The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is opposing a proposal to add a second golf course to the Navy’s 230-acre Greenbury Point peninsula in Annapolis due to environmental concerns.
While the Navy does use the property for training, the site is also frequently used by the public for hiking and recreation, making it a cherished local greenspace for the community and other visitors. The Navy already has an 18-hole golf course next to the proposed site. Greenbury Point is home to a variety of wildlife and is mostly wooded, which provides environmental benefits to Chesapeake Bay.
The property fronts the Bay and portions of the peninsula’s land are within Maryland’s 100-foot Critical Area Buffer, where the state prioritizes the protection and restoration of forested land to reduce sediment and pollutant runoff.
CBF Maryland Executive Director Josh Kurtz issued the following statement:
“CBF is concerned about the potential conversion of forested land to turf for a golf course, which could harm water quality and displace wildlife. We urge the Navy and federal government to continue to use Greenbury Point as a conservation and natural recreation area.
“The recovering forest at the site supports a broad range of wildlife and the trees sequester carbon as well as filter water and air. Protecting forested land in the critical area—so close to the Bay’s shoreline—is a tenet of the federal and state Chesapeake Bay Agreement. For these reasons, CBF is opposed to the idea of building a golf course on the property."
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