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Wetlands Delineation and Jurisdictional Determination:
1987 Manual & Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Supplement

July 20-24 , 2009
Raleigh and New Bern, NC

A professional water resources training course offered by

College of Natural Resources.

General Course Description (revised May 26, 2009)

The 11th anniversary edition of the NC State University wetland delineation course has been extensively revised and updated to reflect the implementation of the Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coast Plain Region. The waters of the United State definition and the impacts of the SWANCC and Rapanow-Carabell Supreme Court decisions on federal jurisdictional determinations and NC wetland rules will be discussed.

Participants in this course learn to utilize the standard methods of wetland determination and delineation described in the Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (1987 Manual), and Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coast Plain Region (Coastal Plain Supplement). The 1987 Manual will continue to apply, in its entirety to the Piedmont and Mountains of the Southeast until adoption of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regional supplement, scheduled for 2010.

The course is based on concepts, criteria, guidance, and procedures of the 1987 Manual and Coastal Plain Supplement, additional U.S. Army corps of Engineers (Corps) technical publications, and current policies on waters of the United States jurisdictional determinations published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Corps on their respective web pages. Additional explanatory narrative and discussions, particularly with reference to wetland science, are based on the instructors' tremendous knowledge and experience in the field of wetland science. Field trips in both the Piedmont and coastal Plain regions of the state will visit examples of all inland wetland types of the Southeast and provide participants the opportunity to see examples of all hydrology and hydric soil indicators listed in the 1987 Manual and in the Coastal Plain.

This 4.5-day course provides 40 contact hours: 24 hours of classroom instruction and 16 hours of field instruction. Field trips in both the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state will visit all wetland types of the state and provide participants the opportunity to see examples of most common wetland plants and all hydrology and hydric soil indicators listed in the 1987 Manual and in the Coastal Plain Supplement that are applicable to the Southeast. The registration fee for the course is $795.00. Additional details are provided below.

Training Certification and Continuing Education (revised April 10, 2009)

Participants who successfully complete 4.5 day course will receive a certification of training in wetland delineation and jurisdictional determination from the NC State University Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources. Below are some of the professional accreditation standards met by the course:

• With 20 contact hours of classroom instruction and 16 hours of field instruction, this course more than meets the wetland delineation training course requirement (32 hours) of the State of Virginia Certified Professional Wetland Delineator program (http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/dporweb/ssc_main.cfm).
• This course will provide more than the 2.0 points maximum required for recertification by the Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program.
• The course will receive continuing education credits from the NC Board of Engineers and Surveyors.
• Category 1-CF Continuing Forestry Education from Society of American Foresters

Please take note that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineator Certification Program (WDCP) does not exist. The proposed rule for the WDCP was published in the federal register on March 14, 1995. A small test of the WDCP was conducted and some individuals who participated in the test program were issued provisional certificates, subject to publication of the final rule. However, the WDCP was summarily terminated in early 1997. The final regulations were never published and there is no proposed date for publication of those regulations. Therefore, there is no effective date of certification.

Course Administration Information

Lodging, Lectures, and Tour Locations

Lodging is not included in the registration fee and attendees must make their own lodging arrangements. A block of rooms with special group rates will be held at each of the two hotels under the group name “NSCU Wetlands.”

Raleigh - Ramada Blue Ridge Hotel, 1520 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607. Group rates are available for the nights of July 19, 20 and 21 for $75.00 + tax per night. To make reservations call 1-800-441-4709 by July 10, 2009. Classroom sessions will be held at the Ramada on days 1 and 2 of the course. Field exercises on day 3 will be in the central Piedmont region of North Carolina in the vicinity of Raleigh. Van transportation to and from field sites is provided.

New Bern - Hampton Inn, 200 Hotel Drive, New Bern, NC 28562. The $89+tax group rate is available for the nights of July 22 and 23, 2009. To make your reservation call 252-637-2111 by July 1, 2009. Classroom session on days 4 and 5 will be held at the Hampton Inn. Field exercises during the afternoons of day 4 and day 5 will be in the lower Coastal Plain area of North Carolina in the vicinity of New Bern. Van transportation to and from field sites is provided.

Field Exercise and Intrastate Transportation

Field trips in both the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state will visit all inland wetland types of the state and provide participants the opportunity to see examples of all hydrology and hydric soil indicators listed in the 1987 Manual and in the Coastal Plain Supplement. Field trip transportation and shuttle van service between Raleigh, NC and New Bern, NC are included in the registration fee. The shuttle vans will take participants from Raleigh to New Bern on Wednesday evening (day 3), and return to the Hampton Inn I-40 on Friday afternoon (day 5).

Course Materials

Course reference materials provided to all participants include:

1. Course Reference Book: Notebook containing extensive handouts prepared by the instructors, supplemental reference materials.

2. Bound copies of:

a. Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. 1987.
b. Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain. October 2008..
c. National List of Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands: Southeast (Region 2). 1988.
d. Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States. Version 6.0, 2006.
e. U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Jurisdictional Determination Form Instructional Guidebook. May 30, 2007.

Registration and Fees

The registration fee for the course is $795 and includes course instruction and course materials, all lunches, morning and afternoon refreshment breaks, field trip transportation and training certificate. Class size is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

There are two registration methods:
(1) Registration on-line at the FEOP Registration Store using Mastercard or Visa
(2) Download the PDF version of the workshop registration form and return with payment by mail.

Cancellations in writing (fax, US Mail, or email) received on, or before, 14 days prior to course day 1 will receive a full refund. Cancellations received between 14 days and 7 days prior to the course day 1 will receive a refund less a $75 service charge. Sorry, but it is not possible to obtain a refund within 7 days of the courses' day 1. Substitute attendees are welcome with notification of our office.

Instructors

Dr. James D. Gregory, CPSS, PWS is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources at NC State University and Principal of Watershed Hydrology Consultants LLC. He has 34 years experience in teaching and research in watershed and wetlands hydrology and has conducted research on all wetlands types in North Carolina except salt marshes. Dr. Gregory has taught wetland delineation multiple times each year for 10 years, both in a NCSU graduate course and in the one-week workshop. He is a recognized expert on Clean Water Act, Section 404 and the federal and state regulations related to Section 404. Dr. Gregory has served several consultancies as an expert witness on wetlands cases, and is a frequent invited speaker on Section 404 at workshops and conferences. A co-chairman of the NC Stream Technical Advisory Committee, Dr. Gregory has worked closely with the NC Division of Water Quality since 1998 in the development of the stream definitions, the riparian buffer rules, the methods for classifying and identifying stream origins in NC, and the stream identification training course. Dr. Gregory has conducted research on the structure and functions of headwaters streams and the hydrologic functions of riparian zones.

Dr. Jon Stucky has been on the North Carolina State University (NCSU)of the Department of Plant Biology (Dept. of Botany) for 34 years. He is a member of the NCSU Academy of Outstanding Teachers and has received the Outstanding Research Award from the Association of Southeastern Biologists. In addition to having taught NCSU field botany classes for over 30 years, Dr. Stucky has taught environmental professionals in wetland plant identification and wetland delineation workshops for 15 years. He has authored and co-authored plant identification resources valuable to wetland professionals including Common, Woody, Piedmont and Coastal Plain, Wetland Plants of the Carolinas; Winter Keys to Common, Wetland, Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of the North Carolina Coastal Plain; Winter Twig Keys to Common, Native, Fully Deciduous Trees and Phanerophyte Shrubs of the North Carolina Eastern Piedmont. His primary research focus is native plant species conservation and he has published 30 scientific research articles on this and related topics in journals including BioScience, American Journal of Botany, American Midland Naturalist, and others. He is a member of several professional organizations including the Society of Wetland Scientists, Association of Southeastern Biologists, Southern Appalachian Botanical Society, North American College Teachers of Agriculture, and others. Click here from more information on Jon Stucky.

Topical / Daily Agenda (revised April 10, 2009)

Day 1: 8 am - 5 pm (8 hours of classroom instruction)

1. Overview of the course
2. Scope and history of jurisdictional wetlands and methods for wetland delineation and jurisdictional wetland determination; wetland and stream definitions; history of extent of waters of the United States and impacts of the SWANNC and Rapanos-Carabell Supreme Court decisions.
3. Overview:  The Corps of Engineers wetland delineation program, the Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (1987 Manual), and the Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Region (Coastal Plain Supplement.
4. Wetland classification systems:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Corps of Engineers Hydrogeomorphic, and the NC Wetland Assessment Method.
5. Introduction to the North Carolina Wetland Assessment Method (NCWAM).
6. Principles of wetland hydrology:  hydrology of the soil profile, hydrologic functions, and hydrology of wetland types in North Carolina.
7. Application of the wetland hydrology factor in wetland delineation: definitions, criteria, and indicators; 1987 Manual and Coastal Plain Supplement.
8. Growing season:  definitions and data for wetland delineation in NC; 1987 Manual and Coastal Plain Supplement.
9. Desktop and field soils assessment:  description of mapping units and profiles, the U.S. Soil Taxonomy, use of soil surveys and maps, soils data sources.

Day 2: 8 am - 5 pm (8 hours of classroom instruction)

1. Principles of hydric soils:  definitions, biology and physico-chemistry of hydric soils, taxonomy of hydric soils, the hydric soils of North Carolina.
2. Application of the hydric soil factor in wetland delineation:  definitions, criteria, and indicators; 1987 Manual and Coastal Plain Supplement.
3. Principles of hydrophytic vegetation:  definitions; ecological principles of hydrophytic plants and wetland communities; principal wetland plant communities of North Carolina.
4. Application of the hydrophytic plant factor in wetland delineation:  definitions, criteria, and indicators; 1987 Manual and Coastal Plain Supplement.
5. Wetland determination and delineation field methods:  1987 Manual and Coastal Plain Supplement.

Day 3: 8 am - 5 pm (8 hours of field instruction)

Instruction and practice in applying wetland determination and delineation methods in Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain wetlands - Wake and Johnston Counties.

Evening – travel to New Bern

Day 4: 8 am - 5 pm (4 hours of classroom instruction)

1. Difficult wetland situations; Coastal Plain Supplement.
2. Hydrologic assessments; Coastal Plain Supplement and other Corps of Engineers Technical documents.
3. Rapanos-Carabell Guidance and jurisdictional determinations

Day 4: 1 pm - 5 pm (4 hours of field instruction)

Instruction and practice in applying wetland determination and delineation methods in Lower Coastal Plain wetlands – Craven County.

Day 5: 8 am - noon (4 hours of field instruction)

Instruction and practice in applying wetland determination and delineation methods in Lower Coastal Plain wetlands – Craven County.

Suggested Equipment (revised April 10, 2009)

Three equipment items to be used during the field exercises will be provided in limited numbers: spade, soil auger, and Munsell soil color book. Participants may bring their own equipment or share with others. For those who are new to wetland delineation here's some advice on purchasing these items:

(1) Soil Auger: the Dutch auger type with 4-5 ft long handle is recommended. Augers from several different manufacturers are marketed by many different web vendors. 
AMS (http://www.ams-samplers.com/Index.cfm) and
Eijkelkamp (http://www.eijkelkamp.com/Home/tabid/54/Default.aspx)
are the long-time traditional manufacturers. A Dutchman named Edelman invented the Dutch auger head design, hence its name. The Eijkelkamp Edelman One-Piece auger is the lightest available. The AMS Dutch auger is designed for removing the head from the handle and is heavier.

(2) Munsell soil color chart book - Developed by the Munsell Company and the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service.  The Munsell soil color charts are the field and laboratory standard for classifying the color of soil, rocks, and archaeological specimens and are an essential tool for wetlands delineation. Prices range from $100 - $150 from a number of online vendors.

(3) Spade - standard space, blade most commonly 16" in length, available at all hardware and building supply stores.

Note: Mention of brand or company names is provided for information only and does constitute endorsement by NC State University or Watershed Hydrology Consultants LLC.