The USACE Regulatory Program in Massachusetts

The Department of the Army's Regulatory Program is one of the oldest in the federal government. Initially, it served a simple purpose: to protect and maintain the navigable capacity of the nation's waters. Changing public needs, evolving policy, court decisions and new statutory mandates have changed several aspects of the program including its breadth, complexity, and authority.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), through the Regulatory Program, administers and enforces Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (RHA) and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Under RHA Section 10, a permit is required for work or structures in, over or under navigable waters of the United States. Under CWA Section 404, a permit is required for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States. Many waterbodies and wetlands in the nation are waters of the United States and are subject to the USACE regulatory authority.

The Regulatory Program is committed to protecting the Nation's aquatic resources and navigation capacity, while allowing reasonable development through fair and balanced permit decisions. The USACE evaluates permit applications for essentially all construction activities that occur in the Nation's waters, including wetlands.

USACE Jurisdictional Limits

Submittal Instructions & Contact Information

Please send all new Section 10/404/103/408 applications and other correspondence via email to the assigned Project Manager. If you have a new request or you do not have an assigned Project Manager, please submit to the following: cenae-r-ma@usace.army.mil.

Self-Verification submittals shall be sent to the following: cenae-r-ma-sv@usace.army.mil

Additional information regarding submission procedures may be found here.

General questions and inquiries about the Regulatory Program?

Call: (978) 318-8338

Email: cenae-r-ma@usace.army.mil

Massachusetts General Permit

• Massachusetts General Permits (MA GPs) – June 2023
• Pre-Construction Notification (PCN) (Appendix B)
• Self-Verification Notification (SVN) (Appendix C)
• Pre-Construction Notification Application Checklist (Appendix D)
• ENG 4345 (needed for IP applications)
• Certificate of Compliance (6-9-2023)

Aquatic Resource Identification and Mitigation

Identification of Aquatic Resource Areas

• Jurisdiction and Delineation of Aquatic Resources
• Mass Mapper
• MassDEP Eelgrass Mapping Project

Avoidance, Minimization, Compensatory Mitigation

• Massachusetts General Permit, Section V
• New England District Compensatory Mitigation Standard Operating Procedures
• Massachusetts In-Lieu Fee Program
• Additional resources (e.g. monitoring templates, vernal pool SAMPs, 2008 Mitigation Rule, SVAP Version 2.0, etc)

Invasive Species

• Invasive species information (Invasive Species webpage)
• Invasive species (Mitigation Webpage)

Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards

• Massachusetts River and Stream Crossing Standards

Resources for Preparing a Complete Submittal

IIJA Definition

• Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Water Quality

• 401 WQC for the 2023 MA GPs
• Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook

Coastal Zone

• CZM consistency concurrence for the 2023 MA GPs
• The MA CZM coastal boundary
• Coastal Zone enforceable policies   

Section 106 & Tribal Consultations

• Section 106 notification guidance (Appendix A)
• Massachusetts Historical Commission Project Notification Form & Survey and Inventory Forms
• National Register of Historic Places
• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)
  • Electronic S106 Submittal

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act

• Information for Planning and Consultation (IPAC)
• NOAA Section 7 ESA Mapper

Essential Fish Habitat & Diadromous Fish

• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and EFH
• NOAA EFH Mapper
• Eelgrass Survey guidance
• Natural Rocky Habitat Survey guidance
• DMF diadromous fish mapper

Section 408

• Section 408 contact information and forms

Wild & Scenic Rivers

• Wild & Scenic Rivers

FEMA Declared Disasters

• FEMA declared disasters

Dredging

• Dredged Material Evaluation Requirements
• Dredge Disposal Area Monitoring System (DAMOS)
• Open Water Disposal Sites

Coast Guard MOU

• MOU

TOY Restrictions

• MA DMF TR-47

Other Useful Links

• Regulatory Guidance Letters

New England District Offices

• USACE Federal Projects & Properties

Real Estate Division

• MA DMF Shellfish Planting Guidelines
• MassGIS Shellfish Suitability Maps -- Select "Coastal and Marine Features" and then "Shellfish Suitability Areas"  
• Questions and Answers for the MA GPs

- Updated: August 18, 2023

• April 2018 MA GP (04/18/2018)
• Mar 2015 MA GP - Errata Sheet for General Permits for Massachusetts (03/09/2015)
• Jan 2010 MA GP Modification (11/13/12)
• Jan 2010 MA GP Modification (07/28/11)
• Jan 2010 MA GP (01/21/10)
• Jan 2005 MA PGP Modification (12/18/06)
• Dec 2006 MA PGP Modification (12/18/06)
• Jan 2000 MA PGP (01/11/00)
• Mar 1995 MA PGP (03/01/95)
• Aug 1993 MA PGP (08/24/93)

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- Updated: August 18, 2023

• MA GP Outreach slides

- Updated: October 13, 2020