Nationwide Permit: General Condition 18 Information 10/21/2015: The purpose of this document is to provide information for prospective users of the Nationwide Permits (NWPs) that are not federal agencies to help them determine whether a proposed NWP activity requires a pre-construction notification (PCN) to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). For the 2012 NWPs, ESA Section 7 compliance is covered by NWP General Condition 18.