Members of Maryland’s Congressional delegation have successfully blocked the U.S. Naval Academy Athletic Association from building a second golf course on Greenbury Point.

The announcement comes on the heels of Congress passing the final version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act Thursday morning. The provisions for protecting the Greenbury Point Conservation Area are now even stronger language than the draft legislation passed by the Senate earlier this year, and make it nearly impossible to deforest the 231-acre peninsula extending out into the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River.

“The Secretary of the Navy may not modify or restrict public access to the Greenbury Point Conservation Area at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, Maryland,” the legislation now reads. The only exceptions are temporary closers to ensure public safety, or the transfer of the land to another public entity, for example, turning the land over to Anne Arundel County or the National Park Service, with preservation and public access as the goal.

Conservation advocates hailed the move and breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday, not only for the strengthened language, but because U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, a Democrat, faced opposition from Republicans when he attempted to get Greenbury Point protection enshrined in the House version of the Defense Authorization Act. Hope for getting the language into the final bill, which Congress must pass each year, fell largely to Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin.

“Senator Van Hollen, Senator Cardin and Representative Sarbanes deserve enormous credit and gratitude,” Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn said in a statement issued shortly after the House of Representatives passed the final Defense Authorization Act Thursday morning. The bill now heads to the White House for President Joe Biden’s signature.

Dunn praised the lawmakers for listening to constituents and taking “a stand for our trees and wildlife to protect the health of the Chesapeake Bay and to ensure that everyone, not just the privileged few, will have access to one of the last remaining natural areas of the Severn River.”

The fate of Greenbury Point has been a matter of enormous public controversy since May 2022, when conservation advocates learned that Chet Gladchuk, director of both academy athletics and the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Association, was seeking to build a second golf course on Greenbury Point, which is owned by the Navy and managed by Naval Support Activity Annapolis.

Outdoor enthusiasts protested that the golf course would be detrimental to the Chesapeake Bay, and further restrict public access to the remaining forested areas and hiking trails on the peninsula.

“For years, Annapolis residents and visitors have cherished the opportunity to explore Greenbury Point – one of the few publicly accessible areas of the bay,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “As the Navy has considered altering that access, our constituents expressed their strong opposition to changing that policy. That’s why we fought for this provision that says in no uncertain terms – Greenbury Point must stay open to the public.”