On June 18, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published in the Federal Register its proposal to reissue 56 existing nationwide permits (NWPs) and issue one new NWP. One NWP is not proposed for reissuance.
NWPs 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 environmental 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-2025-0002 at www.regulations.gov, or by email to 2026nationwidepermits@usace.army.mil or by mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW-CO-R, 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20314-1000. Instructions for submitting comments are provided in the June 18, 2025 Federal Register notice. Comments on the proposed NWPs are due by July 18, 2025.
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 an important mechanism to help 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 lists the proposed regional conditions currently under consideration by the Rock Island District Corps of Engineers, on behalf of Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, and Louisville Districts, for the state of Illinois. The Rock Island 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 in the state of Illinois. Comments on regional issues relating to the proposed NWPs and proposed regional conditions should be sent to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, Attention: Allison Froeschle, P.O. Box 2004, Rock Island, Illinois 61204, or Allison.M.Froeschle@usace.army.mil. Comments relating to regional conditions are due by August 1, 2025. Similar public notices proposing regional conditions in other regions or states are being published concurrently by other division or district offices. After the final NWPs are issued, the final regional conditions will be issued after they are approved by the Division Commander.