August 8, 1990 POL-3025 



Page 10 of 10 



to preserve important edge habitat and protect primary 

 breeding and feeding areas from adjacent land uses. 

 They should be designed to connect to other wetlands, 

 aquatic systems or forested areas whenever possible. 



The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Habitat Evaluation 

 Procedures (HEP) Models demonstrate the value of upland 

 adjacent to wetlands for the following guild species: 

 muskrat, trout and salmon, lesser scaup and mallard, 

 beaver, blue heron, black brant, mink, wood duck and 

 red-winged blackbird. 



Native vegetation in uplands adjacent to wetlands will 

 be protected to ensure diversity of plant and animal 

 communities. It will be designed to meet life needs of 

 priority species and others that depend upon the wetland/ 

 riparian zone for primary breeding and feeding and cover 

 needs. It will also be designed to provide sufficient 

 canopy cover, large organic debris, snags and downed 

 timber, interspersion, and vertical and horizontal edge 

 diversity. 



12. Detrimental Uses of Wetlands Vill be Discouraged 



Use of wetlands or their buffers for housing or urban 

 development will be strongly discouraged. The use of 

 existing wetlands and buffers for urban stormwater or 

 wastewater treatment will be strongly discouraged. 

 Stormwater should be treated in grassy swales and oil/gas 

 separators prior to discharge into wetlands or their 

 buffers. Urban wastewater and stormwater may be treated 

 in artificial wetlands created for that purpose. 



* Conversion of wetland buffers to recreational facilities 

 will be discouraged. Feat mining in wetlands dominated 

 by native plants will be discouraged. 



13. Consideration Shall be Given to Enhancing Wetlands 



In any WDW project involving a wetland, consideration 

 shall be given to enhancing the wetland to increase 

 functional value. Examples of this include: planting 

 native vegetation, removing exotic plants, increasing 

 the size or diversity of the wetland system, or restor- 

 ing disturbed portions. Areas with existing high value 

 will not be altered (sphagnum peat bogs, for example). 



