How to Apply

Note: The website link shown at 1:09 in the video is not current. Please use Alaska District > Missions > Regulatory instead.

An applicant can obtain the services of a consultant to assist them in the application process.

Disclaimer: This directory, including the list of services offered, contains only firms who request listing and may not include all of the firms within your service area. USACE neither endorses nor accepts responsibility for work performed by any firm on this list.

If you are a consultant and would like to request to have your name added to the USACE Regulatory Division, Alaska District consultant directory, please complete the Request for Listing Form and submit to regpagemaster@usace.army.mil.

Once you have determined that you need a permit, see Do I Need a Permit? then please follow the steps below.

A pre-application meeting or a phone call may be necessary or helpful prior to planning your project or submitting an application. We can help you determine the extent of the project impacts and what measures might need to be taken into consideration during your project design. This pre-application meeting often expedites the permitting process by reducing the amount of data that my need clarification. If you want to set up a pre-application meeting when planning your project, contact USACE or submit your request to regpagemaster@usace.army.mil and staff will contact you to set up a pre-application meeting.

Remember to see Types of Permits to assist you in determining which type of permit would be most appropriate for your proposed project.

If you have questions about the extent of wetlands on your site, please contact USACE to arrange for a wetland jurisdictional determination or a site review. For additional information, see Jurisdictional Determinations. This will allow you to plan your project to avoid and minimize impacts to wetlands where possible.

Section 401 Water Quality Certification

Under Section 401 of the CWA, a federal agency may not issue a permit or license to conduct any activity that may result in any discharge into waters of the United States unless a Section 401 water quality certification is issued, or certification is waived. The State of Alaska and the EPA (in certain locations) are the certifying authorities responsible for issuing water quality certifications in the State of Alaska. The Section 401 certification can cover both the construction and operation of the proposed project. Conditions of the Section 401 certification become conditions of the DA permit issued by the Corps. Section 404 permits generally require Section 401 water quality certifications. Section 10 permits may also require Section 401 water quality certifications.

When you apply for a permit from the USACE, Regulatory Division, you are often required to obtain a Section 401 water quality certification from the certifying authority. The Section 401 certification is generally conducted at the same time as the USACE, Regulatory Division’s review. To apply for a Section 401 certification, contact the applicable certifying authority. The certifying authorities in Alaska are: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 (EPA) and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC). EPA is the certifying authority for activities in Metlakatla Indian Community, some Native Allotments, and Denali National Park. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) is the certifying authority for activities in Alaska on all other lands not under EPA’s authority identified above.

However, Nationwide Permits and Regional General Permits have typically been previously certified and do not require an individual 401 certification. Therefore, it is important that you communicate with the USACE, Alaska District, Regulatory Division prior to submitting a certification request to determine the type of permit you may require.

If you need an Individual Clean Water Act 401 Certification

1. Submit a Pre-Filing Meeting Requests (Section 121.4)
   Project proponents must request a pre-filing meeting from the ADEC or EPA at least 30 days before requesting certification unless the certifying authority waives or shortens this requirement. Reference the ADEC CWA 401 Certification website for the application and instructions for submitting a pre-filing request or the EPA Section 401 of the Clean Water Act website. This approach encourages early engagement between project proponents, federal agencies, and certifying authorities, while providing certifying authorities flexibility to determine if a pre-filing meeting is necessary. Providing an early opportunity (if deemed necessary) to address any issues or questions allows the certification process to move efficiently.
2. Submit a Request for Certification (Section 121.5) once pre-filing process is completed (30 days after submittal of pre-filing request)
   You MUST include the following in your request for certification or it will be considered incomplete: (1) a copy of the permit application submitted to the Corps (for individual permits), and (2) any readily available water quality-related materials that informed the development of the application or the draft federal license or permit. ADEC or EPA may define other contents necessary for a request for certification. Other such contents must be relevant to the water quality related impacts from the activity and identified prior to when the request for certification is made. Reference the ADEC CWA 401 Certification website or the EPA Section 401 of the Clean Water Act website for the application, requirements, and instructions for submitting a request for certification.

Please reference the application forms below.

NOTE: The document must be opened using Adobe Acrobat, it will not open in a web browser, right click the "Application Form" link and select "Save Link As" to download the application. Then go to the folder you downloaded to and open the PDF document. You may need to select "Enable All Features" to view the form in Adobe Acrobat.

All related forms are also available here.

Reference the Regional General Permits page to determine if an application specific to that Regional General Permit is preferred to be used. The Corps will always accept the NWP PCN (ENG 6082) for all Regional General Permits.

Submitting a complete application reduces the length of time it may take to process your permit. Requesting a pre-application meeting is an excellent way to ensure your application is complete and you are addressing resource concerns during your planning process.

Instructions for Filling Out Your Application

• Individual Permit (IP)
  See contents of a complete application for an Individual Permit.
• Nationwide Permit (NWP) Pre-construction Notification (PCN) or Regional General Permit (RGP)
  Nationwide Permit General Condition 32(b) states the contents required of a complete PCN for Nationwide Permits. See each specific RGP for what constitutes a complete application. See the contents of a complete PCN for reference.

Requirements for Completing Your Application

A complete application requires a detailed description of the proposed project, including the purpose of the discharge and the type and quantity of material to be discharged.

For example, the description may be: "I am proposing to construct a house pad that will contain my house and detached garage, and a driveway (NOTE: house, garage and driveway is what is being constructed, residential development is the purpose of the project). The house pad will be 40 feet x 60 feet and the driveway will be 200 feet long by 14 feet wide at the toe of slope (12-foot driving surface and two feet deep). The project will require the discharge of XX cubic yards of fill to construct. The fill will be placed directly on filter fabric and no excavation will occur." This is an example. A description of your specific project must be submitted.

A complete permit application also requires drawings, maps and other supporting documents illustrating the project layout on the ground. A permit application must include the following drawings in the correct format (see Drawing Format Requirements below):

• Location map: It is important to provide the latitude and longitude, in decimal degrees (i.e., 61.216579, -149.899597) as part of the project location. Get assistance here in determining the latitude and longitude for your project.
• Site plan
• Cross-section drawings

Applications must include a statement describing how impacts to waters of the United States are to be avoided and minimized. The Corps may require a wetland delineation, which is a document that clearly defines the boundaries of any waters that might be affected. It includes all wetlands, streams and other bodies of water in your project area. Completing a wetland delineation requires expertise and may require professional assistance. Contact USACE for more information on wetland delineations.

Drawing Format Requirements

All drawings should be clear, legible and formatted to fit an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet (drawings can be submitted electronically, but they must be able to be printed and hard copy mailed to those who request it). Use the fewest number of sheets necessary.

Permit Application Drawing Examples (these sample drawings are for reference only, they must not be reproduced or submitted with an application):

• Pier, Ramp, and/or Float
• Wetland fill for a road
• Wetland fill for a subdivision
• Stream crossing
• Culvert
• Bank stabilization Riprap
• Bank stabilization -Bio-engineered

Note: Send application packages only to regpagemaster@usace.army.mil.

The preferred method to submit your USACE, Regulatory Division permit application is electronically. All electronic documents should be submitted as Adobe Acrobat PDF files. We request applicants reduce the total file size as much as possible prior to submission. Application packages up to 20 MB can be sent via email. Do not send links to cloud storage, such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

If your files are larger than 20MB, contact USACE or request a Drop-off to submit large files using our DoD Safe website. Sending application packages directly to a project manager can delay processing through our system. Hard copy applications and documents can also be mailed to the appropriate office.

Fees and Costs

There are no fees for general permits and letters of permission issued by the USACE, Regulatory Division. The following fees apply when a project has been approved and a Standard Individual Permit is issued by the Corps and accepted by the applicant:

• $10 for individuals (non-commercial activities)
• $100 for businesses (commercial and industrial activities)
• No fees are charged to governmental agencies

Payments are made online at Pay.gov: Departments of the Army Permit Fees

Permit applications received by the Corps of Engineers are given identification numbers (POA-YEAR-5-digit #) and reviewed for completeness. Upon receipt of your permit application, you will be sent an acknowledgment of receipt and a Corps reference number specific to your file. You should refer to this number when inquiring about your application. If your application is incomplete, the Corps will request additional information needed to continue its review. For standard individual permit reviews, a public notice initiating a 15- or 30-day public comment period will be issued within 15 days of receiving a complete application that includes all the required information.

After the comment period, the Corps will review all of the comments. The Corps may ask for additional information at this time and a public hearing may be conducted if one has been specifically requested or determined to be necessary. For all projects, the Corps will consult with other state and federal agencies and Alaska Native Tribes as appropriate. When all legal requirements have been completed, the District Engineer will make a decision to either issue or deny the permit application.

If your proposed project may impact a federally authorized project you may also need a Section 408 review. 33 USC 408 (commonly referred to as Section 408”), authorizes the Secretary of the Army, on the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), to grant permission for the alteration or occupation or use of a USACE civil works project if the Secretary determines that the activity will not be injurious to the public interest and will not impair the usefulness of the project. Some examples of federally authorized projects include navigation channels, levees, dams, sea walls, jetties and wetland restoration projects. Learn about the Section 408 process that allows alteration to a federally authorized project.

You must notify the Corps of the need to perform emergency work before taking any action. Please email the Corps or Call the Corps Office for your area as soon as possible to discuss the situation.