Last week’s column provided some history about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and efforts to restore the Bay and its tributaries. Improvements in Bay habitat have been slow to develop, but the partnerships established between the watershed jurisdictions, the federal government, and non-profit organizations have been critical to any success. A new effort to address new advances in science and restoration is underway, with draft recommendations expected to be presented at the Chesapeake Executive Council’s (EC) December meeting.

At a recent Local Government Forum in Ellicott City, Maryland, hosted by the EC’s Local Government Advisory Committee (I represent the Commonwealth of Virginia on LGAC), EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz noted that two words are important for future efforts – opportunity and accelerate. Mr. Ortiz, who has an extensive local government background in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties (Maryland), highlighted improvements in the Susquehanna River basin made by Pennsylvania farmers in the watershed. “Farmers are front-line environmentalists,” he said, a comment echoed at a Potomac Watershed Roundtable meeting the next day by Westmoreland County Supervisor Woody Hynson, who also is a longtime Rappahannock River Basin farmer. Small family farms are the backbone of American agriculture and farmers know the importance of caring for the land, the water, the forests, and the proper usage of low-till and no-till processes that reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and other chemical elements in farm fields. At the Forum, Mr. Ortiz noted that “we don’t always have to be in agreement, but we always have to be in conversation.” Wise words.

The 2024 Chesapeake Bay “report card” issued by the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science earlier this month rated the Bay’s health as C+, its highest rating since 2002. Many goals established for Bay restoration have not been met, but gradual improvements include the largest number of forest buffers planted since 2016 (the unmet goal is 900 acres planted annually). Opening streams and rivers to migratory fish by removing barrier dams and culverts is ahead of schedule by nearly a decade. Since 1988, more than 30,000 miles of waterways have been opened, and nearly 9.1 million acres of land protected (22 percent of the watershed). Partners have worked successfully to maintain the blue crab fishery. Female blue crab numbers have stayed above the threshold of what is needed to maintain a healthy blue crab population since 2014 and oyster habitat has been restored in 11 Bay tributaries, Wastewater treatment plants throughout the watershed have been updated, and agriculture conservation practices are expected to prevent nearly 12 million pounds of nitrogen from entering the Bay.

What’s next? As EPA Administrator Ortiz said, looking at the Bay Beyond 2025 provides an opportunity to review and reset goals and objectives for Bay restoration. New technology may help achieve broader goals and identify new ones. New partners and new investments, both public and private, can help accelerate plans, projects, and progress. The draft Steering Committee report has been released and is subject to public feedback until August 31, 2024. You can read the report at chesapeakebay.net, and provide comments (via email only) at
comments@chesapeakebay.net.