In deciding whether to grant or deny a permit, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) exercises the discretion of an enlightened despot, relying on such factors as economics, aesthetics, recreation, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people, 33 CFR ??320.4(a) (2004).1 The average applicant for an individual permit spends 788 days and $271,596 in completing the process, and the