Blackwater NWR Seeks Public Comment on Draft Environmental Assessment for Wetland Restoration

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is seeking public review and comment on a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Backgarden Creek wetland restoration project. The proposed project would restore approximately 100 acres of tidal marsh through sediment placement in accordance with the refuge’s Comprehensive Conservation Plan. The EA is available at www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater. Copies may also be obtained by visiting the Blackwater NWR Visitor Center at 2145 Key Wallace Drive, Cambridge, MD between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. The public review and comment period is open from July 11 to August 9, 2025.

Comments or requests for additional information may be made by email to matt_whitbeck@fws.gov or mail to 2145 Key Wallace Drive, Cambridge, MD 21613, Attn: Matt Whitbeck. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will accept comments received or postmarked on or before August 9, 2025. Comments received will be reviewed and addressed in the Final EA, which is expected in September 2025.

All comments received from individuals become part of the official public record. The Service’s practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents can request that we withhold their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. If you wish to have your name and/or address withheld, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, protects over 32,000 acres of rich tidal marsh, mixed hardwood and pine forest, managed freshwater wetlands and cropland for a diversity of wildlife. To learn more, visit our website at www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater or @BlackwaterNWR.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information,
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