Public Notices

Corps and DSL invite permit applicants to monthly meetings throughout 2018

Published Jan. 3, 2018

Joint Public Notice

Monthly Federal-State interagency coordination and pre-application meetings

Issue Date: January 3, 2018

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Corps), and the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) jointly welcome prospective Clean Water Act Section 404 and Oregon’s Removal-Fill permit applicants to meet with the agencies as part of regularly scheduled interagency pre-application meetings, known as “Kaizen”. The meetings supplement existing pre-application coordination led by the Corps and DSL.


The Kaizen pre-application process is intended for non-routine permit evaluations that may be large, complex, or controversial in nature. The intent of the meetings is to provide meaningful comment and feedback to prospective applicants early in the permitting process, to help them most effectively prepare permit applications and address agency concerns.

On the third Wednesday of each month, from 1 to 2 p.m, participating state and federal agencies will meet with a prospective applicant to discuss their proposed project, provide feedback, and share information.

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 questions, at least two weeks prior to the meeting.


Meeting locations and dates for 2018

Jan. 17, 2018 – DSL office – Salem, 775 Summer St NE, Suite 100
Feb. 21, 2018 – DEQ office – Portland, 700 NE Multnomah St., Suite 600  
Mar. 21, 2018 – Corps office – Portland, 333 SW 1st Ave.
Apr. 18, 2018 – DSL office – Salem, 775 Summer St NE, Suite 100
May 16, 2018 – DEQ office – Portland, 700 NE Multnomah St., Suite 600
Jun. 20, 2018 – Corps office – Portland, 333 SW 1st Ave.
Jul. 18, 2018 – DSL office – Salem, 775 Summer St NE, Suite 100
Aug. 15, 2018 – DEQ office – Portland, 700 NE Multnomah St., Suite 600
Sep. 19, 2018 – Corps office – Portland, 333 SW 1st Ave.
Oct. 17, 2018 – DSL office – Salem, 775 Summer St NE, Suite 100
Nov. 21, 2018 – DEQ office – Portland, 700 NE Multnomah St., Suite 600
Dec. 19, 2018 – Corps office – Portland, 333 SW 1st Ave.

Note: Meetings may be relocated to Salem, Eugene, or elsewhere if appropriate for a specific project/pre-applicant.


Screening tools and pre-meeting information

Prospective applicants interested in a Kaizen 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 Department of State Lands webpage.

The matrix will help prospective applicants assess if a Kaizen pre-application meeting will be beneficial to their project development. Even if the applicant opts to not have a Kaizen pre-application meeting, the information contained in the matrix and user’s guide may be helpful for any project potentially needing a Section 404 permit (and associated Section 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 complex 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 Department of State Lands
• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
• U.S. EPA – Region 10 Oregon Operations Office 
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
• Oregon Water Resources Department
• Oregon State Marine Board
• City of Portland (for projects within City of Portland limits)


For more information, please contact:

Jaimee Davis, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District
Phone: 503-808-4381
Email: jaimee.w.davis@usace.army.mil

Eric Metz, Oregon Department of State Lands
Phone: 503-986-5266
Email: eric.metz@dsl.state.or.us

Sara Christensen, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Phone: 541-633-2007
Email: sara.christensen@state.or.us