Identify which of the governmental agencies regulate wetland management. What will be an ideal ...

The primary governmental agencies involved in wetland management are the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation
Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the
Interior, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Other agencies with interests in wetland management include
the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Urbanizationwoodlands are cleared and drained to allow for the expansion of urban areas and construction
of homes.
 Industrythe construction of factories and their associated structures in wetland areas requires the drainage
of those wetlands.
 Agriculturehistorically, wetlands have been considered a disadvantage because they do not allow for productive
agricultural production. Until recently in our history, draining wetlands was considered reclaiming the
land for productive use.
 Timber harvestvaluable timber growing in wetland areas cannot be harvested because the trees cannot be
hauled out until the soil is solid. That requires the draining of the wetland. As in draining wetlands for agricultural
use, draining them for timber harvest has historically been considered a way of reclaiming the land.
 Mining operationsas in the previous two categories, mining operations require solid ground, so wetlands
must be drained before mining can begin.

All wetlands are alike in that they share certain common characteristics. (See question 2.) Unique characteristics
are as follows:
 Marshes do not rely on rainfall for their water supply, and soft-stemmed plants are the dominant plant type.
Examples of marsh plants are reeds, sedges, rushes, grasses, and cattails.
 Swamps are wetlands characterized by standing water and heavy growths of trees and shrubs usually producing
a dark, shady environment. The standing water swamp is often very dark as a result of the production of tannin
and other compounds due to the decay of organic matter in the water.

Bogs are areas that are very damp, usually with evergreens present, with a floor covered with moss and peat.
When you walk in a bog, the surface of the ground may feel spunky under your feet and there may be a tendency
for your feet to sink into the surface. The term bogged down results from that characteristic. Most
bogs are found in the Northeast and in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

Three principal resources are available to the landowner when researching for wetland sites:
 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service produces the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI), which includes a list of
currently identified wetlands.
 The Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Survey List maintains a list of hydric soils in its county-
by-county survey maps.
 U.S. Geological Topography maps indicate vegetative covers, surface characteristics, bogs, and marshes.