The Sentinel of the Chesapeake Bay
Garrett Island, located in the Susquehanna River at the head of the Chesapeake Bay, was used as a meeting area for the Susquehannock Indians even before it became a trading post for the Virginia Company. Garrett Island played an important role in commerce on the Bay during the 1700’s and 1800’s. After the advent of railroads and overland commerce, Garrett Island quietly stood watch over the Bay and provided home and habitat for a diversity of native wildlife and plant species. Today, due to efforts by Cecil Land Trust and dedicated citizen conservationists, Garrett Island is part of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. |
The Full Story of Garrett Island
Garrett Island is an approximately 200-acre island and sits between Perryville on the Cecil County side and Havre de Grace on the Harford County side. The island is a rocky remnant of an ancient volcano, and was purchased by the B&O railroad in the 1880s to build a railroad bridge. The Route 40 Thomas Hatem Memorial Bridge also crosses part of the island. The rest remained undeveloped, and was enjoyed for years by members of the surrounding communities. Resident wildlife flourished there. In the 1990’s, this beautiful and unique island was slated to be developed; its wilderness character and wildlife were suddenly at risk.
In 1997, a Pennsylvania developer purchased Garrett Island from CSX for $250,000 with an eye toward building a hotel and conference center. Local conservationists expressed concern, and in 2000, Harford County farmer Peter Jay (then President of the Harford Land Trust), bought Garrett Island from the developer for $750,000. Because Garrett Island lies outside of Harford County (in Cecil County), Mr. Jay contacted CLT President, Bill Kilby, to help permanently protect the island. CLT raised a total of $200,000 (including a $50,000 contribution from the developer who’d bought the island from CSX and sold it to Mr. Jay) and bought a share in the property. Another private citizen, Gary Pensell of Perryville, became the third owner. The three owners wanted to transfer the property to a local organization to preserve and manage it, but no such organization ultimately stepped forward to buy and manage this unique piece of land. Cecil Land Trust, as an all-volunteer land trust, did not have the resources to manage Garrett, so CLT looked for a solution.
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Ultimately, Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest helped bring together the owners of the land with the nonprofit Conservation Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The Conservation Fund purchased the shares of Garrett Island owned by Mr. Jay and Mr. Pensell. Cecil Land Trust donated its ownership share of the island. The Conservation Fund then turned Garrett Island over to USFWS, which manages the island as part of its Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
Thanks to the work of CLT and the others involved in preserving Garrett Island, current debates focus not on whether the Island will be developed, but on fine-tuning its management. The Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway, a non-profit group, is spearheading an effort to transfer management of the island from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical Trail. Transfer to the NPS would mean continued preservation while also increasing public access to Garrett Island. The Harford and Cecil County Councils have both approved resolutions in support of the transfer, as have several municipal governments in the area. |