2016-00006

On June 1, 2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published in the Federal Register its proposal to reissue the 50 existing nationwide permits (NWPs) and issue two new NWPs. 

Nationwide permits are general permits issued on a nationwide basis to streamline the authorization of activities that result in no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environmental effects.  Many of the proposed NWPs require notification to the District Engineer before commencing those activities, to ensure that the activities authorized by those NWPs cause no more than minimal individual and cumulative adverse environment effects.  

National Issues Concerning the Proposed NWPs: The Federal Register notice is the public’s opportunity to comment on the proposed NWPs, general conditions, and definitions.  Comments on national issues relating to these NWPs should be submitted to docket number COE-2015-0017 at www.regulations.gov, or by email to NWP2017@usace.army.mil, or by mail to Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Directorate of Civil Works, ATTN: CECW-CO-R, 441 G Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.  20314-1000. Instructions for submitting comments are provided in the June 1, 2016 Federal Register notice. Comments on the proposed NWPs are due by August 1, 2016.

Regional Issues Concerning the Proposed NWPs, Including Regional Conditioning: Division Engineers are authorized to add regional conditions specific to the needs and/or requirements of a particular region or state.  Regional conditions are important mechanisms to ensure that the adverse environmental effects of activities authorized by the NWPs are no more than minimal, both individually and cumulatively.  Division Engineers may also suspend or revoke specific NWPs in certain geographic areas (e.g., states or watersheds) or high-value aquatic systems where the adverse environmental effects caused by activities authorized by those NWPs may be more than minimal.  An enclosure for this public notice (Enclosure 1) lists the proposed regional conditions currently under consideration by the South Pacific Division of the San Francisco District within portions of the State of California titled, “Draft San Francisco District Regional Conditions”. A map showing the boundary of the San Francisco District within the State of California is attached (Enclosure 2).  In addition, the San Francisco District has coordinated with the Los Angeles District and Sacramento District to develop a list of seven joint Regional Conditions to be used by each District. These seven joint Regional Conditions have been incorporated into the proposed Draft San Francisco District Regional Conditions. The San Francisco District is seeking comments on the proposed regional conditions and seeking comments on the need for additional regional conditions to help ensure that the adverse environmental effects of activities authorized by the proposed NWPs are no more than minimal, individually and cumulatively. Unless otherwise noted, all proposed regional conditions listed on this enclosure are applicable for activities within the boundary of the San Francisco District. Comments on regional issues relating to the proposed NWPs and regional conditions are to be sent to U.S. Army Engineer District, San Francisco District, Regulatory Division, Attn: Mr. James Mazza, 1455 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94103 (E-MAIL: James.C.Mazza@usace.army.mil or 415.503.6775). Comments relating to regional conditions are due by August 6, 2016. Similar public notices proposing regional conditions in other regions or States are being published concurrently by other division or district offices.