‘Every effort should be made to maintain this resource in perpetuity,’ says Navy about Greenbury Point

Greenbury Point natural area is a resource the Navy wants to conserve as indicated in the joint U.S. Naval Academy, Naval Support Activity Annapolis (NSAA) Military Installation Resilience Plan, which was released to the public Thursday.

The document, completed in 2022, has many mentions of Greenbury Point, including the undeveloped part of it, which though managed for conservation, the Naval Academy Golf Association previously proposed developing into a second golf course.

Following public concern about the potential loss of the natural area at Greenbury Point, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman put in a competing proposal to the Navy to conserve the land.

The competing proposals cancelled one another out.

The importance of the natural area to the Navy has been made clear in the resilience plan.

“Most importantly, the framework highlighted the importance of this large, wooded track (sp) of land to the installation and most importantly, the academy’s education programs (e.g., training, recreation, research & development activity),” states the plan. “The ecological value of this large track (sp) in an urban setting is difficult to quantify and can be potentially leveraged in a number in the future (i.e.,mitigation offsets, carbon sequestration credits, etc.). Every effort should be made to maintain this resource in perpetuity.”

“The study provides information and a project portfolio that needs to be accomplished over the next forty-plus years,” said Navy Capt. Tom McLemore, NSAA public works officer. “We must now balance the information from the study with conditions of the existing infrastructure to create a program of projects that balances the mission of the Academy, funding availability, and the risks associated with rising seas.”

We’ve reached out to Chet Gladchuk, president of the Naval Academy Golf Association, for comment and will update this post when received.

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Donna L. Cole is an award-winning investigative and multimedia reporter. She’s also a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

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Further reading about Greenbury Point –

Boasting about removing large trees is par for the course with the Naval Academy Golf Association – delving into the press releases and rhetoric about a second golf course

Navy says proposals from Naval Academy Golf Association and Anne Arundel County ‘no longer possible to consider’

With missions off course, who has oversight of the incestuous relationship between the U.S. Naval Academy, Naval Support Activity Annapolis, Naval District Washington and the Naval Academy Golf Association?

Public input and transparency in plans leading to construction of cottages at Greenbury Point and 2019 golf course renovation wasn’t required

Chesapeake Bay Foundation opposes golf course expansion at Greenbury Point

Citing “serious and irreparable damage to the environment,” Severn River Association and Chesapeake Conservancy opposed to Navy’s golf course expansion

More questions than answers on Navy’s possible leasing of Greenbury Point for golf course expansion

Meeting to inform neighboring communities about Greenbury Point postponed

Can the U.S. Navy lease the land at Greenbury Point for an expansion of the golf course? Meeting scheduled to explain plans to neighboring communities.

U.S. Navy addresses concerns about Greenbury Point