Regulatory Appeals
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has an administrative appeal process that enables an affected party to appeal certain USACE decisions with which they disagree while potentially avoiding the cost/delay of court litigation. Decisions which can be appealed include denied individual permits, proffered individual permits, and approved jurisdictional determinations. These appealable decisions are most commonly made by USACE district offices, and requests for appeal of such decisions are submitted to the next higher authority, most commonly the USACE division offices. It is the policy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to promote and maintain an administrative appeal process that is independent, objective, fair, prompt, and efficient.
Requests for appeal must be received by the division office within 60 days of the date of the appealable decision. Where an appeal is accepted, a site visit and/or an appeal conference or meeting may be conducted. The division engineer will make a determination on the merits of the appeal based on a review of the district’s administrative record, and either confirm the district’s initial decision or remand the decision to the district for reconsideration. The Division Engineer will make a final decision on the merits of the appeal at the earliest practicable time.
Electronic Submissions of Request for Appeal
The South Pacific Division requests all incoming regulatory appeal correspondence be submitted electronically to w.travis.morse@usace.army.mil. The Division Office is fully operational in a virtual environment and staff is available via email and phone. If electronic submission is not possible, or if you have any questions or concerns related to the appeal program, please contact:
Travis Morse, Administrative Appeal Review Officer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Division
450 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 6500
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: (213) 452-3146
Email: w.travis.morse@usace.army.mil
Regulations and Flowcharts
Administrative Appeal Regulation - Complete text of the Federal Register.
APPENDIX A - Flowchart of the Administrative Appeal Process for Permit Denials and Proffered Permits
APPENDIX B - Flowchart for Applicant Options with Initial Proffered Permit
APPENDIX C - Flowchart of the Administrative Appeal Process for Approved Jurisdictional Determinations
APPENDIX D - Flowchart Process for Unacceptable Request for Appeal
Regulatory Guidance Letter 06-01: Determining the Timeliness of Request for Appeal (RFA)
Administrative Appeals in Other Divisions
Lakes and Rivers Division
Mississippi Valley Division
North Atlantic Division
Northwestern Division
Pacific Ocean Division
South Atlantic Division
Southwestern Division