Bill to Create Chesapeake National Recreation Area dies in Congress Dies in Congress

After passing the U.S. Senate, a bill that would have established the Chesapeake National Recreation Area fell short in the 118th Congress, but advocates are hoping to ride the momentum into next year.

The bill would have linked natural and historical sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed under the banner of the National Park Service, including several sites in the Annapolis area.

“We’re closer than ever to elevating the Chesapeake Bay to iconic American landscapes like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Tetons,” wrote Joel Dunn, outgoing president and CEO of the Chesapeake Conservancy, in a statement.

In a statement, Maryland U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a bill sponsor, said the legislation’s progress, since its initial introduction in 2023, was noteworthy even though the clock ran out.

“To advance legislation this far on its own often takes years, and I’m proud that we were able to get this close to the finish line in less than two,” he wrote. “The progress we have made strengthens our resolve to make our vision for the CNRA a reality, and I’ll be pushing hard in the new year to get this done.”

Bay advocates did, however, notch a victory when the House and Senate passed a renewed America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act, re-upping several key government programs for the bay restoration effort through 2030.

That list includes the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program, which coordinates the multi-state cleanup effort for the nation’s largest estuary. President Joe Biden still must sign the legislation, which reauthorizes the Bay Program at $92 million per year.