Today, the Friends of the St. Joe River (FotSJR) hosted the third quarterly meeting for the Wetland Partnership Project. Despite the frequent deluge of April rain, many of the Wetland Partnership Project partners were in attendance. The highlight of the meeting included a discussion led by Matt Meersman on the "Wetland Restoration and Protection Prioritization" non-functional criteria outline. This outline was established to identify area where wetland restoration and protection could have the most significant water quality benefits and are the most practical in terms of key factors. This methodology includes two different categories of criteria, which can be combined or looked at individually. The first category focuses on potential water quality benefits while the second focuses on practicality or ease of restoration or protection. The non-functional criteria will be looked at in addition to each wetlands significance for a variety of functions. While the functional assessment is considered the primary tool for prioritizing, the non-functional piece will allow for further refinement.

To view the full Wetland Prioritization Outline, click here. NOTE: This is a working DRAFT, and does not represent the FINAL criteria outline. 

The fourth quarterly meeting is scheduled for August 25, 2011 at 10:15 a.m. at the Three Rivers Public Library.