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APPENDIX A--CASS COUNTY WETLAND FUNCTION ANALYSIS MODEL CASS COUNTY WETLAND FUNCTION ANALYSIS MODEL INTRODUCTION Cass was one of ten counties in Minnesota selected in 1995 to participate in a joint administration program (General Permit#17) with the US Army Corps of Engineers to achieve "one stop shopping" in processing of wetland-related permits. As a part of that program, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources offered counties grant funding, which Cass received, to develop methodologies which would better define wetland functions in a local setting and use that functional information to shape local wetland planning and ordinances. In developing this model, it was recognized that: 1. The accuracy of information relating to any one wetland affects the accuracy of the model. 2. The functions of a wetland in a particular local setting or complex of wetlands may differ from the general assumptions made in developing this model. 3. No model is intended to take the place of a project-related site visit. MODEL DEVELOPMENT GOALS A workplan was written to guide model development. The object was to create an evaluation system that could be adapted from county to county to fit local or regional wetland functional differences while meeting the WCA no net loss goal overall. The model also needed to be adaptable to varying levels of technological sophistication, depending on the availability of Geographic Information System (GIS) information in a particular county. The following goals and action items were established in the work plan: I. Select Pilot Study Areas a. Two township-sized areas to be coordinated with groundwater protection study. b. Assemble all existing GIS coverages for selected areas. Il. Identify Evaluation Criteria and Factors a. Establish general priorities according to Cowardin classification system. What are the general functions that the various wetland types serve in Cass County? 12