Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement to Meet

Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the regional partnership of states within the watershed, will meet in Annapolis to discuss how to achieve not only those goals but new ones.  

In Virginia, the discussion already has included pollution reduction measures farmers can adopt, and funding for them.

“The good news is that we’re entering this meeting with the partnership stronger than ever,” said Adam Ortiz, the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator in the mid-Atlantic, who noted this will be the first meeting since 2014 with the governors from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania in attendance.

The presence of all three is an indication of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to their states’ ecosystems — it is home to over 300 types of fish, birds, insects and plants — and economy. The Bay’s seafood industry alone is worth $3 billion a year to Virginia and Maryland, according to the Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. 

Acknowledging the shortcomings of the work so far, the Chesapeake Bay Program Beyond 2025 Steering Committee earlier this year recommended recommitting to the partnership and streamlining processes. It also advocated for local involvement and new approaches.

On Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a four-page Executive Directive, stressing that, “Virginia is committed to being a part of the Partnership and continuing our efforts to protect the bay.” 

But he also wrote, “it is evident that a clearer path forward is needed.”

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Wayne Creed

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