---
title: "Map federal environmental permits and consultations for a project"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/planning-and-environment/prepare-a-referral-of-a-proposed-action-under-national-environment-law/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A12-U20261018-2-US"
practice_area: "Planning & Environment"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Map federal environmental permits and consultations for a project

> From the project description, make a three-row table: NEPA detailed statement, dredge-or-fill permit, and Endangered Species Act consultation. Record only the facts that match each statute's trigger. Decide nothing.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/planning-and-environment/prepare-a-referral-of-a-proposed-action-under-national-environment-law/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Planning & Environment](https://ailawframework.com/practice/planning-and-environment.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | From the project description, make a three-row table: NEPA detailed statement, dredge-or-fill permit, and Endangered Species Act consultation. Record only the facts that match each statute's trigger. Decide nothing. |
| What the lawyer must review | A detailed statement under 42 USC section 4332(C) is for a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. A permit under 33 USC section 1344 is for the discharge of dredged or fill material into navigable waters, issued by the Secretary of the Army through the Chief of Engineers. Under 16 USC section 1536(a)(2), each federal agency must insure, in consultation with the Secretary, that any action it authorises, funds or carries out is not likely to jeopardise a listed species or destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. These are not one referral. CEQ's NEPA regulations were removed effective 8 January 2026, so the NEPA procedure is the agency's, read with the statute. Opinion 512 applies to the map. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Prepare a referral of a proposed action under national environment law](https://ailawframework.com/practice/planning-and-environment/prepare-a-referral-of-a-proposed-action-under-national-environment-law.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: From the project description, make a three-row table: NEPA detailed statement, dredge-or-fill permit, and Endangered Species Act consultation. Record only the facts that match each statute's trigger. Decide nothing.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- Do not describe this as a single national referral. Each statute has its own trigger and its own agency.
- Absence of a federal action means section 4332's detailed statement is not the document.

## Sources

- [42 USC section 4332 (detailed environmental statement)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/4332) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [33 USC section 1344 (permits for dredged or fill material)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/33/1344) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [16 USC section 1536 (interagency cooperation under the Endangered Species Act)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/1536) (checked 2026-10-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*