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This serves as notification from the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources of a request from the Department of the Navy for a Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (CMPA) permit under Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) 12-5-280 et seq., to modify and maintain the Transit Protection Program Pier, Camden County, Georgia.
Naval Submarine Base (NSB) Kings Bay, Georgia (also referred to as SUBASE), is homeport to the Transit Protection Program (TPP) which provides a fleet of security vessels that escort all Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN) submarines during transit to and from the SUBASE. The existing TPP pier, trestle and floating docks were constructed circa 1980 and provide mooring and port services for the fleet of 24 vessels that support the TPP mission. The existing TPP pier and trestle and floating docks are in poor condition overall and need replacement due to excessive age and exposure to the marine environment.
The proposed project, titled P-617 Transit Protection Program, is an FY25 Military Construction Project (MCON) to replace the existing TPP pier, trestle, floating docks, and construct a landside storage building, fuel storage tank, upgrades to existing buried utilities, and other incidental construction work as outlined below to support the TPP mission.
The proposed project includes four phases of construction to keep the facility operational and support the TPP mission during construction. Each phase of construction is outlined below.
Phase 1
Phase 1 of the proposed project will include construction of temporary docks for small craft vessels (<100ft.) to be relocated to the eastern side of the structure to allow for demolition of the existing TPP pier, trestle, and floating docks. The temporary floating docks will consist of two main floating docks with finger docks. A 310sq.ft. triangular gangway platform will be constructed at the corner of the layberth pier and trestle on the eastern side of the existing structure. The gangway platform will support gangways, one extending to the north and one extending to the east. The eastern gangway will provide access to a 12ft. x 332ft. (3,984sq.ft.) floating dock extending parallel to the layberth pier. Eight 6ft. x 35ft. (1,680sq.ft.) finger floats will extend perpendicular to the main floating dock. The gangway extending to the north of the triangular platform will provide access to a 12ft. x 198ft. (2,376sq.ft.) floating dock with 15ft. x 48ft. (720sq.ft.) and 15ft. x 30ft. (450sq.ft.) landing areas below the gangways that extends parallel to the layberth trestle. One 8ft. x 90ft. (720sq.ft.) and three 8ft. x 75ft. (1,800sq.ft.) finger floats will extend perpendicularly from the main floating dock. Each of the 12 finger docks includes 16sq.ft of additional deck area at the corner chamfer between the finger dock and main dock (192sq.ft.). Additionally, there is a gangway that extends from the northern side of the trestle to provide access to the main north-south float. The three gangways that provide access to the floating docks will impact approximately 869sq.ft. The structures that make up the temporary small craft berthing facility will be secured by 64 pilings. The temporary facility will impact approximately 13,101sq.ft. (0.30 acres) of coastal marshlands.
Phase 2
Phase 2 of the proposed project will include demolition of the existing pier, trestle and floating docks and construction of a temporary access trestle and floating dock. The demolition of the trestle and pier will consist of the removal of all structures and 412 pilings on the western side of the facility and will total approximately 61,460sq.ft. of structure removed. Approximately 18,890sq.ft. of floating docks previously attached to the pier and trestle structure will also be removed. The existing rock revetment under the west trestle will be removed resulting in approximately 1,716sq.ft. of impacts. All demolition activities will take place from the structure itself or from work barges equipped with cranes and other heavy equipment. Two temporary access trestles will be constructed to facilitate construction over the tidal marsh. One temporary access trestle will be constructed from the upland just to the west of the demolition project. The temporary trestle will be 40ft. x 605ft. (24,200sq.ft.) leading from the upland to a gangway (375sq.ft.) used to access a 18ft. x 200ft. (3,600sq.ft.) floating dock. The temporary trestle and float will provide contactors with access to shallow water areas and the staging areas on the upland for demolition and construction. A second 40ft. x 450ft. (18,000sq.ft.) temporary access trestle will be constructed adjacent to the pile supported walkway leading to the floating wave attenuator. The temporary trestles and floats will impact approximately 46,175sq.ft. A total of 82,066sq.ft. of structure and rock revetment will be removed from CMPA jurisdiction during Phase 2.
Phase 3
Phase 3 of the proposed project will include construction of the permanent trestle, pier, floating docks, wave break, basin markers, rip rap, floating wave attenuator, and associated walkway. The 41ft. x 887ft. (36,367sq.ft.) trestle with a wave screen will originate from the upland and provide access to a 65ft. x 700ft. (45,500sq.ft.) pier with a wave screen. The trestle and pier include utility supports that extend outside of the typical width of the pier and trestle (425sq.ft.). A gangway landing platform 20ft. x 14.5ft. (290sq.ft.) extends from the south side of the pier. A 66ft. x 36ft. (2,376sq.ft.) utility platform with an electrical equipment extension of 4.3ft. x 24.25ft. (105sq.ft.) will be constructed on the easternmost landward side of the pier adjacent to the trestle. The wave screens will extend down from the channelward face of the pier to approximately -7ft. NAVD88 to provide a small craft berthing area that is protected from waves. Extending from the western end of the pier will be 8ft. x 219ft. (1,752sq.ft.) L-shaped wave break. Located to the west of the proposed wave break, a 10.5ft x 344.5ft. (3,617.5sq.ft.) pile supported walkway will extend from the upland to provide access via a gangway (395sq.ft.) to a 20ft. x 410ft. (8,200sq.ft.) floating wave attenuator. The proposed pier, trestle, wave break, and floating wave attenuator will form the permanent small craft mooring basin within its boundaries. These structures will impact 99,024sq.ft. (2.27 acres) of coastal marshlands.
Small Craft Berthing Facility
The small craft mooring facility within the basin will be made up of a series of floating docks, finger floats, and gangways attached to the interior of the trestle and pier. The floating dock oriented parallel to the trestle will be accessed from an aluminum gangway to a 20ft. x 15ft. (300sq.ft.) gangway landing float. The 15ft. x 293ft. (4,395sq.ft.) floating dock will have six finger floats extending to the west. The finger floats on the trestle side of the small craft basin are 8ft. wide with one 30ft. long on the southern end, two are 40ft. long and the three on the northern end are 45ft. long with an area of 1,960sq.ft. for the six finger floats. The floating dock oriented parallel to the pier will be accessed from an aluminum gangway to a 20ft. x 12ft. (240sq.ft.) gangway landing float. Additional access to the pier side floating dock will be located on the western end of the pier. A third gangway will lead to a 12ft. x 20ft. (240sq.ft.) gangway landing float and provide access to a 15ft. x 586ft. (8,790sq.ft.) floating dock. Adjacent to the 15ft. wide floating dock are two mechanical utility floats that are 12ft. x 8ft. each (192sq.ft.). The pier side floating dock will have 5 finger floats extending to the south. The easternmost finger float will be 8ft. x 40ft. (320sq.ft.). The next 3 finger floats to the west will be 10ft. x 80ft. (2,400sq.ft.). The westernmost finger float will be 12ft. x 100ft. (1200sq.ft.). The finger floats will have multiple fenders secured to them. Each of the 11 finger docks includes 16 sq.ft. of additional deck area at the corner chamfers between the finger dock and main dock (176sq.ft.). The three gangways will impact a total of 1,118sq.ft. The small craft mooring facility will impact approximately 21,331sq.ft. (0.49 acres) of coastal marshlands. There will be four 30” steel pipe piles marking the limits of the basin along the southern side.
Shoreline Stabilization
The shoreline adjacent to the trestle will be stabilized with a concrete pile supported abutment and a rock revetment. The pile supported abutment will be 41ft. x 23ft. (943sq.ft.). The shoreline area adjacent to the abutment will be stabilized with a rock revetment with an impact area of 480sq.ft. channelward of the Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) line.
Phase 4
Phase 4 of the project is to demolish the temporary structures and remaining portion of the existing pier. This includes demolition and removal of the (2) temporary floating docks and associated pilings (13,101sq.ft.), the (2) temporary access trestles (42,200sq.ft.), remaining pier (38,800sq.ft.) and the temporary relocated floating dock (3,975sq.ft.). A total of 98,076sq.ft. of structures will be removed from coastal marshlands in phase 4 of the project.
The project has no upland component.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate that the project is not contrary to the public interest and that no feasible alternative sites exist. Impacts to coastal marshlands must be minimal in size. In passing upon the application for permit, the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee shall consider the public interest: (1) Whether or not unreasonably harmful obstruction to or alteration of the natural flow of navigational water within the affected area will arise as a result of the proposal; (2) Whether or not unreasonably harmful or increased erosion, shoaling of channels, or stagnant areas of water will be created; and (3) Whether or not the granting of a permit and the completion of the applicants proposal will unreasonably interfere with the conservation of fish, shrimp, oysters, crabs, clams, or other marine life, wildlife, or other resources, including but not limited to water and oxygen supply.
A detailed public notice with drawings has been distributed and is available by visiting the Department of Natural Resources website: CoastalGaDNR.org under “Public Notices.”
Please provide this office with substantive, site-specific comments as to why the proposed work should or should not proceed. Comments and questions concerning this proposed project should be submitted in writing and be submitted by the close of business on November 7, 2026, to Paul Tobler, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, One Conservation Way, Georgia 31520 or via email at paul.tobler@dnr.ga.gov.
