Wetlands & Natural Resource Permitting

Permits are required from a variety of federal, state, and local agencies prior to impacting natural resources such as wetlands or waters. In Virginia, these agencies include:

United States Army Corps of Engineers (COE)

• Nationwide Permits
• Regional and SPGP Permits
• Individual Permits
  The COE also issues Individual Permits for projects which do not qualify for a Nationwide or Regional Permit. Generally, these permits are issued when impacts to wetlands exceeds 1-acre and/or impacts to tidal or nontidal channels exceeds 1500 linear feet.
  Note: The Individual Permit process takes considerably longer than the Nationwide and Regional permit process.

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)

• State Section 401 Certification certifies certain COE permits as meeting State Requirements. If DEQ has certified a COE permit, no additional DEQ permits are required.
• State General Water Protection Permit
  The DEQ also issues Individual Permits for projects which do not qualify for a General Permit. Generally, these permits are issued when impacts to wetlands exceeds 2 acres and/or impacts to tidal or nontidal channels exceeds 1500 linear feet.
  Note: The Individual Permit process takes considerably longer than the Nationwide and Regional permit process.

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)
The VMRC is a state agency that serves as the "clearing house" for all Joint Permit Applications (JPA) for impacts to jurisdictional waters and/or wetlands. The permit process typically begins with a clear determination of the type and amount of habitat within a project area. Once impacts to these habitats have been assessed, a pre-application meeting is typically recommended to reveal any significant concerns that the regulatory agencies may have regarding the proposed impacts. The information gained in the pre-application meeting allows a project application to consider revising the project to address regulatory concerns before the final permit application has been submitted.

Complete the Joint Permit Application (JPA) to request permits and/or no permit required (NPR) determinations from the COE, DEQ, and VMRC. Regardless of the agency you are requesting a permit or NPR determination from, mail the JPA to the VMRC at:

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)
Habitat Management Division
2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
Newport News, Virginia 23607-0756