National Wetland Plant List 2018/2019 Updates

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The Swamp Stomp

Volume 19, Issue 14

On June 10, 2019 the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that an update to the National Wetland Plant List (NWPL) is now available for review and comment. The public comment period ends on August 9, 2019.

The direct link to comment on the list is: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/06/10/2019-12129/national-wetland-plant-list

For the 2018 NWPL update, the NWPL National Panel (NP) and Regional Panels (RPs) reviewed proposed wetland rating changes or additions for 20 species and 37 regional ratings (some species were reviewed for multiple regions) submitted by the general public.

Eight of these species were proposed for addition to the NWPL, and 12 species were submitted for a rating change request in one or more regions. Submitted information was reviewed by the NP and RPs, and proposed 2018 ratings for these species were determined, as detailed below.

Note that all submitted species are included here, regardless of whether or not the NP and RPs proposed a rating change. Hence, for those species where the current and proposed ratings are the same, a rating change request was submitted, but after review of the submitted information no rating change is being proposed for the 2018 update.

For the time being, it would appear that we are calling this the 2018 update to the NWPL. Perhaps this will be changed to 2019 in the final version.

The Federal Register notice also reiterates the wetland rating definitions for OBL, FACW, FAC, FACU and UPL. The percentage definitions used in the past are only used for testing and problematic species. Plus and minus designations and wetland indicator designations such as No Indicator (NI), No Occurrence (NO), and No Agreement (NA) are no longer used on the NWPL.

Users are encouraged to submit literature citations, herbaria records, experiential references, monitoring data, and other relevant information.

Specific knowledge of, or studies related to, individual species are particularly helpful. Commenters should use their regional botanical and ecological expertise, field observations, reviews of the most recent indicator status information, appropriate botanical literature, floras, herbarium specimens with notation of habitat and associated species, habit data, relevant studies, and historic list information.

This is also an opportunity to suggest new ratings for species not included on the short list below. The Corps is also discouraging guessing ratings. I am not sure what that means, but don’t do it.

These are the proposed changes.  Be sure to note American Holly (Ilex opaca).

Species Region Current 2016 Rating* Proposed 2019 Rating
Aristida palustris AGCP NOL FACW
Artemisia dracunculus AW NOL FACU
Artemisia dracunculus WMVC NOL FACU
Bassia hyssopifolia AW FACU FACU
Bromus nottowayanus MW NOL FACU
Bromus nottowayanus NCNE NOL FACU
Delairea odorata AW NOL FAC
Delairea odorata WMVC NOL FAC
Dichanthelium wrightianum AGCP NOL FACW
Epilobium brachycarpum AW NOL FAC
Epilobium brachycarpum WMVC NOL FAC
Hymenocallis latifolia AGCP FACW FACU
Hymenocallis latifolia CB FACW FACU
Hymenocallis occidentalis AGCP OBL FAC
Hymenocallis occidentalis EMP OBL FAC
Hymenocallis occidentalis GP FACW FAC
Hymenocallis occidentalis MW OBL FAC
Ilex opaca AGCP FAC FAC
Iva axillaris AW FAC FACU
Iva axillaris WMVC FAC FACU
Liriodendron tulipifera AGCP FACU FACU
Liriodendron tulipifera EMP FACU FACU
Penstemon rydbergii AW FACU FACU
Penstemon rydbergii WMVC FACU FACU
Pleopeltis polypodioides AGCP FAC UPL
Polymnia canadensis EMP NOL FACU
Polymnia canadensis MW NOL FACU
Polymnia canadensis NCNE NOL FACU
Pycnanthemum muticum EMP FAC FACU
Quercus michauxii AGCP FACW FACW
Tussilago farfara NCNE FACU FACU
Verbena brasiliensis AGCP NOL FACU
Verbena brasiliensis EMP NOL FACU
Verbena brasiliensis MW NOL FACU
Verbena incompta AGCP FACW FACU
Verbena incompta EMP FACW FACU
Verbena incompta MW FAC FACU

 

*NOL = “Not On List” and indicates proposed additions
OBL—almost always occur in wetlands
FACW—usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands
FAC—occur in wetlands and non-wetlands
FACU—usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands
UPL—almost always occur in non-wetlands

Be sure to mention in your comments and suggestions related the the 2016 name changes of species.  There is no mention that these will be updated with the new release.  There had been a discussion that the 2014 names should be used.  This has been a big issue when trying to key out a plant only to find that the Corps has changed the name and there are not academic references to support the name changes.  This has lead to misidentification in the field of species wetland ratings.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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