Corps of Engineers re-aligns Regulatory Branch to improve service

Published Aug. 10, 2015

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, Regulatory Branch has restructured its organization to better serve the public.  Seattle District is re-aligning individual regulators with specific regions and counties to better serve the public and placing all technical staff together in one unit to allow for easier collaboration among them and therefore consistency for the regulated public.

The transition may mean that some members of the regulated public will be working with different regulators than in the past.  Updated contact information is available on line at: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Regulatory/ContactUs.aspx

“We are expanding to four sections and realigning duties so we can be more responsive to the public, tribes, other agencies, and various stakeholders and to the variety of issues that are raised when reviewing permit applications and implementing the Regulatory program,” according to Muffy Walker, Seattle District Regulatory Branch Chief.

The Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, administers the Regulatory Program in Washington State. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers’ primary authority comes from Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Section 10 regulates all structures and work in navigable waters of the United States. Section 404 regulates the discharge of dredged and fill material in all waters of the United States. All permits must also comply with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. The Seattle District has over 2,400 miles of tidal shoreline, 20,000 miles of river shoreline, 8,000 lakes, and 300,000 acres of wetlands.

The District's Regulatory Program currently has 41 employees. Four project managers work on processing Water Resources Development Act Section 214 funded projects. The District also has three state employees working under Intergovernmental Personnel Agreements, working on Federal Highways Administration-funded Federal and state projects under the authorities of the Transportation Equity Act for 21st Century and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act. The District's Regulatory staff review the approximately 1,250 permit applications submitted each year, about 40 percent of which involve wetlands, as well as ensuring compliance with issued permits and evaluating unauthorized activities.
Contact
Patricia Graesser
206-764-3760
paoteam@nws02.usace.army.mil

Release no. 15-027