New England District > Missions

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Latest News

USACE Headquarters Regulatory Announcements, including:

USACE and EPA Announce the Availability of the National OHWM Manual (Jan 8, 2025)
Definition of Waters of the U.S.
USACE & U.S. Coast Guard MOU

Section 408 Process Guides (Oct. 2023)

Public Notice for Regulatory Office operations in response to COVID-19 and request for electronic correspondence submittal (Mar 24, 2020)

Updated 10/02/24

Contact Information

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Regulatory Division

(CT, MA, NH, RI)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

New England District

696 Virginia Road

Concord, MA 01742-2751

978-318-8338

Maine Project Office

442 Civic Center Drive, Suite 350

Augusta, ME 04330

207-623-8367

Area of Responsibility Map and Contact List

Vermont Project Office

11 Lincoln Street, Room 210

Essex Junction, VT 05452

802-872-2893

Customer Survey

The USACE Regulatory Program - Importance to the Public

Regulatory/Permitting Division

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regulates construction and other work in navigable waterways under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, and has authority over the discharge of dredged or fill material into "waters of the United States" (a term which includes wetlands and all other aquatic areas) under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Under these laws, those who seek to carry out such work must first receive a permit from USACE. The program considers the full public interest by balancing the favorable impacts against the detrimental impacts. This is known as the “public interest review.” The program reflects the national concerns for both the protection and utilization of important resources.

At the New England District, we have issued regional general permits for certain activities with no more than minimal adverse effects on the aquatic environment. These permits reduce delays and paperwork and allow USACE to devote its resources to the most significant cases. Activities not eligible for authorization under a general permit require an Individual Permit, in which case the permit evaluation process includes a public notice with a public comment period.

Project proponents are encouraged to contact USACE with questions at any time. Pre-application meetings are encouraged to facilitate the review of projects.

- Updated: Feb. 2, 2024

RSS - Applying for a Permit

Regulatory Request System

8 May 2025 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers encourages use of Regulatory Request System for an improved permitting experience

Last year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers introduced its new Regulatory Request System (RRS), an online application portal that allows the public to submit permit applications and other information when requesting permission to dredge, fill or conduct activities in jurisdictional wetlands and waters of the U.S.

RRS is accessible at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs.

RRS users can submit individual permit applications, general permit pre-construction notifications, jurisdictional determination requests, and other information needed during the permit evaluation process using easy-to-follow online submission forms. Applicants can also track the status of their requests using a user-friendly dashboard.

RRS benefits the applicant by eliminating the burden associated with the preparation and mailing of paper applications. It also reduces some of the effort associated with processing applications and data entry making the permitting process more efficient. Click here to learn more about the benefits of RRS (RRS Testimonial Video).

For more information on the USACE Regulatory Program visit https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/.

For further details or to provide feedback about the RRS, please contact USACE at rrs@usace.army.mil.

May 15, 2024 – Permit applications are now available in RRS!

USACE is pleased to announce that the new national online application portal and management platform, known as the Regulatory Request System (RRS) now includes an electronic submission option for permit applications. This platform has been introduced to modernize our permit application process and to address our users' expectations by providing a straightforward and transparent process for the submittal of permit requests.

RRS is a web-based platform currently in a beta version that enables users to submit pre-application meeting requests, jurisdictional determination requests, and now applications for individual and general permits. This new system aims to streamline the process, improve efficiency, and provide a more user-friendly experience for our applicants.

We believe that RRS will not only benefit our users by simplifying the application process but will also enhance our ability to effectively manage and review permit requests. We are confident that this modernization initiative will lead to improved customer satisfaction and greater overall efficiency within our Regulatory Program.

We encourage users to explore and utilize the new Regulatory Request System to take advantage of its benefits and features. Visit rrs.usace.army.mil today!

For additional information on or to provide feedback on RRS, please contact us using the following email: rrs@usace.army.mil.