Nationwide permits and regional general permits are Department of the Army permits that authorize activities that are similar in nature and cause only minimal adverse environmental impacts to aquatic resources, separately or on a cumulative basis.
Nationwide permits are issued by the Corps on a national basis and are designed to streamline Department of the Army authorization of projects such as commercial developments, utility lines or road improvements that produce minimal impact the nation’s aquatic environment.
A regional general permit is issued for a specific geographic area by an individual Corps District. Each regional general permit has specific terms and conditions, all of which must be met for project-specific actions to be verified.