KEY CHANGES TO THE FEDERAL MANUAL 



What are the major revisions to the 1989 Federal Manual? 



The major revisions and other major issues identified in the Preamble to the Manual 

 include the following: 



1) The Three Criteria: 



• Clarify that, except in limited specified circumstances, 

 demonstration of all 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 at the soil surface. 



• Narrow the wetland hydrology indicators to exclude Hydric Soils 

 and Wetland Vegetation as hydrology indicators. 



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