Contact Information
Caitlyn Nichols, Acting Regional Permit Administrator
Region 2 covers all five boroughs of New York City, including the Bronx (Bronx Co.), Manhattan (New York Co.), Queens (Queens Co.), Brooklyn (Kings Co.), and Staten Island (Richmond Co.).
Natural Resources and Coastal Permits for Work in New York City
Projects that are in or will affect streams, waterways, waterbodies, freshwater or tidal wetlands, coastal areas, threatened or endangered species , and sources of the water supply are subject to regulation by the NYSDEC. This page includes guidance and documents needed for submitting permit applications for projects in Region 2: NYC.
Waterfront Activities Requiring a Permit
The activities listed below will help determine if your project needs a permit from NYSDEC. However, it is not a complete listing; it categorizes the most frequently sought permits. Contact the NYC Region 2 Permits office at 718-482-4997 or [email protected] with questions about permits or any activities not listed in this section.
For Property Located in an NYC Department of Buildings Wetlands or Coastal Erosion Hazard Area Map Check Zone
Use the maps linked below to inform if you are close to rare species, tidal wetland areas, and coastal erosion hazard areas (CEHA). If you are close to any of these areas or within them, you may need a permit. Learn how to request a jurisdictional determination for your property or project.
- Rare plants and animals, including endangered or threatened species, on NYSDEC's Environmental Resource Mapper
- Tidal wetland areas* at New York City Department of Buildings' website or DECinfoLocator Regulatory Tidal Wetlands Layer under Environmentally Sensitive Areas
- Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas* (CEHA) at New York City Department of Buildings' website or DECinfo Locator Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas used Environmentally Sensitive Areas
* Note: Tidal Wetland and CEHA Maps are NYSDEC official maps hosted on NYCDOB's website.
Informational Freshwater Wetland Maps
As of January 1, 2025, DEC’s regulatory protections of freshwater wetlands are no longer limited to wetlands depicted on the NYS Freshwater Wetlands Maps and the NYS Freshwater Wetlands Maps are referred to as Previously Mapped Freshwater Wetlands.
DEC Informational Freshwater Wetland Maps are available for download through the New York State GIS Clearinghouse and are available for viewing through the Environmental Resource Mapper (ERM). The Informational Freshwater Wetland Maps are for informational purposes only and cannot be relied upon to determine the presence or absence of freshwater wetlands regulated by DEC.
The only way to confirm the presence or absence of a freshwater wetland regulated by DEC is to receive a jurisdictional determination, as described further on the Freshwater Wetland Jurisdictional Determination webpage. These determinations will be made remotely based on wetland acreage and characteristics meeting jurisdictional criteria.
Examples of Waterfront Activities Requiring a Permit from NYSDEC
**Note: This is NOT a complete listing of activities or actions.
- Constructing, reconstructing or repairing projects in any wetland [freshwater and tidal], adjacent area, and/or coastal area including:
- Residential buildings
- Accessory structures to residential buildings (e.g., tennis court, swimming pool, garage, deck, fence)
- Commercial and industrial buildings
- Docks, floats, piers, wharves, catwalks, boardwalks, and mooring facilities
- Groins, jetties, and breakwaters
- Bulkheads, sea walls, retaining walls, rip-rap, and gabions
- Septic systems
- Roads, driveways, parking lots, bridges, and drainage structures
- Filling, dredge spoil placement, clearing, excavating, grading, and sub-dividing land
- Clearing or clear-cutting (i.e., removing vegetation by bulldozer or other heavy motorized equipment)
- Dune building or beach nourishment in a tidal wetland and/or its adjacent area and coastal erosion hazard areas [CEHA]
- Dredging, excavating or placing fill in navigable waters
- Any work in or around streams
- Constructing, reconstructing or repairing dams and other impoundment structure
What to Include in a Waterfront Activities Permit Application
The applicant must submit three (3) copies of the following: the application, any supplemental forms, and all attachments. More copies may be required depending on the complexity of the project.
- Joint Application Form
- Description of Project's Purpose
- Location Map (e.g., clear photocopy of street atlas with project marked)
- Permission to Inspect Property form
- Survey (or plan) with existing structures and property lines
- Project Plans (must be to scale and the scale must be identified on the plans)
- Plot plan view
- Cross-sectional plan view
- Photographs of Site (in color and dated, with a site map of locations for the photographs)
- Completion of State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR); including completed Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) Part 1
- Completion of State Historic Preservation Act (SHPA) Requirements; including completed Structural Archaeological Assessment Form (SAAF)
- Landowner's Permission - if applicant is not the owner of the land for which the application is submitted; landowner must sign Joint Application Form
- For Protection of Waters and Tidal Wetlands applications: a list of the names of the landowners adjacent to the tidal wetland or adjacent area and, if applicable, a list of names of people who have water rights for the property or for property within 300 feet.
- For dam projects: a supplement D-1 form
- For dock, platform, or mooring projects: a supplement D-2 form
Staten Island Fire Break Permits
Information and applications for Fire Break Permits for areas in Staten Island may be found on the Staten Island Borough President's Office website.
Application Forms
Visit Application Forms for DEC Permits page and fill out a Joint Application Permit form. There are also instructions for filling out the Joint Application Permit on this page.
Application Fees
For information on the application fees, visit the Freshwater and Tidal Wetland: Application Fees FAQ
Contact the NYC Region 2 Permits office at 718-482-4997 or [email protected] with questions about permits in New York City, including any activities not listed above, jurisdictional questions, and general permit questions.
