National Wetlands Inventory

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency tasked with providing information to the public on the extent and status of the nation’s wetland and deepwater habitats, as well as changes to these habitats over time.

What We Do

Our Services

We produce and distribute maps and other geospatial data on American wetland and deepwater habitats, as well as monitor changes in these habitats through time. This information is available to the public through two primary datasets: the wetlands geospatial dataset and wetlands status and trends reports. These provide complementary information on wetland and deepwater habitat type, location, and trends to support research, land management planning and analyses, policy development, and modeling activities.

Wetlands Mapper

The Wetlands Mapper is the primary public interface to the wetlands geospatial dataset and it delivers easy-to-use, map-like views of the nation’s wetland and deepwater resources. It spatially integrates National Wetland Inventory data with additional natural resource information and political boundaries to produce a robust decision support tool.

Status and Trends

Our Status and Trends reports provide estimates of U.S. wetland extent, type, and change specific to different time periods, ranging from the 1700s to 2009. Produced on a decadal basis, these reports inform policy-makers and the public on the status of the nation's wetlands and potential causes of wetland change..."
Wetlands 

Federal Program Inventory

"Search programs

This website allows visitors to explore Federal financial assistance programs across categories, agencies, eligible applicants, and more.

Explore programs using search

About the FPI

The Federal Program Inventory aggregates important information about the programs of the U.S. Government. This website builds on lessons learned during the FPI Exploratory Pilot, launched in 2020, by significantly increasing the number of programs, amount of spending, and information included.

Learn more about the FPI

Learn about the data

This website uses publicly available, agency-provided data. This data is sourced from SAM.gov and USASpending.gov. All data used on this website is available to download.

Learn more about the data.."
Federal Program Inventory 

How the Smithsonian Is Helping Black Americans Trace Their Roots

"Retired Marine Leander Holston had uncovered some interesting facts about his family. Using the genealogy website MyHeritage to build a family tree, he’d created an extensive database of relatives going back three generations on his father’s side. He learned about uncles he’d never met and discovered that the surname passed down to him by his father was only carried by a few of the men in his family.

But when it came to researching his mother’s roots, Holston wasn’t having as much success. Drawing on census records, he identified his maternal grandmother, whose maiden name was Dixie Pearson. Though a man named John or Henry Pearson appeared to be her father, their birth dates weren’t quite lining up. He was born in the 1870s; Holston had expected his great-grandfather to be born a few decades earlier, closer to the 1850s. Despite his best efforts, he was stumped.

Then, during a trip to Washington, D.C. for his wife’s birthday in August 2023, Holston visited the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), where he stumbled upon the Robert Frederick Smith Explore Your Family History Center. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, visitors can sign up for free, in-person group genealogy sessions hosted by the center’s staff and volunteers. Hourlong, one-on-one virtual sessions are also available, so when Holston returned home to Pineville, North Carolina, he decided to turn to the NMAAHC genealogy team for advice from afar.

Genealogy reference assistant Lisa Crawley hosted Holston’s online session. She offered a different interpretation of the census records, suggesting Dixie’s presumed father was actually her brother. Holston attributes the confusion to the fact that the men seemingly shared the same name.

Techniques shared by Crawley showed Holston how to glean information more accurately from the data he finds. “That was a skill that I was lacking when I was trying to [conduct research] on my own without any help,” Holston adds. “The knowledge of how to actually go in and dig down … and follow a record through … was extremely beneficial to me.”

Genealogy researchers use military records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, wills, legal and court documents, and census records to help piece together the past. The resources referenced by NMAAHC’s team don’t currently include newspaper archives, which contain obituaries, but that “process is moving forward,” Crawley says..."
African American Genealogy 

Strep Throat: All You Need to Know

"Worried your sore throat may be strep throat? Healthcare providers can do a quick test to see if a sore throat is strep throat. Antibiotics can help people with strep throat feel better faster and prevent spreading the bacteria to others.

Bacteria cause strep throat

Viruses cause most sore throats. However, strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by bacteria called group A Streptococcus (group A strep).

How you get strep throat

Group A strep bacteria are very contagious. Generally, people spread the bacteria to others through

• Respiratory droplets
• Direct contact

Rarely, group A strep bacteria can be spread through food that isn’t handled properly (visit CDC’s food safety page).

It usually takes 2 to 5 days after exposure to become ill with strep throat.

Respiratory droplets

Group A strep bacteria often live in the nose and throat. People who are infected spread the bacteria by talking, coughing, or sneezing. This creates respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria.

People can get sick if they:

• Breathe in respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria
• Touch their mouth or nose after touching something with those droplets on it
• Use the same plate, utensil, or glass as a person infected with the bacteria

Direct contact

People can also spread group A strep bacteria from infected sores on the skin. Other people can get sick if they touch those sores or come into contact with fluid from the sores.

People are contagious even with no symptoms

Some people infected with group A strep do not have symptoms or seem sick. People who are sick with strep throat are more contagious than those who do not have symptoms.

Symptoms often include pain and fever

In general, strep throat is a mild disease, but it can be very painful.

Common symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Pain when swallowing
• Sore throat that started very quickly and may look red
• Red and swollen tonsils
• White patches or streaks of pus on the tonsils
• Tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth, called petechiae
• Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck.."
  Strep Throat 

Keep Your Chicken Wings in the Big Game

"When it comes to food safety during the big game, you can’t just wing it. Chicken wings are one of the most popular foods to eat during the Super Bowl, and USDA has some tips to keep foodborne illness from intercepting your Super Bowl Sunday.

Should We Pass on Washing Raw Chicken?

USDA recommends against washing your raw poultry to help minimize the spread of bacteria; however, if you do wash your raw chicken wings, please remember to fully clean and sanitize surfaces that may have come in contact with raw juices, like your sink, countertop, cutting board and utensils.

Don’t Get Penalized by Cross-Contamination

Avoid cross-contamination by separating your raw chicken wings from your ready-to-eat foods like chips and dips. Use separate serving spoons for each dip and sauce.

Bring Your Food Thermometer to the Big Game

Chicken wings must be cooked to the safe internal temperature of 165 F, as measured with a food thermometer. To measure correctly, insert the food thermometer into the thickest part of the wing and avoid the bone. If a wing has not reached 165 F, cook the wings longer until they reach a safe internal temperature.

Don’t Leave Your Chicken Wings on the Sidelines

Place your chicken wings and other perishable foods back into the refrigerator in small, shallow containers within two hours of them sitting at room temperature. After two hours in the Danger Zone, bacteria can reach dangerous levels, making you sick. If you’re serving chicken wings on game day, you can avoid the Danger Zone and keep them hot by placing them in a preheated oven, warming tray, or slow cooker..."
Chicken Wings 

Safer Food Choices for Adults 65 Years or Older

"Older adults have a higher risk of getting sick from food poisoning and having a more serious illness.

To prevent food poisoning, some foods are safer choices than others. That’s because some foods—such as undercooked meat and eggs, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurized milk — are more often associated with foodborne illnesses. Use the table below as a guide to safer food choices.

Riskier vs. safer foods for adults aged 65 and older

Foods	Riskier Choice	Safer Choice
Poultry and Meat	Raw or undercooked poultry or meat Poultry includes chicken and turkey Meat includes beef, pork, lamb, and veal Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages Refrigerated pâté or meat spreads	Poultry and meat cooked to a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to check. All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey, cooked to 165°F Whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork cooked to 145°F (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating) Ground meats, such as beef and pork, cooked to 160°F Deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages heated to 165°F or until steaming hot Pâté or meat spreads in sealed, airtight containers that don’t need to be kept refrigerated before opening

 

Deli salads	Premade deli salads, such as: coleslaw potato salad tuna salad chicken salad egg salad	Homemade deli salads
Vegetables and Fruits	Any raw or undercooked sprouts, such as alfalfa and bean Unwashed fresh fruits and vegetables, including lettuce and other leafy greens Cut melon left out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s exposed to temperatures hotter than 90°F, such as a picnic or hot car)	Cooked sprouts Washed vegetables and fruits (washed and then cooked are safest) Freshly cut melon or cut melon kept refrigerated for 7 or fewer days
Juice	Unpasteurized juice or cider	Pasteurized juice or cider Unpasteurized juice or cider brought to a rolling boil at least 1 minute before drinking
Milk	Unpasteurized (raw) milk, and dairy products made from unpasteurized milk	Pasteurized milk, and dairy products made from pasteurized milk
Cheese	Soft cheese made from unpasteurized (raw) milk— for example, queso fresco, brie, camembert, and blue-veined cheese Unheated cheese sliced at a deli	Hard cheese, such as cheddar and swiss Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, and feta Pasteurized soft cheeses heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot Deli-sliced cheeses heated to 165°F or until steaming hot
Eggs	Raw or undercooked (runny) eggs, and foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as Caesar salad dressing Raw cookie dough Eggnog	Eggs cooked until the yolks and whites are firm Egg dishes (frittata, quiche, casserole) cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F if they contain meat or poultry Egg dishes cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F if they do not contain meat or poultry Pasteurized eggs in foods that will not be cooked to a safe temperature, such as mousse and salad dressing
Seafood	Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including sashimi, sushi, and ceviche Refrigerated smoked seafood (except in a cooked dish). Refrigerated smoked seafood is usually labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky”	Fish cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145°F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork Shellfish cooked until shells open during cooking or until flesh is pearly or white, and opaque Smoked fish in sealed, airtight packages or containers that don’t need to be kept refrigerated before opening Smoked fish cooked in a casserole or other cooked dishes Canned fish and seafood.."

Safer Foods Seniors