Chesapeake Bay Partners Seek Public Input on Revised Restoration Agreement

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A major overhaul of the Chesapeake Bay’s restoration blueprint is now open for public review, as environmental leaders work to streamline decade-old conservation goals and tackle emerging threats to the nation’s largest estuary.

The Chesapeake Bay Program has released a draft of the revised 2025 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, condensing the original 2014 framework from 10 goals and 31 outcomes down to four goals and 21 outcomes. The simplified structure aims to better address ongoing environmental challenges while maintaining focus on habitat restoration, clean water initiatives, and community engagement across the six-state watershed.

“We’re seeing progress, but we need an immediate push for overall improvement,” said program leaders, who emphasize that the revisions reflect both scientific advances and urgent environmental needs that have emerged over the past decade.

The original Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, signed in 2014, built on more than four decades of collaborative restoration efforts dating back to the program’s founding in 1983. However, program officials recognized the need for a more focused approach based on the latest science and emerging threats.

In December 2024, the Chesapeake Executive Council directed staff to revise the agreement and propose a streamlined structure for the bay program. The revision process involved extensive consultation with the Principals’ Staff Committee, Management Board, and subject matter experts to evaluate current goals against new policy developments, community needs, and scientific understanding.

The consolidated framework maintains the program’s core mission while creating what officials describe as a more manageable and effective structure for coordinating restoration efforts across Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, New York, and the District of Columbia.

Public Input Period Underway

Through September 1, 2025, residents, organizations, and stakeholders throughout the watershed are invited to submit written feedback on the proposed changes. The public comment period, which began July 1, represents a critical opportunity for community input on the future direction of bay restoration efforts.

To read the draft agreement, click here, and to submit feedback, click here. 

Program officials encourage reviewers to be as specific as possible in their feedback, including page numbers and section references when commenting on particular aspects of the vision, preamble, principles, or specific outcomes.

Comments should be sent to comments@chesapeakebay.net.

To facilitate state-level coordination, commenters are asked to indicate their state of residence. All feedback will be posted publicly on the Planning for 2025 and Beyond website, with individual comments shared anonymously unless otherwise specified, while organizational feedback will include identifying information.

Next Steps

A 12-person review team representing federal and state agencies and advisory committees within the Chesapeake Bay Program will read, categorize, and analyze all submitted feedback. The team will use this input to prepare a revised draft of the updated agreement, which will be presented to the Management Board in October 2025.

The revision process represents the latest chapter in the ongoing effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, which spans 64,000 square miles and supports millions of residents across its watershed. Since 1983, the program has used formal agreements to guide restoration work, with periodic updates ensuring that goals remain aligned with the best available science and changing environmental conditions.

Program leaders stress the importance of early participation in the feedback process, urging interested parties not to wait until the September 1 deadline to submit their comments. Those seeking additional information can review frequently asked questions on the program’s Planning for 2025 and Beyond website before submitting feedback.

The Chesapeake Bay Program’s collaborative approach involves federal and state agencies, local governments, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations working together to restore and protect the bay’s clean water, abundant life, and the cultural heritage of its surrounding communities.

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Wayne Creed

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