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On June 18, 2025, USACE announced it is seeking comments on its proposal to renew and revise 56 existing nationwide permits and issue one new nationwide permit authorizing activities associated with improving fish passage. The Federal Register posting can be accessed at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/18/2025-11190/proposal-to-reissue-and-modify-nationwide-permits. USACE will accept written comments through July 18, 2025. Comments may be submitted by e-mail to 2026nationwidepermits@usace.army.mil or through the Federal eRulemaking portal at www.regulations.gov at docket number COE-2025-0002, or by mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW-CO-R, 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20314-1000.
Click here to view a news release from USACE Regulatory Headquarters with additional information.
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On January 20, 2025, the President of the United Stated issued Executive Order 14156: Declaring a National Energy Emergency. Pursuant to Sec. 2 of EO 14156, agencies are further directed to use, to the fullest extent possible and consistent with applicable law, emergency Army Corps permitting provisions to facilitate the Nation’s energy supply. Click this link to see the Special Public Notice.
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28 January 2025 - Draft National Wetland Plant List posted on Federal Register -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), as part of an interagency effort with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, is announcing the availability of the draft changes to the 2024 NWPL and its web address to solicit public comments. The public now has the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to wetland indicator status ratings for one plant species in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain and Eastern Mountains, and Piedmont regions and one species in the Midwest and Northcentral and Northeast regions. Additionally, changes to eight species in the Alaska Region are proposed and available for public comment. The Federal Register Notice (FRN) for the 2024 NWPL update can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/28/2025-01798/national-wetland-plant-list
The public comment period ends on 31 March 2025. USACE encourages public input in the form of data, comments, literature references, or field experiences, to help clarify the status of the species reviewed for this update. Comments on these proposed changes should be emailed to: nwpl@usace.army.mil
Users are encouraged to submit literature citations, herbaria records, experiential references, monitoring data, photographic documentation, and other relevant information. Specific knowledge of, or studies related to, individual species are particularly helpful. When providing input or information on the draft changes to the 2024 NWPL update, commenters should use their regional botanical and ecological expertise, field observations, reviews of the most recent indicator status information, appropriate botanical literature, floras, herbarium specimens with notation of habitat and associated species, habit data, relevant studies, and historic list information. Providing ratings without supporting documentation or information is not recommended. All submitted comments and information will be compiled and sent to the National Panel for their review and consideration.
USACE administers the NWPL for the United States and its territories. The NWPL provides plant species indicator status ratings, which are used in determining whether the hydrophytic vegetation factor is met when conducting wetland delineations under the Clean Water Act and wetland determinations under the Wetland Conservation Provisions of the Food Security Act. Other applications of the NWPL include wetland restoration, establishment, and enhancement projects. Additions or deletions to the NWPL represent new records, range extensions, nomenclatural and taxonomic changes, and newly proposed species. The latest review process began in 2024 and included review by Regional Panels and the National Panel.
Additional information on the NWPL can be found at the NWPL website (https://wetland-plants.sec.usace.army.mil/), including a new video on how to use the newly redesigned site, which can be found here: https://wetland-plants.sec.usace.army.mil/reference/
- 26 April 2024 Special Public Notice 2021 Nationwide Permit Supplemental Regional General Conditions
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12 January 2024: Special Public Notice announcing RGP 8 Reissuance
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19 October 2023: Special Public Notice Suspension and Proposed Revocation of Nationwide Permit 48
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27 June 2023: Special Public Notice Requesting Comments on Proposed Supplemental Regional General Conditions
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26 July 2022: Special Public Notice announcing publication of 2021 Nationwide Permits - User Guide
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30 June 2022: Special Public Notice announcing Salish Sea Nearshore Programmatic Consultation
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14 February 2022: Special Public Notice announcing 2021 Nationwide Permits - Final 41 - Regional Conditions
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7 January 2022 - Special Public Notice announcing 27 December 2021 publication in the Federal Register Notice announcing 2021 NWPs - Final 41
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21 June 2021: This Special Public Notice (SPN) supersedes the SPN dated March 22, 2021 with corrections. The Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Certification (WQC) Determination for NWP 29, 39, 40, 42, 43, 48, 57, and 58 is corrected and is listed in Enclosure 1. Individual WQC is required from Ecology for all of these NWPs. There is no General WQC for these NWPs.
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22 March 2021: This Special Public Notice (SPN) supersedes the SPN dated March 17, 2021 with revisions to this SPN and enclosure. The date of the general 2021 NWP public outreach event is March 31, 2021, not March 24, 2021.
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22 March 2021: This Special Public Notice (SPN) supersedes the SPN dated March 9, 2021 with revisions. The Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Certification Determination for NWP 55 and 56 was incorrectly listed in Enclosure 1. Individual WQC is required from the appropriate certifying agency for both NWPs. Also, in Ecology’s WQC General Condition 2, the word “that” was changed to “and”.
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17 March 2021: A Public Outreach Event on Shellfish Mariculture will be held on March 31, 2021 from 1:30 - 3:30 pm. You must RSVP to marcy.m.wyatt@usace.army.mil to attend this event. See SPN for details.
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9 March 2021: This Special Public Notice (SPN) supersedes the SPN dated March 5, 2021 with a revision. The Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Certification General Condition 4 was incorrectly listed in Enclosure 1. The reference to marine waters with eelgrass is corrected (bolded text) as follows: [Individual WQC] is required for activities in or affecting “marine waters with eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds (except for NWP 48)”.
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5 March 2021: Final Regional Conditions for Seattle District 2021 Nationwide Permits - Final 16 and Public Outreach Event Announcement. On January 13, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published a final rule in the Federal Register (86 FR 2744) announcing the reissuance of 12 existing nationwide permits (NWPs) and four new NWPs, as well as the reissuance of NWP general conditions and definitions with some modifications. 16 NWPs will go into effect on March 15, 2021, and will expire on March 14, 2026. You must RSVP to attend the Public Outreach Event. See SPN for details.
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This Special Public Notice announces the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register (86 FR 2744) announcing the reissuance of 12 existing nationwide permits and four new NWPs, as well as the reissuance of NWP general conditions and definitions with some modifications. These 16 NWPs will go into effect on March 15, 2021, and will expire on March 14, 2026.
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The Special Public Notice announces the Seattle Districts decision to accept and expend funds contributed by BNSF Railway Company (BNSF). Please read this SPN dated October 6, 2020.
- New 401 Water Quality Certification Rule by the Environmental Protection Agency. Please read this SPN dated September 25, 2020, for details on how this applies to permit applications submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District for projects in Washington State.
- Seattle District, Regulatory Branch Paperless Initiative: Effective January 1, 2020, all permit applications should be submitted electronically. Please read this SPN for the details on how to name and submit permit application materials.