UPDATED APR 1, 2024
Trail Access:
Is Greenbury Point open right now?
The trails at Greenbury Point are open daily. Additional recreational opportunities are available on the East and West Access Roads as mission requirements allow. We post the dates we expect the access roads to be open on our social media platforms at the beginning of each month.
Why is Greenbury Point closed sometimes?
The trails at Greenbury Point are open daily. The East and West Access Roads at Greenbury Point are open to the public when the firearm ranges are not operational or other training events do not preclude public access. The East and West Access Roads are within the Surface Danger Zone for the firearm ranges at NSA Annapolis. A Surface Danger Zone, or SDZ, is defined as "that portion of the land and the air above in which personnel and/or equipment may be endangered by ground weapons firing or demolition activities." NSA Annapolis recently announced that Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington awarded a contract for professional engineering services to design a repair project to fully baffle the existing firing range at NSA Annapolis, which would mitigate the need for a Greenbury Point SDZ. More information on the design contract is available here.
How is the schedule for Greenbury Point’s trail access determined?
Public safety, trail maintenance, base operations, staffing availability, etc. — are considered when determining the next month's schedule to enable public access to the maximum extent possible. Our priority is to allow for safe public access to Greenbury Point whenever possible. Accordingly, the nature trails are open daily and the access roads are open whenever mission requirements allow . In the spirit of transparency and expectation management, we post the dates the access roads will be open on our social media platforms at the beginning of each month.
Why has the installation placed new gates/fences?
Greenbury Point constantly undergoes changes for improvements and upkeep. Recent improvements include fencing, gates, and signage to enhance public safety and control entry to the Surface Danger Zone area associated with the firearm ranges when they are in use or after normal operating hours. The new gate will control access during posted hours or when needed by mission requirements. Guests of the marina or MWR cottages will have an access code to enter after hours. It is imperative that people refrain from climbing or walking around the gates and fences when the trails or roads are closed. For the good of all who visit Greenbury Point, and for the plants and animals who call it home, follow all posted rules and directions as given by security personnel
INRMP:
What is an Installation Natural Resource Management Plan?
The Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) is a planning document developed by the installation per Navy policy. It outlines how we comply with Federal and State laws and includes our installation’s objectives, which focus on responsible stewardship of the natural resources in concert with the installation mission.
Is NSA Annapolis operating per its INRMP?
NSA Annapolis is fully compliant in implementing its current INRMP. We review the document and our practices annually to ensure they are aligned and make changes where necessary. We continue to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) regarding the conservation, protection, and management of fish and wildlife resources and continue to protect these resources per the INRMP.
Why has the IRNMP not been updated since 2014? Isn't periodicity every five years?
NSAA is in the process of updating its IRNMP and will post the updated plan when final.
Where is the updated INRMP in the approval process?
NSA Annapolis has completed a final draft for the INRMP, which is being coordinated amongst relevant stakeholders. Please see below for a general timeline of where the INRMP is in the approval process. It typically takes 1.5-2 years to be approved once the installation completes its final draft.
· Began first draft of INRMP update (April 2021)
· First draft complete, returned with edits. (November 2021)
· New/additional INRMP guidance from CNIC, required re-work (February 2022)
· Draft restructured INRMP complete (August 2022)
· Editing draft restructured INRMP (February 2023)
· Preliminary Restructured Final Draft complete at installation level (February 2023)
· Preliminary Federal and State Cooperating Agency Review (July 2023)
· Received Preliminary Federal and State Cooperating Agency comments after restructuring (September 2023)
· Internal/DOD review and comment period - (October 2023)
· Incorporating Preliminary Federal and State Agency and Internal/DoD comments - (November 2023-January 2024)
· Federal and State Cooperating Agency review and high headquarters review - (February 2024)
· Navy to address and incorporate comments received from Federal and State Cooperating Agency review and high headquarters review- April 2024
· Final review by Federal and State Cooperating Agencies and high headquarters- May 2024
· Signatures by Navy and Federal/State Agencies - Summer 2024
Will a new golf course and associated environmental impacts be mentioned or considered in the INRMP? And do you know if this INRMP has significant enough changes that it would require a public comment period?
The INRMP update will not mention the golf course as one is not currently planned. The INRMP in progress will not require a public comment period.
For informational purposes, a change in land use, like a golf course, would require evaluation under the National Environmental Policy Act, which would include a public comment period.
Golf Course Proposal Status:
What is the current status of proposals to lease Greenbury Point?
As of now, the Navy is not considering any sole source lease proposals for Greenbury Point. We received competing proposals from Anne Arundel County and the Naval Academy Golf Association for a sole source lease and management of Greenbury Point, which makes it no longer possible to consider either party's request. NSA Annapolis is currently evaluating the status and future of Greenbury Point in support of the mission of both the installation and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Can you please share a copy of the proposal the Naval Academy Golf Association submitted in 2022?
A copy of the NAGA letter can be found here.
What does it mean to grant a sole source negotiated lease agreement?
Authority to grant a sole-source lease is a kind of lease agreement that the Navy can issue without a competitive bidding process and can only be authorized by the Secretary of the Navy, delegated to DASN EI&E.
Why does having a second proposal preclude NSA Annapolis from proceeding with either proposal?
Both requests were "unsolicited" sole source requests. A sole source lease agreement presumes only one entity could address the requirements/concerns of NSA Annapolis/USNA. When a second "sole source" request was received, it negated the possibility that only one entity could address the requirements/concerns of NSA Annapolis. The standard process for leasing government property is not sole source but rather a competitive solicitation.
NAGA has stated they believe their proposal will be reviewed by the Navy chain of command shortly. What is the Navy's position on these comments?
As of now, the Navy is not considering any sole source lease proposals for Greenbury Point. NSAA has no oversight of private organizations – any public comments by NAGA or any other non-federal entity should not be associated with NSAA.
Will the Navy open a competitive bid for the lease and management of Greenbury Point?
NSA Annapolis is currently evaluating the status and future of Greenbury Point in support of the mission of both the installation and the U.S. Naval Academy.
If the Golf Course becomes a topic of consideration again, how will the public be able to comment/ make their opinion known?
We always follow requirements set forth by the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), which requires all federal agencies to consider the potential environmental consequences of proposed major federal actions before decisions are made and actions are taken. Should any development of Greenbury Point be proposed, the public would have ample opportunity to comment on proposed projects.
Other FAQs:
Are there plans to develop further the surrounding area, such as the former David Taylor Research site? Is there other development planned for Greenbury Point in addition to a golf course?
Annapolis Partners own the former 46.5-acre site of the David Taylor Research Center. The Navy has no update on redevelopment status, as initially proposed in 2002. In addition to the guest cottages currently under construction, NSA Annapolis Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) proposed developing an RV Park near Possom Point.
Was there an environmental impact statement done and available for the public to see for the 2019 renovations of the USNA golf course on NSA Annapolis? I believe the National Environmental Policy Act required this.
According to our Public Works Dept. (PWD), the project was a renovation of the Greens and Bunkers and received a NEPA Categorical Exclusion and other appropriate permits. A NEPA Categorical Exclusion is defined as "a class of actions that a Federal agency has determined, after review by Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is normally required." The use of categorical exclusions can reduce paperwork and save time and resources.
Were 500 trees removed in 2019, like this Facebook post suggests? - https://www.facebook.com/wayne.pruitt.96/posts/10218686088602953
No, we do not have a record of 500 trees being removed. There have been several projects at the golf course over the last few years, and the only project that discussed tree removal was the Short Game Practice Course project, which mitigated tree removal with replacement.
Was there notice of the proposed Categorical Exclusion in the Federal Record for public input? Was the final Categorical Exclusion posted in the Federal Record? I'm having trouble locating both. Can you provide links or copies for both?
The Council on Environmental Quality regulations provides for the establishment of Categorical Exclusions (CATEX) for those categories of actions that, after consideration by the Department of the Navy, have been determined to have no significant effect on the human environment, individually or cumulatively, under normal circumstances, and therefore do not require completion of an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. The Department of Navy List of 49 NEPA Categorical Exclusions in Table 10-6 (pg. 10-41) in the Department of Navy Environmental Readiness Program Manual, publicly available via this link: 5090.1.pdf (navy.mil). Federal "Procedures on Establishing a New or Revised Categorical Exclusion" (https://ceq.doe.gov/docs/ceq-regulations-and-guidance/NEPA_CE_Guidance_Nov232010.pdf) requires that notice of proposed new or revised Categorical Exclusions be published in the Federal Register.
In 2019, the Department of Navy proposed new or revised Categorical Exclusions, and as required, a notice of these changes was published in the Federal Register (see attached). Subsequently, Table 10-6 of the Environmental Readiness Program Manual was updated to reflect the approved changes to the Department of Navy Categorical Exclusions. If and when the Department of Navy determines that an individual project or action, such as the 2019 NAGA Bunkers and Green Renovation project, is on the CATEX list (Table 10-6 of the manual), there is no requirement that the CATEX determination be published in the Federal Register.
Who owns and maintains the radio towers at Greenbury Point?
The radio towers are owned and maintained by Anne Arundel County.
Can you share the results of any reports mentioned in the article: NSA Annapolis' Holistic Approach to Natural Resources with Integrated Management Plan?
- Naval Support Activity Annapolis Greenbury Point Wetland Report
- Oyster Habitat Surveys at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, May 2021
- Bat Survey at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, April 2020
- Butterfly and Pollinator Species Survey at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, June 2020
- Naval bases help tag and monitor monarch butterflies