PN-25-23 NAB-2024-61552-M55(Hartge LLC/Maintenance Dredging & Marina Reconfiguration)

                                                Public Notice

                                                                                                                                                          Applicant:                                  Published: April 30, 2025
                                                                                                                                                                          Mr. Jed Dickman                           Expires: May 30, 2025
                                                                                                                                                                          Hartge LLC
                                                                                                                                                                          PN-25-23

                               Baltimore District Permit Application No.NAB-2024-61552-M55
                               (Hartge LLC/Maintenance Dredging & Marina Reconfiguration)                                               
The Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1344) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. §403). The purpose of this public notice is to solicit comments from the public regarding the work described below:

APPLICANT: Mr. Jed Dickman
                       Hartge LLC
                       P.O. Box 165 
                      Galesville, Maryland 20765

AGENT:         Mr. Doldon Moore
                       Doldon W. Moore & Associates LLC
                       P.O. Box 1  
                       Owings, Maryland 20736

WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States and navigable waters of the United States associated with the West River. The project/review area is located in the existing Hartge Marina Basin at the Hartge Marina in Galesville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland; at Latitude 39.837880 and Longitude -76.543473.

EXISTING CONDITIONS: The applicant is proposing repairs, dredging, and upgrades to the existing Hartge Marina Basin in Galesville, Maryland. Hartge Marina is a full-service marine facility, with all services required by boaters to maintain and enjoy their vessels. The existing Hartge Marina Basin facilities were constructed in the 1950s and are experiencing advanced deterioration. The purpose of the project is to provide upgrades to current facilities and a marina reconfiguration for piers that have been damaged or made vulnerable by degradation over time. This will consist of a removal and replacement of piers A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, entire removals of mooring piles at all piers, removal and replacement of existing metal roofing and supports for covered slips on pier G, replacement of a deteriorated bulkhead and causeway and dredging of the existing marina basin. The project will address existing structural deficiencies to maintain the safety and function of these areas. A secondary need for the project is to address the potential impacts due to future extreme weather events and land subsidence.

PROJECT PURPOSE: To dredge, reconfigure, and improve infrastructure within the Hartge Marina Basin in the West River, in Galesville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Basic: To reconfigure and improve existing marine infrastructure and to construct new marine infrastructure.

Overall: To reconfigure and improve existing marine infrastructure and to construct new marine infrastructure within the Hartge Marina Basin in the West River, in Galesville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

PROPOSED WORK: The applicant requests authorization to discharge fill material into waters of the United States and to construct new structures to reconfigure and improve marine infrastructure at the existing Hartge Marina basin as follows:

To demolish and reconfigure an existing marina, construct an approximately 1,900 linear feet (LF) replacement timber bulkhead a maximum of 18 inches channelward of the existing bulkhead and replace an existing causeway bulkhead, replace two travel lifts in kind, 5 feet wide by 49 feet long with a 16.5 feet wide well and 7 feet wide by 60.5 feet long with a 20 feet wide well, respectfully, mechanically maintenance dredge an approximate 399,565 square feet (SF) area to a maximum depth of -7.0 feet with approximately 19,871 cubic yards (CY) of dredged material, mechanically dredge an approximate 9,790 SF area to a maximum depth of -7.0 feet with approximately 629 CY of dredged material, with all dredged material to be placed at Crandell Spoil site located at 40 Turning Leaf Lane, Tracys Landing, Anne Arundel County Maryland. All work will extend a maximum of 334 feet from the approximate mean high-water shoreline in the West River, located at 4883 Church Lane, Galesville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

The marina reconfiguration will consist of a partial removal of pier A, the entire demolition of piers B, C, D, E, F, G, H, entire removals of mooring piles at all piers, construction of pier H, and removal of existing metal roofing and supports for covered slips on pier G (29,050 SF of coverage).

The existing structures and associated slips, finger piers, and piles will be replaced with the following:

A) Replace existing 112 feet long by 13 feet wide causeway, install a new 19 feet long wave screen, install a new “L” pier 10 feet wide by 48.5 feet long, 5 finger piers, each 4 feet wide and 36 feet long, and 12 mooring piles, with all work extending a maximum 201 feet from the approximate mean high-water shoreline.

B) Install a new floating dock 8 feet wide by 273 feet long, install an “L” section to the right 6 feet wide by 40 feet long, install an “L” section to the left 6 feet wide by 35 feet long, install 7 finger piers, each 3 feet wide by 35 feet long, install 7 finger piers each 4 feet wide by 40 feet long, install one aluminum gangway 4 feet wide by 25 feet long, and install 44 mooring piles, with all work extending a maximum 275 feet from the approximate mean high water shoreline.

C) Install a new floating dock 8 feet wide by 316 feet long, install an irregular “T” head 8 feet wide by 103 feet long, install two finger piers 5 feet wide by 60 feet long, install 6 finger piers 5 feet wide by 45 feet long, install 44 mooring piles, and install an aluminum gangway 4 feet wide by 25 feet long, with all work extending a maximum 344 feet from the approximate mean high water shoreline.

D) Install a new “L” shaped floating dock 8 feet wide by 490 feet long, install an “L” section 6 feet wide by 58 feet long, install two piers 8 feet wide by 161 feet long, install a “T” head 8 feet wide by 102 feet long, install a “T” head 8 feet wide by 118 feet long, install a finger pier 5 feet wide by 45 feet long, install a finger pier 5 feet wide by 60 feet long, install 3 finger piers, each 4 feet wide by 45 feet long, install 5 finger piers, each 3 feet wide by 35 feet long, and install 72 mooring buoys, with all work extending a maximum 333 feet from the approximate mean high water shoreline.

E) Install a main floating deck 8 feet wide by 303 feet long, install a “T” head 8 feet wide by 103 feet long, install 6 finger piers, each 4 feet wide by 35 feet long, install 4 finger piers, each 5 feet wide by 55 feet long, install 2 finger piers, each 5 feet wide by 50 feet long, install a fixed wood walkway running parallel to the bulkhead 6 feet wide by 118 feet long, and install 33 mooring piles, with all work extending a maximum 322 feet from the approximate mean high water shoreline.

F) Install a main floating dock 8 feet wide by 320 feet long, install a “T” head 8 feet wide by 138 feet long, install 6 finger piers, each 5 feet wide by 60 feet long, install 4 finger piers, each 5 feet wide by 70 feet long, install an aluminum gangway 4 feet wide by 25 feet long, and install 38 mooring piles, with all work extending a maximum 333 feet from the approximate mean high water shoreline.

G) Install a main floating dock 8 feet wide by 202 feet long, install a “T” head 10 feet wide by 158 feet long, install 3 finger piers, each 4 feet wide by 58 feet long, install 3 finger piers, each 4 feet wide by 62 feet long, install one finger pier 4 feet wide by 72 feet long, install a platform 18 feet wide by 31 feet long, install two finger piers, each 3 feet wide by 40.5 feet long, install an aluminum gangway 4 feet wide by 25 feet long, install 39 mooring piles, and replace the existing roof covering and supports over the pier area (151 feet wide by 214 feet long), with all work extending a maximum 214 feet from the approximate mean high water shoreline.

H) Install a main floating pier 8 feet wide by 151 feet long, install a “T” head 8 feet wide by 82 feet long, install 6 finger piers, each 4 feet wide by 45 feet long, install an aluminum gangway 4 feet wide by 25 feet long, install 24 mooring piles, and install a new covering over the entire pier area (98 feet wide by 157 feet long).

All work will extend a maximum 334 feet from the approximate mean high-water shoreline in the West River, located at 4883 Church Lane, Galesville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Table 1: Effects on aquatic resources.

AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION: The applicant has provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:

The proposed marina reconfiguration has been designed to match the existing footprint as closely as possible, while accommodating the current market for larger vessels and navigational safety.

For the bulkhead replacement, the new timber bulkhead will be installed as close to the existing as possible, within 18 inches of the existing bulkhead. The marine railway excavation no longer serves its purpose, as travel lifts are a more efficient means of hauling vessels onto uplands for service. The proposed fill of the causeway with impacts included in the bulkhead replacement, will allow for users to safely access piers. Alternatives were explored to deck over the open excavation from the marine railway. The resulting decks would be approximately 10 and 20 feet wide. However, the Maryland Department of the Environment does not allow for walkways over 8 feet wide, so this is not a feasible option to maintain user safety.

During project design, fixed docks were considered for the marina reconfiguration, which would have required additional piles. The floating docks were selected to reduce the pile count and reduce impacts of pile driving on the West River. In total, 1,457 piles are proposed for removal and 466 piles are proposed for installation.

The majority of the proposed dredging was previously authorized, with 399,565 square feet (SF) of maintenance dredging and 9,790 SF of new dredging.

COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: The applicant has provided the following explanation why compensatory mitigation should not be required: The applicant is not proposing to provide compensatory mitigation as the project scope has been reduced and impacts to waters of the U.S. have been minimized while meeting the project goals of reconfiguring and improving the existing infrastructure and constructing new marine infrastructure at the Hartge Marina Basin.

CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Corps is evaluating the undertaking for effects to historic properties as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This public notice serves to inform the public of the proposed undertaking and invites comments including those from local, State, and Federal government Agencies with respect to historic resources. Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts may be subject to additional coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer, federally recognized tribes and other interested parties. No historic properties (i.e., properties listed in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places) are present within the Corps’ permit area; therefore, there will be no historic properties affected. The Corps subsequently requests concurrence from the SHPO and/or THPO.

The District Engineer’s final eligibility and effect determination will be based upon coordination with the SHPO and/or THPO, as appropriate and required, and with full consideration given to the proposed undertaking’s potential direct and indirect effects on historic properties within the Corps-identified permit area.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: The Corps has performed an initial review of the application, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Section 7 Mapper, and the NMFS Critical Habitat Mapper to determine if any threatened, endangered, proposed, or candidate species, as well as the proposed and final designated critical habitat may occur within the boundary of the proposed project. Based on this initial review, the Corps has made a preliminary determination that the proposed project may affect species and critical habitat listed in Table 2. No other ESA-listed species or critical habitat will be affected by the proposed action.

Table 2: ESA-listed species and/or critical habitat potentially present in the action area.

Pursuant to Section 7 ESA, any required consultation with the Service(s) will be conducted in accordance with 50 CFR part 402.

This notice serves as request to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service for any additional information on whether any listed or proposed to be listed endangered or threatened species or critical habitat may be present in the area which would be affected by the proposed activity.

ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT: Pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996, the Corps reviewed the project area, examined information provided by the applicant, and consulted available species information.

Pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996, the Corps reviewed the project area, examined information provided by the applicant, and consulted available species information.

This notice initiates the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultation requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Our initial determination is that the proposed action may adversely affect EFH and/or fisheries managed by Fishery Management Councils and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Implementation of the proposed project would directly impact approximately 0.76 acres of water column and river bottom sediments. The effects of the project are determined to be minimal and permanent. These habitat(s) are utilized by the following species and their various life stages:

Our final determination relative to project impacts and the need for mitigation measures is subject to review by and coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

NAVIGATION: The proposed structure or activity is not located in the vicinity of a federal navigation channel.

SECTION 408: The applicant will not require permission under Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 USC 408) because the activity, in whole or in part,   would not alter, occupy, or use a Corps Civil Works project.

WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION: Water Quality Certification may be required from the Maryland Department of the Environment.

NOTE: This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the applicant. This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program. The geographic extent of aquatic resources within the proposed project area that either are, or are presumed to be, within the Corps jurisdiction has not been verified by Corps personnel.

EVALUATION: The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including cumulative impacts thereof; among these are conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food, and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will also include application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, EPA, under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act or the criteria established under authority of Section 102(a) of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. A permit will be granted unless its issuance is found to be contrary to the public interest.

COMMENTS: The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other Interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this determination, comments are used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.

The Baltimore District will receive written comments on the proposed work, as outlined above, until May 30, 2025. Comments should be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System (RRS) at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs or to Gabriela Icaza at gabriela.e.icaza@usace.army.mil. Alternatively, you may submit comments in writing to the Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Attention: Gabriela Icaza, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Regulatory Branch, 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-2930. Please refer to the permit application number in your comments.

Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider the application. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing. Requests for a public hearing will be granted, unless the District Engineer determines that the issues raised are insubstantial or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served by a hearing.