. 



2) Limited Specified Exceptions to the Three Criteria: 



• Clarify that independent indicators of all three parameters are required 

 UNLESS the area is a disturbed wetland or the area is specifically listed 

 in the proposed Federal Manual as an exception . 



• Specifically identify exceptions (i.e, playa lake, prairie pothole, vernal pool, 

 pocosin, and other special wetlands that fail the hydrophytic vegetation 

 criterion such as Tamarack Bogs, White Pine Bogs and Hemlock 

 Swamps). Exceptions are widely recognized valuable wetland types that 

 may fail to meet one or more of the 3 criteria during all or some part of 

 the year. Request public comment on the listed exceptions as well as 

 potential additions to the list, and on recommendations for identifying 

 appropriate indicators for each wetland type listed as an exception. 



3) Wetland Hydrology Criterion: 



• Require inundation for 15 or more consecutive days, or saturation to the 

 surface for 21 or more consecutive days during the growing season. 



• Require saturation to the soil surface. 



• Narrow the wetland hydrology indicators to exclude Hydric Soils and 

 Wetland Vegetation as hydrology indicators. 



• Separate the list of wetland hydrology indicators into primary and 

 secondary indicators. Primary indicators are more reliable and can be 

 used alone to meet hydrology criterion. Secondary indicators are weaker 

 and can only be used with corroborative information. 



