Senate blocks Navy golf course at Maryland conservation area
S. 3463 — Protect Greenbury Point Conservation Area Act of 2025 · Filed by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Dec 11, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill prohibits the Department of Defense from building a golf course at Greenbury Point Conservation Area, a protected environmental area at Naval Support Activity Annapolis in Maryland. It amends a 2024 law to explicitly ban golf course construction while preserving the Navy's ability to restrict public access for legitimate environmental restoration and security purposes.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative function is to prevent conversion of a designated conservation area to a golf course, protecting environmental and public-access interests at a military installation.
What the text implies
- The amendment preserves the Navy's ability to restrict public access for environmental restoration, meaning the conservation area may remain closed to the public even after golf course prohibition is secured.
- The bill does not mandate active environmental restoration or public access — it only prevents golf course development, leaving the area's future use and accessibility to Navy discretion within existing law.
Who it affects
The bill protects a public conservation area from conversion to a private recreational facility, preserving environmental and public-access values. It prevents a narrow military facility use that would displace conservation purposes without imposing costs on ordinary citizens.