Nationwide Permit 30 authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material into non-tidal waters of the United States and maintenance activities associated with moist soil management for wildlife. The primary objective of this permit is to facilitate ongoing, site-specific wildlife management activities where soil manipulation is utilized to manage habitat and feeding areas for various wildlife species. Authorized activities under this permit include, but are not limited to, plowing or discing to impede natural succession, preparing seed beds for wildlife forage, or establishing fire breaks to manage the landscape. The permit is designed to support the maintenance of managed wetlands and moist soil units that provide critical habitat, provided that the activity does not result in a permanent loss of jurisdictional waters . A key requirement for this permit is that sufficient riparian areas must be maintained adjacent to all open water bodies, including streams and lakes, to protect water quality and provide additional habitat values. This permit does not authorize the construction of new infrastructure or the conversion of natural wetlands to other uses, focusing instead on active habitat management.
The 2026 reissuance of NWP 30 includes no substantive changes to the national terms or conditions of the permit compared to the 2021 version. The Corps reevaluated the permit's individual and cumulative effects and determined that the existing qualitative and quantitative limits remain appropriate to ensure authorized activities result in no more than minimal adverse environmental effects . Administrative updates were made to the supporting decision document to incorporate current environmental baseline information. This includes results from recent national assessments, such as the 2022 National Lakes Assessment and the 2021 National Wetland Condition Assessment, ensuring the cumulative impact review is grounded in the most current available scientific data.
Compliance managers at wildlife refuges, non-profit conservation organizations, and government agencies involved in waterfowl or habitat management typically use this permit. It is designed for professionals maintaining moist soil units and managed wetlands for the purpose of active wildlife forage and habitat production.
The Corps determined that the reissuance of NWP 30 results in a 'no effect' finding for federally-listed endangered or threatened species and designated critical habitat. This is based on General Condition 18, which ensures that no activity 'may affect' listed resources unless project-specific ESA Section 7 consultation has been completed; no activity is authorized until this process is finished . Compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act is maintained through General Condition 20, which requires case-by-case review and consultation if an activity has the potential to affect historic properties. Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) impacts are also managed via General Conditions, allowing district engineers to add regional or activity-specific conditions to ensure authorized habitat management does not cause more than minimal adverse effects on sensitive aquatic environments.
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