The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that wetlands be protected from degradation because of their important ecological functions including maintenance of high water quality and provision of fish and wildlife habitat. However, this protection generally does not encompass riparian areasâ€"the lands bordering rivers and lakesâ€"even though they often provide the same functions as wetlands. Growing recognition of the similarities in wetland and riparian area functioning and the differences in their legal protection led the NRC in 1999 to undertake a study of riparian areas, which has culminated in Riparian Areas: Functioning and Strategies for Management. The report is intended to heighten awareness of riparian areas commensurate with their ecological and societal values. The primary conclusion is that, because riparian areas perform a disproportionate number of biological and physical functions on a unit area basis, restoration of riparian functions along America's waterbodies should be a national goal.

This fully illustrated guide provides information for identifying over 200 species of plants commonly found in North Carolina's mountain, piedmont, and coastal plain wetlands. It is designed for anyone interested in the state's wetland flora and contains: organization by plant type, key identifying features, maps showing relative commonness by ecoregion, status information from the National Wetland Plant List, habitat information, and a section on commonly confused plants. Wetland plants are indicators of the duration of water in an area. The ability to identify wetland plants is useful to anyone who needs to know where a wetland lies, whether it be landowner, regulator, developer, government, or conservation organization. This version is an update to the 1997 Common Wetland Plants of North Carolina written and illustrated by Karen Kendig before she retired from NC DEQ. The original guide included 128 taxa; this newly revised edition includes 206 taxa, photographs of all taxa, notation of non-native species, and other updated information. Wetlands are valuable, vanishing resources that provide useful functions including water storage and purification, wildlife and aquatic habitat, and outdoor recreation and education. We hope visitors to wetlands will recognize and appreciate the value of these wonderlands, beginning with the observation of wetland plants and animals.

This report presents the findings of a task force review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Shoreline Protection and Beach Erosion Control Program. The assessment of the program was in response to Fiscal Year 1994 "Passback Language" from the Office of Management and Budget. The report responds to concerns about the shoreline protection program, particularly concerning costs, benefits, environmental effects and the related influences on shoreline development. The study was performed in two phases. The initial phase was completed in January 1994 and published as IWR Report 94-PS-1, Shoreline Protection and Beach Erosion Control Study. Phase I: Cost Comparison of Shoreline Protection Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the first phase report was to provide early input to the Office of the Management and Budget regarding the scope and cost of Federal Civil Works shore protection. This second and final phase of the study incorporates: additional analysis of project costs and sand emplacements; and overview of risk management in the coastal zone; a comparison of actual versus anticipated benefits; a discussion on environmental considerations; and an analysis of any induced development effects associated with the Federal shore protection and beach erosion control program. Also, included is a summary of study findings and conclusions. The basis of this report and the data compiled by the task force reflects conditions as of 1 July 1993.

Special edition of the Federal Register, containing a codification of documents of general applicability and future effect ... with ancillaries.

The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.