Congress Moves to Permanently Ban Golf Course Development at Greenbury Point Conservation Area

This bill, titled the "Protect Greenbury Point Conservation Area Act of 2025," is short, direct, and cuts straight to the point: it slams the door shut on building a golf course at the Greenbury Point Conservation Area located at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, Maryland.

It achieves this by amending Section 2855 of the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024. Essentially, Congress is making sure that the Secretary of the Navy cannot use any funds to construct a golf course there. It also explicitly prohibits the Navy from modifying or restricting public access for the purpose of building that course. Think of this as Congress stepping in to make sure a previously debated land use option is permanently off the table for this specific piece of land.

The Conservation Area Keeps Its 'Conservation' Status

For anyone who uses Greenbury Point for hiking, running, or just enjoying nature, this bill is about protecting your weekend plans. The core of the legislation is the prohibition on golf course construction, which immediately protects the area from that specific type of commercial development. The bill also reinforces the public's right to access the area. If you’re a local runner or birdwatcher, this means you don’t have to worry about the area being fenced off for fairway construction.

A Small Catch: Environmental Cleanup Still Comes First

There is one exception to the public access rule, but it’s a necessary one. The bill states that restrictions are allowed if they are related to environmental restoration of the Greenbury Point Conservation Area. This means if the Navy needs to close off a section temporarily to clean up pollutants or restore critical habitat, they still can. This makes sense—you can’t protect a conservation area if you can’t clean it up. The bill requires these restrictions to be consistent with existing law and regulation, which provides a check against misuse. It’s a smart provision that balances public use with the actual long-term health of the land.

Who Wins and Who Loses?

This legislation is a clear win for conservationists and the local community who value the area for its natural state and public access. It ensures that this land remains dedicated to conservation, not recreation development. The groups who lose out are those who were pushing for or stood to profit from the golf course—developers, contractors, or recreational golf interests. For the rest of us, it’s policy that keeps a park a park, ensuring that a natural resource remains accessible and protected from specific development pressures.