§3931. National wetlands inventory project
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Latest Jul 12, 2026 NOW As last amended Sep 30, 200016 U.S.C. § 3931
In general— The Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall continue the National Wetlands Inventory Project and shall—
produce, by September 30, 1988, National Wetlands Inventory maps for the areas that have been identified by the Service as top priorities for mapping, including—
the entire coastal zone of the United States;
floodplains of major rivers; and
the Prairie Pothole region;
produce, by September 30, 1998, National Wetlands Inventory maps for those portions of the contiguous United States for which final maps have not been produced earlier;
produce, by September 30, 2000, National Wetlands Inventory maps for Alaska and other noncontiguous portions of the United States;
produce, by September 30, 1990, and at ten-year intervals thereafter, reports to update and improve the information contained in the report dated September 1982 and entitled “Status and Trends of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitat in the Coterminous United States, 1950’s to 1970’s”;
produce, by April 30, 1990, a report that provides—
an assessment of the estimated total number of acres of wetland habitat as of the 1780’s in the areas that now comprise each State; and
an assessment of the estimated total number of acres of wetlands in each State as of the 1980’s, and the percentage of loss of wetlands in each State between the 1780’s and the 1980’s;
produce, by September 30, 2004, a digital wetlands data base for the United States based on the final wetlands maps produced under this section; and
archive and make available for dissemination wetlands data and maps digitized under this section as such data and maps become available.
Notice— The Secretary shall notify the appropriate State and local units of government at such time as he proposes to begin map preparation under subsection (a) in an area. Such notice shall include, but is not limited to, the identification of the area to be mapped, the proposed schedule for completion, and the identification of a source for further information.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
(Pub. L. 99–645, title IV, § 401, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3588; Pub. L. 101–233, § 18, Dec. 13, 1989, 103 Stat. 1978; Pub. L. 102–440, title III, § 305, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2235.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1992—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 102–440, § 305(1), substituted “by September 30, 2000” for “as soon as practicable”.
Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 102–440, § 305(2), which directed amendment of par. (4) by substituting a semicolon for “. And”, was executed by making the substitution for “. and”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Subsec. (a)(6), (7). Pub. L. 102–440, § 305(3), (4), added pars. (6) and (7).
1989—Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 101–233 added par. (5).