Resource managers must often make decisions based on Best Professional Judgement. They are forced to rely primarily on expert opinion because other decision making mechanisms are often limited by the availability of information and the time, money and personnel necessary to compile available information into a useful format. Providing managers with the data on which to base sound regulatory decisions is one important goal of information management within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The document establishes guidelines for the minimum information about the data that should be available to all users. The intention is not to standardize the process of data management, but to provide a framework for planners to build on when defining local and regional information needs. The publication is designed to support the work of the EPA's Wetlands Research Program by serving as both a guide for data managers and a reference for resource managers. The guidelines focus on the requirements of most data consumers, such as data quality. The document does not define EPA policy. It presents possibilities for helping resource managers better understand how to manage information as a sound basis for decision making.