Wetland delineation professional assurance initiative

To advance Wisconsin’s goals of protecting wetlands and increasing government efficiency, the Department of Natural Resources is piloting a program to review training and delineation reports from professionals who conduct wetland delineation to assure the work is meeting established criteria. The goal of this program is to provide a high level of certainty about wetland boundaries for project planning, and save time in state review of wetland boundaries, while enhancing protection for Wisconsin’s wetlands through more accurate wetland boundaries overall.

Wetland professionals may submit a request for assurance at any time they feel they can meet the criteria. Assurance is voluntary. It is not a requirement to conduct wetland delineation work, or a requirement of state permitting.

The work of professionals listed as assured is spot checked annually to ensure that the criteria continue to be met. Professionals whose work is assured are also taking wetland related course work to stay abreast of new scientific information and methods.

Assurance does not change the need for or decisions about wetland fill permits. Assurance can’t guarantee accuracy or relieve landowner responsibility in the event an error occurs and wetlands are filled. While it is unlikely for professional whose work is assured, inadvertent wetland fill that may result from errors must be remedied.

The assurance system will be evaluated over the next several years to determine whether it meets the goals of protecting wetlands, increasing certainty in land development decisions, and increasing government efficiency. The Wisconsin Builders Association–Development Council, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, American Transmission Company and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources helped develop the system and will evaluate it.

When consultant services are needed to locate wetland boundaries, people may want to check the list below to see if they can use an individual whose work is assured, or they can use the education, experience and performance criteria [PDF] to help select a consultant.

Wetland professionals delineation work assured

The wetland delineation work of the following individuals is assured for purposes of State of Wisconsin permits and state–mandated local programs. Concurrence from DNR is not needed and wetland delineation issues are unlikely to cause delays in state permit decisions for sites at which these individuals are the lead field delineator and report author.

Assurance does not change decisions about wetland fill. Assurance is not a guarantee of accuracy or relief from landowner responsibility in the event an error occurs and wetlands are filled. While it is unlikely for professional whose work is assured, inadvertent wetland fill that may result from errors must be remedied.

How to seek assurance of your work

New candidates

DNR welcomes requests at any time from professionals interested in having their wetland delineation work assured. Professional assurance is given for individuals (rather than firms). Each person interested in professional assurance must submit a resume including education, training and work experience, relevant to wetland delineation, and must include six wetland delineations, for which the individual was the primary field observer and report author, completed within the last 24 months. A Wetland Delineation Review Panel of interagency experts in soil science, plant taxonomy, hydrology and wetland delineation methods will evaluate the applications based on a specific set of parameters. To have your wetland delineation work reviewed for assurance, submit all required materials [PDF] to the address shown in the materials.

Continuing assurance

Once professionally assured, a wetland delineator must follow instructions in their decision letter to continue their assured status, including sending copies of all delineations and taking continuing education coursework. Wetland delineations randomly selected from among those submitted will be reviewed annually using the wetland delineation review criteria.

Continuing education courses of value might include, but are not limited to: wetland plant taxonomy; advanced plant taxonomy; wetland hydrology; general hydrology; soil morphology, classification, and mapping; hydric soil identification; wetland restoration and creation; wetland delineation/evaluation/classification; applied wetland ecology and management; wetland creation/mitigation; and wetland ecology.

Contact information

For more information on the professional assurance initiative, contact:

Thomas Nedland
Wetland Identification Coordinator