PORTLAND DISTRICT

Issue Date:  January 3, 2013

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Corps), and the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) jointly welcome prospective Clean Water Act § 404 and Removal-Fill permit applicants to meet with the agencies as part of a regularly scheduled interagency pre-application meeting.  This meeting supplements existing pre-application coordination led by the Corps and DSL.

The pre-application process is intended for non-routine permit evaluations that may be complex or controversial in nature. The intent of the meeting is to provide meaningful comment and feedback to a prospective applicant early in the permitting process, to inform their preparation of a permit application.

Participating state and federal agencies will meet from 1 to 3 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. The agenda reserves approximately one hour for a prospective applicant to solicit feedback and present information to the assembled agencies.

The meetings are designed to assess draft information, and prospective attendees are asked to provide basic project information, in the form of responses to a standard set of input questions, at least two weeks prior to the meeting.

Meeting locations and dates for 2013

• Jan. 16 – Portland, 333 SW 1^st Ave., 8^th floor
• Feb. 20 – Portland, 805 SW Broadway, Ste. 500
• March 20 – Portland, 2020 SW 4^th Ave.,  Ste. 400
• April 17 – Portland, 333 SW 1^st Ave., 8^th floor
• May 15 – Portland, 805 SW Broadway, Ste. 500
• June 19 – Portland, 2020 SW 4^th Ave.,  Ste. 400
• July 17 – Portland, 333 SW 1^st Ave., 8^th floor
• Aug. 21 – Portland, 805 SW Broadway, Ste. 500
• Sept. 18 – Portland, 2020 SW 4^th Ave.,  Ste. 400
• Oct. 16 – Portland, 333 SW 1^st Ave., 8^th floor
• Nov. 20 – Portland, 805 SW Broadway, Ste. 500
• Dec. 18 – Portland, 2020 SW 4^th Ave.,  Ste. 400

Note: Meetings may be relocated to Salem, Eugene, or elsewhere if appropriate for specific prospective projects. 

Screening tools and pre-meeting information

Prospective applicants interested in a formal pre-application meeting should work with their points of contact at the Corps and DSL and review online project screening tools prior to requesting time at a monthly agency meeting.

The screening tools, known as the matrix and accompanying matrix user’s guide, are available on the Oregon Dept. of State Lands website at: http://oregon.gov/dsl/PERMITS/Pages/Removal-Fill-Pre-Application-Meetings.aspx

The matrix will help prospective applicants assess if a pre-application meeting will be beneficial to their project development. Even if the applicant opts to not have a formal pre-app meeting, the information contained in the matrix and user’s guide may be helpful for any project potentially needing a § 404 permit (and associated § 401 Water Quality Certification) or a Removal-Fill Permit, and a less formal pre-application meeting may still be appropriate.

The screening tools are intended primarily for use by large-scale, controversial or major projects. The tools are available for any potential applicant or agency staff person to use, and can be scaled down to assess the risks associated with less complex or less controversial projects.

Participating agencies

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Portland District
• Oregon Dept. of State Lands
• Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality
• U.S. EPA – Region 10 Oregon Operations Office
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Oregon Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries
• Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

For more information, please contact:

Bill Ryan, Oregon Dept. of State Lands, Wetlands and Waterways Div.

503-986-5259  Bill.Ryan@dsl.state.or.us

Michael Turaski, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District

503-808-4381  Michael.R.Turaski@usace.army.mil

Counties: Baker, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Gilliam, Grant, Hood River, Jefferson, Lincoln, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler, Yamhill

Teena Monical, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District

541-465-6877  Teena.G.Monical@usace.army.mil

Counties: Linn, Benton, Lane, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, Harney