Planning Community Toolbox: Processes

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Categories

	Project Delivery
	6-Step Planning Process
	Plan Formulation
	Review
	Civil Works Budget
	Public Outreach and Engagement
	Continuing Authorities Program (CAP)
	Post-Authorization Change
	National Environmental Policy Act
	Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA)
	Fish and Wildlife Coordination
	National Historic Preservation Act
	Clean Water Act
	Partnering with the Corps
	Beneficial Use of Dredged Material
	Nonstructural Flood Risk Management

Nonstructural Flood Risk Management

USACE Resources
- National Nonstructural Committee
  The National Nonstructural Committee partners with Planning Centers of Expertise in all aspects of nonstructural flood risk reduction and associated opportunities; promotes the development and use of all nonstructural flood risk reduction measures; and provides risk expertise on all aspects of nonstructural flood risk reduction and associated opportunities.
- USACE Nonstructural Working Group
  The USACE Nonstructural Working Group facilitates communication and learning within the USACE community, to support the study and use of nonstructural measures. Webinars, project examples, and nonstructural training materials are available to USACE teams.
Policy and Guidance
- Core Civil Works Planning Guidance
  This page contains the core Civil Works Planning Guidance required by USACE Planning professionals. This guidance provides the overall direction by which the Corps of Engineers civil works projects are formulated, evaluated, and selected for overall implementation and includes the Engineer Regulation and Engineer Pamphlets that have superseded Engineer Regulation 1105-2-100, the Planning Guidance Notebook.
- Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation
  This memorandum signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations provides multi-disciplinary guidance for nonstructural planning and implementation of flood risk management and coastal storm risk management projects. The memorandum also includes ten enclosures with guidance specific to nonstructural elevations.
- Nonstructural Implementation Plan Template for Elevations
  Enclosure 1 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. A nonstructural implementation plan will be included in the draft and final feasibility report for each type of nonstructural measure (elevation, dry floodproofing, wet floodproofing, acquisition, relocation, etc.). USACE Headquarters is developing specific implementation plan templates for other types of nonstructural measures that will be released when complete.
- DCG-CEO Interim Guidance: Projects Involving Non-Structural Measures at Scale
  This 6 August 2025 interim guidance directs USACE teams to continue to advance institutional learning and experience in implementing large-scale non-structural projects by constructing authorized non-structural projects (elevating a number of individual homes and/or flood proofing individual structures). Until further direction from the DCG-CEO, USACE study teams, in coordination with their vertical teams, will pause completion of final feasibility reports involving non-structural measures at scale.
- Feasibility-level Costs for Nonstructural Elevation Projects
  Enclosure 2 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. Enclosure 2 provides considerations for developing feasibility-level costs for nonstructural elevation projects consistent with current USACE guidance and identifies the risks which will be discussed as part of the study's cost schedule risk analysis. A cost schedule risk analysis template for nonstructural projects is being developed to assist project delivery teams that will be released when complete.
- Real Estate Guidance for Residential Nonstructural Elevation Measures
  Enclosure 3 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. Enclosure 3 provides guidance on how teams should conduct Real Estate measures and how to interact with landowners. Procedures, such as public meetings for property owners, the owner application process for involvement in nonstructural projects, and more, are described within.
- Excerpt of 49 CFR Part 24, SUBPART B -Real Property Acquisition
  Enclosure 4 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. Enclosure 4 provides information of the applicability of acquisition requirements for varying circumstances, such as acquisition requirements for real property for a direct federal program or project, programs and projects receiving federal funding, etc.
- Perpetual Restrictive Easement for Residential (Elevation/Basement In-Fill) - Example Language
  Enclosure 5 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. Enclosure 5 provides example language to be used for a perpetual restrictive easement for a residential structure (elevation/basement in-fill).
- Model Participation Agreement for Nonstructural Projects (Traditional Contracting Methods)
  Enclosure 6 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. This model agreement template is for nonstructural projects wherein construction of nonstructural measures is performed through traditional contracting methods whereby USACE contracts with the design, bid, and build contractor. If a different project delivery method is used, this agreement will need modifications for appropriate language.
- Sample Deed Restriction for Nonstructural Projects
  Enclosure 7 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. This sample serves as a guide for non-federal interests (NFI) who acquire real estate interests for nonstructural projects. The NFI is not required to utilize this model, but the language contained in the model, such as the perpetual easement estate and the restrictions to run with the land, must be included in the deed executed by the NFI. Districts should ensure this deed and easement language are compliant with the laws and regulations of the state in which the instrument will be recorded.
- Operation and Maintenance for Nonstructural Elevations
  Enclosure 8 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. Enclosure 8 discusses Operations and Maintenance responsibilities of the non-federal sponsor after the nonstructural elevation project is completed, including inspections, regular updates to the applicable USACE district, what to do when the terms of an easement are violated, and more.
- Requests to Alter USACE Civil Works Nonstructural Elevation Projects
  Enclosure 9 to the memorandum, Guidance for Nonstructural Project Planning and Implementation, signed by the Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations. Enclosure 9 directs teams to EC 1165-2-220, dated 10 September 2018, for more information and direction concerning the process to request permission to alter USACE Civil Works projects.
Tools & Techniques
- Engineer Pamphlet 1165-2-314: Flood Proofing
  This EP identifies floodproofing measures and techniques that can be followed to regulate private and public building construction in riverine flood hazard areas, and provides for a diversity of floodproofing methods and techniques
- Insight into elevating: Elevating Historic Buildings for Flood Resilience
  Developed by the USACE Technical Center of Expertise for the Preservation of Historic Buildings and Structures, this guide provides visual examples of elevated historic buildings in flood prone areas, considering 4-foot and 10-foot elevations visualizing different ideas, concepts, and appropriate materials for elevating based on architectural style.
Case Studies & Best Practices
- USACE National Nonstructural Committee Best Practice Guide 2020-01_Rev2: Calculating Interest During Construction for Nonstructural Alternatives
  This Guide establishes a best practice method for calculating interest during construction (IDC) expenditures for proposed nonstructural alternatives. Unlike the construction period used to calculate the IDC for structural alternatives, the construction period for nonstructural alternatives can be based on the time to construct one increment of the alternative.
- USACE National Nonstructural Committee Best Practice Guide 2020-02: Considerations for Estimating Participation Rates in Voluntary Nonstructural Measures
  This Guide establishes best practices for estimating participation rates in USACE nonstructural alternatives containing voluntary elements.
- USACE National Nonstructural Committee Best Practice Guide 2020-03: Sensitivity Analysis for Participation Rates in Nonstructural Alternatives
  This Guide applies to the planning process for all USACE flood risk management (FRM) and coastal storm risk management (CSRM) nonstructural measures.
- USACE National Nonstructural Committee Best Practice Guide 2020-04: Public Law 91-646: Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970
  This Guide establishes best practices for considering Public Law (P.L.) 91-646, Uniform Relocation Assistance and the Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 in nonstructural assessments.
- USACE National Nonstructural Committee Best Practice Guide 2020-05: Policy Considerations for Nonstructural Measures
  This Guide identifies policy considerations for each type of nonstructural measure commonly considered as part of USACE feasibility studies.
- USACE National Nonstructural Committee Best Practice Guide 2020-06: Structure Aggregation Methods Used in the Formulation and Evaluation of Nonstructural Alternatives
  This Guide establishes a best practice method for the aggregation of structures to be used in the formulation and evaluation of nonstructural alternatives. A disclaimer was added to this Guide in November 2021.
- USACE National Nonstructural Committee Best Practice Guide 2020-07: Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 & Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
  This Guide establishes best practices for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA), for all USACE nonstructural projects.

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