{"id":"e90c51b4-4df0-40cf-8800-a9ed408e486b","task":"Determine Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting obligations before clearing vegetation in or near wetlands/waters of the U.S.","domain":"usace.army.mil","steps":["Delineate wetlands/waters of the U.S. on the project site per current USACE methods, data sources, and documentation standards before any clearing begins","Contact the local USACE district to determine whether the clearing/grading activity requires Nationwide Permit (NWP) coverage or an individual permit","Reference the 2026 reissued Nationwide Permits (57 NWPs effective March 15, 2026 through March 15, 2031) to identify the applicable NWP number and its acreage/loss limits","If more than one NWP applies to a single project, apply the clarified rules on how acreage limits combine across NWPs","Submit a Pre-Construction Notification (PCN) to the district if required by the specific NWP's general conditions","Do not begin clearing/grading in jurisdictional areas until district verification (or the applicable NWP's self-verification conditions) is satisfied"],"gotchas":["Clearing/grubbing alone (without fill) can still trigger permitting if it results in a discharge of dredged/fill material or mechanized land-clearing in a wetland","The 2026 NWP reissuance changed acreage-limit stacking rules and definitions of 'waters of the United States' - permits verified under the prior (2021) NWPs do not automatically carry over","State/local wetland programs (e.g., state 401 water quality certification) can impose additional requirements beyond the federal NWP"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-13T00:48:12.767Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"verified","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/e90c51b4-4df0-40cf-8800-a9ed408e486b"}