What is one to do with this optional item?

Wetland regulations come under various jurisdictions around the country. The wetland regulators can be the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), State environmental agencies or local authorities and commissions.

The presence of wetlands clearly impacts potential development opportunities that may exist on the site. It is a key component in a prospective purchasers due diligence activities to understand (A) if wetlands even exist or not and (B) what impacts they may have on the site especially if the property is being acquired with expansion in mind. Not only can the wetland line itself have a significant impact on the property, but it is also the impact of the buffers around the wetlands that may be imposed by regulations that reduce the expansion prospects even further. Furthermore, an approved delineation by the local regulatory body may only be valid for a limited period of time.

Under the 2011 standards, optional item 19 required the "location of wetland areas by appropriate authorities." If this item was checked, it was often done by utilizing large scale agency mapping with approximations of wetlands. There was likely no ground field delineation.

When ordering your next survey under the 2016 ALTA/NSPS standards be sure to understand how this optional item 18 may impact your site. Be certain to also understand the time factor that will be needed for the delineation and subsequent field survey and mapping.