(a) Upon receipt of an application, the NRCS will make any necessary field studies and develop a report to justify the need for planning effort. Once planning is authorized by the Chief of NRCS, a watershed plan-environmental impact statement (plan-EIS) or a watershed plan-environmental assessment (plan-EA) will be prepared by NRCS to request funding. This effort must be coordinated with other State and Federal agencies.

(b) The Chief of NRCS may waive the watershed plan for works of improvement if the Chief determines that—

(1) The watershed plan is unnecessary or duplicative; and

(2) The works of improvement are otherwise consistent with applicable requirements under this part.

[49 FR 6078, Feb. 17, 1984, as amended at 84 FR 19702, May 6, 2019]