MPT Montana Wetland Field Evaluation Form and Instructions July 1, 1996 



INTRODUCTION 



In 1989, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and the Montana Department of Fish, 

 Wildlife & Parks (FWP) developed a wetland evaluation method to be applied to highway projects in 

 Montana. In 1994, MDT substantially revised the evaluation form. The 1994 form was originally 

 intended to be tested for one or two field seasons, after which it was to be revised according to comments 

 received from its primary users and advances in the techniques used to assess wetlands functions and 

 values. In spring of 1996, Morrison-Maierle Environmental Corporation (MME) was contracted by 

 MDT to revise and prepare instructions for the MDT Wetland Site Evaluation Form. 



The 1996 evaluation method discussed in this report was primarily designed to address highway and 

 other linear projects, such as pipelines and transmission lines. However, the method can be applied to 

 other types of projects, including mitigation projects, at the discretion of the user. The U.S. Fish & 

 Wildlife Service (USFWS) requested that the form be titled the Montana Wetland Field Evaluation 

 Form, as it may also be applied to non-highway projects. 



It is important to note that this method is intended to evaluate wetland functions and values, and is not to 

 be used to cfe/mea/e jurisdictional wetland boundaries. Wetland delineation should be conducted prior to 

 evaluation using the 1987 Corps of Engineers (COE) wetland delineation manual (Environmental 

 Laboratory 1987) or other COE-approved methods. 



The objectives of the revised form are to provide a rapid, economical, repeatable wetland evaluation 

 method applicable to Montana that: 



o meets the needs of local regulatory agencies in terms of quantifying jurisdictional 



wetland functions and values with respect to the majority of proposed wetland 

 disturbance-related and mitigation projects in the state, particularly highway projects; 



o minimizes subjectivity and variability between evaluators; 



o provides a means of assigning wetlands overall ratings; and 



o incorporates some of the principles of the hydrogeomorphic (HGM) assessment method 



to foster use of the revised form as an interim method until HGM is fully implemented in 

 Montana. 



The HGM method for wetland classification and functional assessment is currently under development 

 for use in Montana. Once "up and running", the HGM method will likely be preferred by the COE 

 relative to all types of projects that potentially affect wetlands and require a Section 404 permit. Work is 

 currently underway to develop regional guidebooks for one subclass each of riverine and depressional 

 hydrogeomorphic groups. These guidebooks may be available as early as mid-summer of 1997, but will 

 only apply to one subclass, not all subclasses, of riverine and depressional wetlands, and will likely apply 

 only to the western portion of Montana. Work will continue relative to additional hydrogeomorphic 

 groups, including high elevation slope wetlands, and additional subclasses of riverine and depressional 

 wetlands; however, it is not known when models will be available for all Montana wetlands. 



