October 20, 2021
The U.S. Clean Water Act as ammended in 1972 forms the basis for regulation of activities in wetlands and waters of the United States. Any entity, public or private, individual or corporate, who intends to work, discharge, dredge or fill material into wetlands or waters of the United States must first obtain a permit to do so.
The permitting authority may be the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), or both. Purchase of mitigation credits may be required to offset damage done to the land by the project. Public projects including road construction must also comply with this process, and must employ credentialed professional to conduct the field research, documentation, and permitting applicaiton steps. We are providing below a document by a local professional environmental firm explaining the environmental permitting requirement and definition of terms.