Regulatory - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District

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Let us help guide you through the permit application process.

USACE launches new Regulatory Request System

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program has launched its beta version of the national Regulatory Request System, or RRS. During the initial phases of the RRS rollout, our regulatory process in the St. Paul District will remain unchanged. We will be collaborating closely with our state permitting agencies and will continue to keep the public informed of any changes in permit application procedures that may arise during the RRS rollout.

Additional features will be added to the RRS this spring. Before implementing any changes, we will work with state permitting agencies to determine which features will enhance public service in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

At this time, the public may test the RRS to request pre-application meetings or jurisdictional determinations. However, we will continue to process all requests received through our statewide electronic mailboxes or obtained from state agencies.

The St. Paul District Regulatory Program strongly encourages pre-application meetings, where regulatory team members can provide valuable advice to permit applicants to help streamline the permit process. We will also continue to prepare jurisdictional determinations that result in reducing, expediting, or eliminating permit requirements. Our regulatory project managers will continue to actively identify non-jurisdictional waters on project sites and prepare jurisdictional determinations to eliminate permit requirements on those waters. We are generally unable to divert resources from permitting activities to prepare jurisdictional determinations where there is no project proposal. This approach supports timely permit decisions and ensures we meet the public's needs effectively.

We appreciate your cooperation as we strive to enhance and streamline our regulatory processes for the benefit of all stakeholders. If you have questions specific to the St. Paul District’s use of the RRS, please contact: Jarrett Cellini by email at Jarrett.B.Cellini@usace.army.mil.

USACE Regulatory Announcement
USACE launches new Regulatory Request System

Published Jan. 31, 2024

USACE announces the launch of its new Regulatory Request System, or RRS. The RRS is designed to make the review of permit requests a transparent and efficient process for the public. The RRS, currently in a beta version, provides general information on the regulatory program and allows the public to submit pre-application meeting requests and jurisdictional determination requests.

Additional capability is scheduled this spring. This added capability will allow users the ability to electronically submit individual and general permit applications and other necessary information, saving time and reducing the need for paper-based submissions.

The RRS will streamline the permit application process and underscores USACE commitment to modernizing our application process, meeting user expectations, and providing a transparent, straightforward process for the timely review of permit requests.

Stay tuned for further updates on the full release of the RRS. Please click on the following link to access RRS: rrs.usace.army.mil

For additional information on or to provide feedback on RRS, please contact the rrs@usace.army.mil.

Announcements

2022 National Wetland Plant List

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 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 final 2022 National Wetland Plant List (NWPL). The Federal Register Notice for the 2022 NWPL update can be found here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-02-13/pdf/2024-02903.pdf.

The NWPL provides plant species wetland 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. The list is effective as of 13 February 2024 and will be used in any wetland delineations performed after this date. A summary of the 2022 NWPL is provided in the table below.

2022 National Wetland Plant List Updates
Scientific Name	Region	2020 Rating	2022 Rating
Isocoma menziesii	Arid West	FAC	FACU
Populus fremontii	Arid West	FAC	FACW

Completed wetland delineation/determination forms should reference the version of the NWPL used to complete the form. The final NWPL is available at https://wetland-plants.sec.usace.army.mil/ (preferred browsers are Chrome and Firefox). Please note that while the web address for the NWPL website has not changed with this update, the website itself has undergone updates to enhance the utility of the NWPL.

Updated versions of the Automated Wetland Determination Data Sheets (ADS), which reflect revisions to the NWPL, can be found at the following link: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/reg_supp/ within the “General Information” dropdown. More info regarding the ADS and its utility in wetland delineation can be found at the following link: https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/Announcements/Article/2989646/5-april-2022-army-corps-of-engineers-announces-the-release-of-automated-wetland/.

Regulatory Division

Wetland Plant Book

Version 3.2 - July 2015 Steve D. Eggers and Donald M. Reed
Pt.1	Introduction; Key to Plant Communities; Shallow, Open Water Communities
Pt.2	Deep and Shallow Marshes
Pt.3	Sedge Meadows and Fresh (wet) Meadows
Pt.4	Wet to Wet-Mesic Prairies and Calcareous Fens
Pt.5	Bogs and Shrub Swamps
Pt.6	Wooded Swamps
Pt.7	Floodplain Forests; Seasonally Flooded Basins; Appendices; Glossary; Bibliography; Index

Recent Regulatory Public Notices

2024-00330-DDP (Northern, WIB22301-10-I-R23 Rib Lake Verification Digs_OO129106 Project (Douglas, Ashland and Price Counties))
Public Notice: As part of its pipeline integrity program, Northern Natural Gas has conducted an in-line inspection of the Rib Lake (WIB22301) and Carlton-Iron River (M432B) natural gas pipelines and identified segments that require visual inspection and possible maintenance work. Construction activities associated with the verification digs include the digging of a trench to visually inspect the pipeline and conduct maintenance to the line if necessary. Dredged material would be temporarily sidecast on construction matting within the work area and replaced upon completion of the project. Work is planned for the 2024 construction season and all temporary construction matting would be removed within 60 days of placement and disturbed areas would be restored to pre project conditions.

Date of Expiration:

2021-01484-DWW (Standard Permit)
Public Notice: APPLICATION FOR PERMIT TO install up to 50 temporary dock/mooring buoy structures (31 seasonal, temporary dock structures and 19 seasonal, temporary mooring structures) within the St. Croix River along a stretch of 3,350 linear feet of shoreline directly adjacent to the City of Lake St. Croix Beach (LSCB) owned Shoreland Park. The proposal would be outside the of the “Swimming Beach exclusion zone”.

Date of Expiration:

2015-02868-JLK (GRIT 920 Commercial Development)
PUBLIC NOTICE: The applicant has applied for a Department of the Army permit to permanently discharge fill material into 0.77 acre of wetlands associated with the construction of a new 5,400 square foot all-inclusive fitness and wellness facility designed specifically for those with both cognitive and physical disabilities. The proposal also includes an additional 4,860 square foot facility for office space and an additional 12,860 square foot facility for basketball courts. An adaptive outdoor playground, sports area, grass field area, associated parking, a new roadway with bus turnout, and stormwater management facility are also included in the proposal.

Date of Expiration:

> More Public Notices

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The USACE Regulatory Program - Importance to the Public

General Permits and Water Quality Certifications

Regional General Permits and Water Quality Certification

Nationwide Permits and Water Quality Certification

About Our Regulatory & Permits Office

The purpose of Corps of Engineers' regulatory program is to protect the nation's aquatic resources, while allowing reasonable development through fair, flexible and balanced permit decisions. The Corps evaluates permit applications for all regulated activities that occur in the nation's waters, including wetlands.

The Corps' regulatory program includes Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The St. Paul District's regulatory jurisdiction covers the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Under Section 10, a Corps permit is required to do any work in, over or under a 'Navigable Water of the U.S.' Waterbodies have been designated as 'Navigable Waters of the U.S.' based on their past, present or potential use for transportation for interstate commerce.

Under Section 404, a Corps permit is required for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S. Many waterbodies and wetlands in the nation are waters of the U.S. and are subject to the Corps' Section 404 regulatory authority.

Contact Information

Minnesota

USACE_Requests_MN@usace.army.mil

Field Office	Address
Bemidji	4111 Technology Drive NW, Suite 295 Bemidji, MN 56601 218-444-6381
Brainerd	10867 East Gull Lake Drive NW Brainerd, MN 56401 651-290-5767
Duluth	600 South Lake Avenue, Suite 211 Duluth, MN 55802 218-788-6408
La Crescent	1114 South Oak Street La Crescent, MN 55947 651-290-5902