Virginia’s migratory seabird colony was kicked off of its former nesting site three years ago to make room for the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project. In an attempt to protect the migratory birds, Virginia officials hatched a plan to relocate the colony to a newly created habitat on Fort Wool, a decommissioned island fortification steeped in American war history.
While the move worked as a short-term solution, historians have expressed concern that the use of the island for the seabirds is depriving the public the chance to explore Fort Wool’s rich history. Furthermore, environmentalists say Fort Wool — also known as Rip Raps Island — does not have enough space to sustain the bird colonies in the long term.
To address the concerns, state and federal officials plan to invest more than $10 million to build a new, permanent island for the migratory seabirds in the next several years — a move that should protect the birds while allowing Fort Wool to be restored.
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The initial move
For decades, thousands of gulls, terns, black skimmers and similar birds flocked to the HRBT’s South Island during the spring for nesting. But to alleviate Interstate 64 traffic, the state poured concrete over the habitat in 2019, considering it necessary for the expansion of the tunnel and to provide needed space for construction crews. The decision sparked a significant outcry from wildlife advocates.
Becky Gwynn, executive deputy director of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, said in early 2020 as the construction was ramping up, the department worked with the Virginia Department of Transportation to educate state officials about the seabird colony that had been using South Island for three-plus decades. The outcry from wildlife advocates and environmentalists prompted then-Gov. Ralph Northam to work on a plan to find another suitable habitat — Fort Wool was chosen.
“We really needed a solution other than simply displacing the birds from the South Island as construction was unfolding,” Gwynn said. “So working with VDOT and a number of contractors and other partners, we identified the opportunity to create a sandy habitat over on the parade ground at Fort Wool.”
To make the habitat suitable, officials at the Department of Wildlife Resources pulled up trees, removed signage, added pest controls and covered the parade grounds with sand.
Despite the efforts to make Fort Wool as habitable as possible for the birds, Gwynn says there isn’t enough space. She said when the birds used part of the South Island, they occupied about 10 acres. The space created at Fort Wool was only about an acre and a half. Gwynn said officials decided to work with a contractor to place several flat-top barges in the embayment area between South Island and Fort Wool to provide an additional acre of surface area.
Gwynn said as many as 25,000 birds visit during the peak of nesting season — from April through mid-September.
“From our perspective, most importantly, it’s just insufficient size,” Gwynn said. “So when we created this temporary nesting area, it was always with the intent that it was temporary.”
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Historical concerns
A lack of space isn’t the only objection to Fort Wool as a permanent solution. Several historic groups — known as the Coalition for Historic Fort Wool — have expressed concern about the lack of public access and deteriorating conditions of the historic structures.
Fort Wool, owned by the commonwealth, was built on a shoal in 1819 as a companion stronghold to Fort Monroe. It was initially called the “Fort Calhoun,” and named for John C. Calhoun, a former U.S. Secretary of War, before he became a leading proponent of Southern secession. Enslaved men forged the batteries and stone casemates on the man-made island. The fort was renamed during the Civil War in honor of Union Army Commander John E. Wool.
Historian Michael Cobb believes the island’s history is too important to be lost.
“Abraham Lincoln came there during the Civil War,” Cobb said. “Contraband folk found freedom there. Andrew Jackson ran America on that island for months on time.”
The Army used the fort during World War II, but decades later, it was decommissioned and transferred to the commonwealth, the Daily Press previously reported. For decades, the island was leased by Hampton, with the city operating it as a park and tourist attraction during the summer, with public access via boat. According to a 2019 state DHR report, 7,000 people visited Fort Wool each year. In its lease, Hampton was responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the site. The lease agreement ended in March 2020.
Cobb says the relocation of thousands of birds to the island “is not good for this national historic landmark” and that the coalition is working with the state to relocate the birds so Fort Wool can be reopened to the public. He said the beautiful, grassy aesthetics of the island have been replaced by the sand used to attract the birds.
“My concern here is that Fort Wool, because of what has happened here, is going to be lost,” Cobb said. “It needs preservation. We want to reopen it so people can come back to it.
“Our national history and our natural history are equally important.”
According to a 2019 DHR maintenance report of historic structures, Fort Wool has been deteriorating and sinking as a result of water, wind, and neglect. The report also states Fort Wool eventually will be completely submerged due to sea level rise.
“Time is not on our side,” Cobb said. “Fort Wool needs stabilization. It needs maintenance, it needs attention, and we can’t get to it, we can’t do anything right now.”
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A permanent solution
Gwynn said since 2020, the Department of Wildlife Resources has been working on alternatives with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. What they settled on is the construction an artificial 10-acre island dedicated for the colony of birds.
“There’s not any existing location that is going to meet the needs of these birds and allow the colony to thrive,” Gwynn said. “And so, the current working plan is to develop an island west of the Hampton flats area.”
She said the new island would be near the bend in the Newport News shoreline, near the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel. She stressed the island would be for the birds and they do not want “a public beach destination” for people. The island must be close to the original South Island so that the birds can be successfully relocated.
The final design, engineering, and construction costs in 2021 were projected to be about $12.7 million, which the federal government and the DWR will share, according to Gwynn. She noted the cost could change as design work is updated.
She said the hope is for preliminary planning to wrap up early next year and construction to begin in 2025. Since construction would take 3-6 months, she said the birds may not be able to utilize the new island until the 2026 nesting season.
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Making the island
The plan calls for the floor of the artificial island to have armoring rock stone, providing a circular structural framework. The inside of the perimeter would be filled with dredged material. Above the surface, the top layer of the island would be filled with sand material.
“We do know these birds like sand, they prefer sand,” Gwynn said. “They don’t want to nest in muddy stuff.”
After the artificial island is created, Gwynn said the next step would be to lure the birds to the island. Gwynn said the colony “like to nest together.” So to draw the birds to the new island, the DWR will place seabird decoys on the island and use a solar-powered audio system to broadcast the calls of the species in the colony.
“The birds hear that, they see what they think are real birds on the sand,” she said. She said the birds will think, “Hey, look, there’s others of our kind down there. Let’s go check that out.”
The DWR will also need to deter the birds from using Fort Wool once the new island is created. This could entail removing elements from Fort Wool added to attract the birds, such as the sand.
Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner secured $200,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to create the artificial island through the Army Corps of Engineers’ Beneficial Use of Dredged Material program.
“We were glad to secure funds to build a new nesting habitat for migratory seabirds after they lost their nesting grounds,” the senators said in a statement to the Daily Press. “This funding is critical to protecting our wildlife, which is an invaluable public resource and contributor to the local recreation economy.”
Right now, the DWR is primarily focused on evaluating the exact location and shape of the island and trying to assess what sort of environmental factors the island will face. Gwynn said these studies are being covered by the money the senators secured.
Cobb said the Coalition of Historic Fort Wool supports the efforts to move the birds to a new island and believes the solution could save both the birds and the history of Fort Wool. However, there are concerns that Fort Wool might degrade significantly between now and 2026.
“We’re not against the birds,” Cobb said. “In the same token, we don’t want to see Fort Wool become lost.”
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
