Chesapeake Exec. Council Greenlights Revised Watershed Agreement
CHESAPEAKE BAY – Leaders from the Chesapeake Executive Council met at the National Aquarium on Tuesday to formally approve a revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.
The approval comes after last year’s meeting, where the Executive Council formally tasked the partnership with revising the agreement over the next year. The revision centered the agreement around 21 expected outcomes over five main areas: thriving habitats, fisheries and wildlife, clean water, healthy landscapes, and engaged communities.
“The revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement will make our rivers and streams cleaner,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “It will bolster Maryland’s seafood, tourism and recreational businesses. Most importantly, it will ensure we protect the precious heirloom that is the Chesapeake Bay so we can pass it down to the next generations in a better condition than we received it.”
The partnership will proceed with developing management strategies for each outcome. The strategies will outline how it will be achieved and include considerations such as monitoring, assessing and reporting progress, as well as where coordination with partners and stakeholders is needed.
“The Chesapeake Bay Program is a model for the nation of what is possible with state-led, federally backed and community-driven restoration,” said Maryland State Senator Sara Love, chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. “This refreshed Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement marks a new chapter in our enduring partnership, made possible through contributions from experts in every field and input from every corner of the watershed.”
Other changes made by the Executive Council during this year’s annual meeting included approved recommendations to streamline and simplify the partnership’s structure and governance. Additionally, the Council has called for new recommendations to be developed over the next year on how best to include tribes in the Chesapeake Bay Program moving forward.
During the meeting, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was unanimously elected to be chair of the Executive Council. He succeeds Governor Moore, who has served in the role for the past two years.
“My Administration has accelerated Pennsylvania’s progress in restoring local waterways across the Commonwealth and reduced our share of pollution to the Bay, ensuring every Pennsylvanian has access to clean air and water while supporting our farmers and our agriculture industry,” said Governor Shapiro. “I’m honored to be elected as the next chair of the Chesapeake Executive Council by my fellow governors and I’m looking forward to continuing this work to get stuff done together for the people we serve.”
