Assessing Functions and Values of Kenai Peninsula Wetlands Handouts - PDF document

historic~llllll Assessing Functions and Values of Kenai Peninsula Wetlands Handouts referenced by Homer Soil and Water Conservation District in its presentation to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly September 20, 2011 Wetlands along Beaver Creek, an anadromous tributary to the Anchor River (photo: Devony Lehner) Reduces flood peaks by storing stormwater and releasing it slowly Filters pollutants and sediments in runoff Provides many kinds of habitats for fish and wildlife Provides clean water to streams and stabilizes discharge Examples of wetland functions and values Exam pIes of wetland functions and values (ada Dted from: htto:llbenchwood ia nee,wQI'dpress,com/2009/03/0S/)

~1'>1,1t ~" HOME~ IO~IEH. Handout 1: Homer Soil and Water Conservation District mission, boundaries, and key staff working on wetland assessment project SOIL AND WATE~ CONSE~VAT'ON DIST~'CT 4014 Lake St. Homer, AK 99603; 907­235­8177, ext 106; www.homerswcd.org/ The mission of Homer Soil and Water Conservation District is to provide education and leadership in the conservation and sustainable use of soiJ­ and water­related resources through cooperative programs that protect, restore, and improve our environment. Key Homer Soil and Water staff I '\I.'\S~" working on this project: ,,, ........ ,. SOli. Ind \\':lIln C'UII.'CO' I ,tllDn 11l'1"~1 Karyn Noyes is Homer Soil and Water's Ecologist and GIS Technician. She's compiled existing GIS information useful in assessing peninsula wetlands and is tailoring that information to assessment methods. She will then develop and run the GIS­data­based assess- ments. Karyn helped map and , ... I"i. HoJ.i l( Ul;lltOl'V" classify Kenai Peninsula wetlands and has done extensive wetland Homer Soil and Water mapping and determinations across Conservation District Alaska. Devony Lehner is Homer Soil and Water's Special Projects Coor- dinator. Coordinating this project includes conducting outreach and developing interim and final reports and educational material. One of her responsibilities is to assemble and provide information that can help landowners, managers, and others who are interested to understand II ­: their wetlands, including which "best ' .. I.'~ management practices" can help maintain wetland functions and values. Devany has coordinated numerous projects. While working for the Natural Resources Conserva- tion Service, she developed the original Kenai River Landowner's iii., I, 110 III .",1 I Guide. Tara Schmidt is Manager of the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District. She ensures that Homer Soil and Water staff work together in efficient and productive ways. She also manages project budgets. Tara has been District Manager since May 2007 and previously worked for the NRCS.

Factsheet 3: i, What do we mean by wetland functions and values? • The Homer Soil and Water Conse17Jation Disl1ict (HSWCD) is leading a collabo1't1tive project to assess functions and values of Kenai Peninsula }}Jet/ands. This is Factsheet 3 in a series describing that project. For more information, visit }/!!!JI/!.hQJJlursjJJfr!.0'1, 01' call 235­8177, ext. 106. Defining wetland "functions" and "values" is not straightforward ... For many wetland scientists and regulators, the term "wetland functions" means natural processes in wetlands­the things that wetlands do, independent of how much society cares about them. Such functions include, for example, storing rainfall and snowmelt, filtering waterborne sediments, and supporting wetland plants. However, "function" is also used in many statutes, regulations, policies, and reports to refer to ways that wetlands benefit society­that is, the "values" or "goods and services" that wetlands provide us. Such values or services include, for example, reducing flooding of human developments like roads, buildings, and farms; supporting salmon harvested by sport and commercial fisheries; or providing areas for education or for recreation like skiing or birdwatching. Ambiguity in what is meant by wetland functions and values is due in part to the complex roles wetlands play­both ecologically and in meeting society's needs. It also stems from lack of agreement about how to determine and value these roles. As a result, it's important to be as clear as possible about what we mean when we talk about assessing wetland functions and values on the Kenai Peninsula. In a nutshell, wetlands do a variety of things (wetland functions), some of which society values (wetland values). In this project, we will assess both. We will look at which wetlands do which things and, in general terms, to what extent. Some things are easier to assess and some more difficult; some are related to natural processes and others to human activities; and some occur within a wetland itself, while others occur because of how wetlands connect to lands and waters beyond their boundaries. Four kinds of factors come into play in assessing wetland functions and values. 1. Natural processes occurring within wetlands These represent basic wetland functions, including processes such as water storage, streamflow modulation, biomass production (both plant and animal), and denitrification. These processes can be at least partially measured and objectively described given adequate time and funding. The challenge is that thousands of natural processes occur within even a single wetland, and these processes change seasonally and from year­to- year. It's therefore impossible to fully describe or assess all of these wetland functions, even those that society values. And simply identifying functions may not reflect their importance to society. 2. Offsite conditions and processes that affect onsite functions and values It's not just onsite wetland functions and values that must be considered, offsite and regional conditions and processes (both natural and manmade) affect what happens within a wetland and, therefore, need to be considered too. Such conditions and processes include rainfall, snowmelt, and groundwater collecting and flowing throughout the watersheds where wetlands are located; local and regional climate and geology; the ways each wetland connects to other wetlands and to nearby waterbodies and uplands; the rarity of different kinds of wetlands in a watershed or region; and other landscape­level contexts. Many of these conditions and processes can be assessed with a fair amount of objectivity, others are more difficult to address. 3. Cultural features and activities Cultural features and activities­roads, buildings, logging, mining, ditching, fill, culverts, and the like­can alter the ability of a wetland to perform its functions or provide values to society. Such features also determine where a society might most need wetland functions like flood reduction, sediment removal, or groundwater recharge. Many cultural characteristics can be measured with a fair amount of objectivity, particularly given digital geographic information systems (GIS). But cultural features and activities can change, both incrementally and rapidly, so assessments represent just a brief moment in time. 4. Attitudes of society to wetlands and what they do The value of any wetland depends on society's attitude towards it. Who values flood storage or salmon production or moose habitat, and how much? How strongly do they feel? What actions are they willing to take to maintain this value? The terms values, benefits, opportunities, and social significance are all used for this fourth kind of factor, as are goods and services and green infrastructure. The attitudes of society to various wetlands and what they do can be measured to some extent, but usually with some difficulty. And attitudes can change over time, often dramatically. 4/25/11 Page 1 of 2