USDA finalized a rule for the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985; the rule is intended to clarify how the agency delineates, determines, and certifies wetlands to make determinations of ineligibility for certain USDA program benefits, and to respond to comments on an interim rule published December 7, 2018.

The Army Corps of Engineers, as part of an interagency effort with EPA, FWS, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), announced the availability of the final 2018 National Wetland Plant List, which provides plant species indicator status ratings that are used to determine whether the hydrophytic vegetation factor is met when conducting wetland delineations under the CWA and wetland determinations under the wetland conservation provisions of the Food Security Act.

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers announced the availability of and seeks comment on its 2018 National Wetland Plant List; the list is used to delineate wetlands for purposes of the CWA and wetland conservation provisions of the Food Security Act.

USDA seeks comment on clarifications to the erodible land and wetland conservation compliance provisions under the Food Security Act; the clarifications are intended to provide transparency to agency program participants and stakeholders concerning how the agency delineates, determines, and certifies wetlands.