Concerns, Goals and Objectives

Photo by Jennifer Lockridge

Environmental Concerns

  • Over 817 species of plant and animal life have been documented on Greenbury Point since 2020.
  • More than 80% are native species.
  • 22 of the species documented appear on lists of threatened animals.
  • Greenbury Point is 100% within the critical area of the Chesapeake Bay.
  • Disturbance of land and forest buffers will profoundly impact water quality in the Bay.
  • Loss of habitat is the number-one cause of population decline in both plant and animal species.
  • Greenbury Point was home to the last known breeding colony of Northern Bobwhite Quail in Anne Arundel County.
  • Believed to have died out in 2012, there were 14 documentations of quails calling on Greenbury Point.
  • Greenbury Point is a bird watching “hot spot” in Anne Arundel County.

All data is from Greenbury Point Biodiversity Project, iNaturalist, and eBird.org

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The Threat:

Greenbury Point Conservation Area, a peninsula on the Chesapeake Bay, faces growing development pressure:

  • In 2022, the Naval Academy Golf Association (NAGA) requested a sole source lease to build a second private golf course on Greenbury Point. Although Anne Arundel County submitted a competing request to preserve the land as a public park, cancelling both proposals, NAGA has continued to pursue the idea of a golf course on Greenbury Point Conservation Area.
  • Additionally, the Navy has proposed an RV park on the edge of the conservation area—drawing strong opposition from environmental groups and local residents.

Our Vision: Stewardship through Partnership

The Friends of Greenbury Point advocate for a collaborative relationship with the U.S. Navy to protect this unique site through six core goals:

Historic Preservation

Protect and interpret Indigenous, colonial, and military history. Work to update National Register listing to reflect:

  • Indigenous alliances and colonial treaties
  • First European Settlement in Anne Arundel County which later moved across the Severn River to become Annapolis
  • WWI–Cold War communications and naval aviation

Natural Resource Management

  • Remove invasive vegetation and manage native habitats as per the current Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP)
  • Reinstate regular wildlife monitoring (birds, butterflies, herpetofauna, etc) with local agencies and citizen science efforts
  • Remediate heavy metal contamination.

Climate Resilience

Implement urgent actions from the Naval Academy Resilience Plan:

  • Continue implementing priority natural resources management and resiliency projects as per the current guiding documents

Public Access

  • Guarantee permanent public shoreline trail access
  • Close outdated rifle range and lift safety restrictions

Education & Interpretation

  • Upgrade the Nature Center and restore birding platforms
  • Add ADA-compliant trails and new interpretive signage
  • Host public programs and conservation events

Community Engagement

  • Establish a Navy–community stewardship model
  • Launch and maintain a public volunteer corps for
    • Trail maintenance, habitat restoration, citizen science
    • Nature Center staffing and public education