The National Wetlands Inventory: Driving Conservation through Mapping

NOAA Science Seminar Series

Title: The National Wetlands Inventory: Driving Conservation through Mapping
Part of the Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping 2022 Seminar Series

Presenter: Megan Lang, Chief Scientist, National Wetlands Inventory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Program, Falls Church, Virginia;

Sponsor(s): NOAA Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping program

Seminar Contact: Amber Butler (amber.butler@noaa.gov) 

Remote Access: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6558943523068147983 
Please contact amber.butler@noaa.gov for technical connectivity troubleshooting.

Abstract: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Program has catalyzed the conservation of wetlands through the mapping and monitoring of U.S. wetland and deepwater habitats for over 40 years. The Program provides two distinct products, the NWI Geospatial Dataset and Wetlands Status and Trends Reports to Congress. The Geospatial Dataset contains over 35 million polygons that provide spatially explicit, contiguous information on wetland and deepwater habitat type, location, and extent. The Wetlands Status and Trends Project offers decadal tabular estimates of wetland and deepwater habitat type and area change. These datasets provide complementary information that is used by stakeholders to support a broad array of applications, from conservation-oriented infrastructure planning to Endangered Species Act decision-making. To better meet these needs, the NWI Program has initiated a research and development effort to support the long-term delivery of high-quality wetlands data. This presentation will provide an update on newly available NWI products, progress towards delivering the next Wetlands Status and Trends Report, and ongoing partnerships with NOAA and USGS. The audience will have an opportunity to provide feedback aimed at enhancing partnerships and increasing the utility of NWI products for meeting today’s most pressing needs for improved water data.

Bio: Megan Lang is Chief Scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Wetlands Inventory Program and Team Lead for the FWS Wetlands Status and Trends Project. Dr. Lang is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Department of Geographical Sciences. She serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal Wetlands and has published over 100 scientific articles and book chapters. Before working for the FWS, Dr. Lang led the U.S. Department of Agricultural Mid-Atlantic Regional Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project. She has been working to support the conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems through field and remote sensing-based assessments for over two decades.

Slides, Recordings, Other materials: Materials and the recording will be available after the seminar by contacting iwgocm.staff@noaa.gov 

Subscribe to the NOAA Science Seminar Series weekly email:
Send an e-mail to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request@list.woc.noaa.gov with the word 'subscribe' in the subject or body. Visit the NOAA Science Seminar Series website for more information. We welcome your suggestions and ideas!

{Megan Lang, Chief Scientist National Wetlands Inventory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Program}