PN-25-46 NAB-2025-60544-TREC (Flag Harbor LLC/Groin, Dredging, Beach Nourishment)

USACE
Published Dec. 10, 2025
Expiration date: 1/9/2026

                                                                          Public Notice
                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                    Applicant:                                                                                                                                       Published: December 10, 2025
                                                                                                                                    Daniel Donaldson                                                                                                                                      Expires: January 9, 2026
                                                                                                                                    Flag Harbor, LLC
                                                                                                     
                               PN-25-46
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Baltimore District
                                                                                                                                   Permit Application No.  NAB-2025-60544-TREC


TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:  The Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received an application for a Department of the Army (DA) 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: Daniel Donaldson
                        Flag Harbor, LLC
                        P.O. Box 91
                        1565 Flag Harbor Blvd
                        St. Leonard, MD 20685

AGENT:         Doldon W. Moore
                       Doldon W. Moore & Associates
                       P.O. Box 1
                       Owings, MD 20736

WATERWAY AND LOCATION:  The project would affect waters of the United States and navigable waters of the United States associated with the Flag Harbor channel and the mainstem of the Chesapeake BayThe project/review area is located at 1656 Flag Harbor Blvd at Latitude 38.4657 and Longitude -76.4696; in St. Leonard, Calvert County, Maryland.

EXISTING CONDITIONS:  The site is an active marina and channel used for recreational navigation in and out of Flag Harbor.  There are existing stone jetties on each side of the channel; the northern jetty extends approximately 700 feet from the mean high water shoreline and the southern jetty extends approximately 500 feet from the mean high water shoreline.  The Flag Harbor channel has silted in at the entrance and in areas around the channel that requires dredging to maintain access.  Sections of the southern jetty are overtopped by high tide and require repairs to reinforce and increase the elevation of the existing structure to prevent sand from transitioning into the channel to decrease the frequency of dredge events.  The proposed footprint of the dredging area was previously authorized under DA permit NAB-2019-00406-P12 on December 6, 2019.  Calvert Beach to the south of the southern jetty that has previously received clean sand material for nourishment and has since receded.  The proposed area for beach nourishment was previously authorized under DA permit
NAB-2012-60430-M30 on June 4, 2012.

PROJECT PURPOSE:

Basic:  To dredge and maintain navigable access to Flag Harbor.

Overall:  To dredge and maintain navigable access to Flag Harbor and enhance beach habitat and recreational access at Calvert Beach.

PROPOSED WORK:  The applicant requests authorization to hydraulically dredge a 80-foot by 100-foot channel (approximately 2,000 cubic yards) to a depth of -8 feet mean low water elevation and to maintenance dredge this area 10 years from the date of the permit; to hydraulically deposit the approximately 2,000 cubic yards of sand material as beach nourishment on the adjacent beach located to the south of the Flag Harbor Marina on the Long Beach Civic Association property over an area of approximately 29,600 square feet/0.68 acres; and to repair the existing stone jetty by emplacing 300 square feet (5-foot wide by 60-foot long) stone riprap to support an existing segment of the jetty and emplacing 400 square feet (10-foot wide by 40-foot long) stone riprap on top of an existing segment of jetty to raise the elevation and prevent sand from transitioning to the channel; all to extend no more than 800 feet channelward of the mean high water shoreline in the mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay in Saint Leonard, Calvert County, Maryland.

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 project has been designed to avoid and minimize impacts to waters of the United States to the maximum extent practicable.

COMPENSATORY MITIGATION:  The applicant has provided the following explanation why compensatory mitigation should not be required:  Compensatory mitigation is not being proposed by the applicant for impacts to open water and no wetland impacts are proposed.  The proposed dredging footprint is within the previously authorized footprint of DA permit NAB-2019-00406-P12 and the proposed beach nourishment is within the previously authorized footprint of DA permit NAB-2012-60430-M30.

CULTURAL RESOURCES:  The Corps evaluated the undertaking pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act utilizing its existing program-specific regulations and procedures along with 36 CFR Part 800.  The Corps’ program-specific procedures include 33 CFR 325, Appendix C, and revised interim guidance issued in 2005 and 2007, respectively.  The District Engineer consulted district files and records and the latest published version of the National Register of Historic Places and initially determines that:  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 State Historic Preservation Office and/or Tribal Historic Preservation Office.

The District Engineer’s final eligibility and effect determination will be based upon coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office and/or Tribal Historic Preservation Office, 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 United States Fish and Wildlife Service Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Section 7 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 will not affect any listed species or critical habitat.

Table:  Endangered Species Act-listed species and/or critical habitat potentially present in the action area.

Species Common Name and/or Critical Habitat Name

Scientific Name

Federal Status

Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle

Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis

Threatened

Puritan Tiger Beetle

Ellipsopera puritana

Threatened

Atlantic sturgeon

Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus

Endangered

Shortnose sturgeon

Acipenser brevirostrum

Endangered

Green sea turtle

Chelonia mydas

Threatened

Kemp’s ridley sea turtle

Lepidochelys kempii

Endangered

Leatherback sea turtle

Dermochelys coriacea

Endangered

Loggerhead sea turtle

Caretta caretta

Threatened


This notice serves as request to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and NMFS 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.

The Corps intends to initiate Essential Fish Habitat consultation separately from this public notice.  A separate Essential Fish Habitat consultation package will be sent to the NMFS.  The Corps will not make a permit decision until the consultation process is complete.

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

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:  A Water Quality Certification may be required from the Maryland Department of 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, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 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 and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.  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 January 9, 2026.  Comments should be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs or to Ms. Ms. Meg Fullam at meghan.e.fullam@usace.army.mil.  Alternatively, you may submit comments in writing to the Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Attention:  Ms. Meg Fullam, 2 Hopkins Plaza  Baltimore, Maryland 21201.  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.