As part of developing a new strategy for restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, President Obama's Executive Order directs the federal government to “define environmental goals for the Chesapeake Bay and describe milestones for making progress toward attainment of these goals.”

Federal agencies have released a document that includes a draft vision for a restored Chesapeake Bay watershed, environmental goals and measurable outcomes of planned actions. Since these elements were not included in the draft strategy released in November 2009, the federal agencies committed to release a goals framework for public review prior to issuance of the final strategy in May 2010. The document does not include all of the actions that were outlined in the draft strategy released in November 2009 or that will be included in the final strategy due in May.

To maintain coordination and consistency with current restoration activities of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s federal and state partners, existing measures of health and restoration were used as the starting point for the Executive Order goals and outcomes. Some refinements were made to existing measures to better address the needs of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and reflect expanded federal action. More details on the draft goals and measurable outcomes are available in the appendix.

Public feedback on the draft vision, goals and measurable outcomes is essential, and comments can be submitted by April 2, 2010. The draft vision, goals and measurable outcomes will be modified based on public feedback and a revised version will be paired with detailed actions in the final strategy to be released by May 12, 2010.

Read the Draft Executive Order Goals Framework.pdf

The public comment period on the Chesapeake Bay Executive Order draft strategy and revised reports remains open until January 8, 2010. The draft strategy will evolve through public comments, state consultations and agency revisions before the final strategy is published in May 2010.

Also, a series of public forums are scheduled around the watershed for federal officials to present the draft strategy and hear feedback. View the Public Forum Schedule

Draft Strategy for Chesapeake Bay
Download executive summary | Download full document | Comment

202(a) Water Quality Report
Download | Comment

202(b) Targeting Resources Report
Download | Comment

202(c) Federal Stormwater Report
Download | Comment

202(d) Climate Change Report
Download | Comment

202(e) Access & Landscapes Report
Download | Comment

202(f) Scientific Support Report
Download | Comment

202(g) Habitat & Living Resource Report
Download | Comment

Due to the forecast for winter weather (snow, sleet and ice) in West Virginia, western Maryland and northwestern Virginia, and resulting concern for public safety, the public forum on the Chesapeake Bay Executive Order in Martinsburg, WV was postponed. The public forum has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 5 at 7pm at the Holiday Inn Martinsburg at 301 Foxcroft Avenue.

 

A series of public forums will be held throughout December on the recently released draft strategy for restoring the Chesapeake Bay, a document required by a Presidential Executive Order issued in May 2009.  The public forums will feature officials from multiple federal agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The public can also submit questions about the draft strategy by recording a 30-second or less video and uploading it to YouTube with a tag of “chesapeakebayeo.”  A selection of these video questions will be used for an online question-and-answer session with federal officials in January. People can also join conversations about the draft strategy on Facebook by visiting the Chesapeake Bay Executive Order page and clicking on discussions. Additionally, updates on Executive Order news are available through Twitter by following @chesapeakebayeo.

Public Forum Schedule

District of Columbia: Tuesday, December 1 - 7:00-8:30 pm

Penn Quarter Conference Center, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Watch the D.C. public forum

 

Maryland: Wednesday, December 2 – 7:00-8:30 pm

National Aquarium in Baltimore (Auditorium), 501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 

 

Delmarva Peninsula: Thursday, December 3 - 7:00-8:30 pm

Wicomico County Civic Center (Midway Room), 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804

Watch the Delmarva public forum

 

New York: Thursday, December 10 – 7:00-8:30 pm

Holiday Inn Binghamton-Downtown Hotel, 2-8 Hawley Street, Binghamton, NY 13901

 

Pennsylvania: Tuesday, December 15 – 7:00-8:30 pm

Farm Show Complex & Event Center (Banquet Hall), 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110

 

Virginia: Thursday, December 17 – 7:00-8:30 pm

Nauticus National Maritime Center (Auditorium), One Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510

 

West Virginia: Tuesday, January 5 – 7:00-8:30 pm

Holiday Inn Martinsburg, 301 Foxcroft Avenue, Martinsburg, WV 25401

 

Downloads: Executive Summary (3.01 mb) | Full document (11.26 mb)

Provide comments (Deadline: January 8, 2010)

Expanded action and increased accountability by the federal government are the focus of a draft strategy for restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay required by President Obama’s Executive Order. To accelerate efforts and track progress, federal agencies are committing to meet milestones every two years, leading to all activities needed to restore the Chesapeake Bay and watershed being in place no later than 2025.

The draft strategy, released today, contains a comprehensive package of federal initiatives to restore clean water, conserve treasured places, protect fish and wildlife, and adapt to the impacts of climate change. These objectives will be accomplished by empowering local efforts, making decisions based on science and forging a new era of federal leadership and accountability. Close collaboration of efforts with the six states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the District of Columbia will also be critical.

“President Obama has declared that the Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and committed to a robust cleanup effort. Setting two-year benchmarks for progress will ensure that our actions are getting the results the President and the public expect,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This is the broadest and most publicly accountable cleanup effort ever seen on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. It’s time for a new era of decisive federal leadership, and new partnerships with state government, nonprofits, the private sector and residents who have all been working to create a cleaner Bay.”

Public comment on the draft strategy is important to the federal agencies and will shape the final strategy. The formal public comment period is from November 9, 2009 to January 8, 2010. The draft strategy will evolve significantly through public comments, state consultations and agency revisions before the final strategy is published in May 2010.

To restore clean water, EPA will create a framework for performance and accountability to guide federal and state pollution control programs, and expand regulatory tools to reduce pollution from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and urban and suburban runoff. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will intensively target voluntary conservation incentives at high priority areas. New emphasis is also placed on improving stormwater management on federal land and reducing polluted runoff from transportation infrastructure.

“Maintaining healthy, sustainable farms and forests is an essential component to protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “Our focus is on increasing economic viability, strengthening markets for local foods, improving water quality and protecting the natural landscape.”

The draft strategy contains numerous initiatives to conserve natural places, animal habitats and fish and wildlife. For example, the Department of the Interior will pursue development of a Chesapeake Treasured Landscapes Initiative to support state and local efforts to conserve and restore the environmental, historic, cultural and recreational value of many of the region’s wetlands, river corridors and open spaces. The department will look for opportunities to expand or create new units of the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Wild and Scenic Rivers system and National Historic Trails system.

“Our proposed initiative will build upon the existing partnerships with states, local communities, conservation organizations and other stakeholders to undertake projects that will not only conserve the Chesapeake Bay but will lead to its restoration as one of the great natural wonders of our country,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “We have a big toolbox full of conservation actions and we plan to use it.”

One challenge to restoration is climate change, which scientists project will have a variety of impacts on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, including rising sea levels, warmer water and air temperatures, and stronger storms. NOAA and the U.S. Geological Survey are leading the development of the federal strategy for adapting to climate change impacts in the Bay.

“Science shows that Chesapeake Bay habitats and living resources are already being affected by climate change,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator. “We need to adapt to climate change to ensure that the places and things we care about – like wetlands that serve as nurseries for fish and crabs and coastal communities that are vulnerable to sea level rise – can be addressed in our restoration efforts.”

NOAA and the Army Corps of Engineers will also lead a revitalized effort to recover native oyster reefs and establish self-sustaining native oyster reef sanctuaries in key tributaries by 2020.

The draft strategy emphasizes the need to empower local efforts because local governments, watershed organizations and residents have a great interest and ability to restore the environment. Federal agencies will expand technical assistance and resources, and support development of innovative technologies to reduce pollution and economic markets for ecosystem services. A Chesapeake Conservation Corps will be pursued to increase citizen stewardship, and public education will engage people in protecting local waterways.

Federal agencies have also developed a suite of accountability and transparency measures, led by ChesapeakeStat, an online tool that will identify restoration projects, funding and progress, and be publicly accessible. The draft strategy also calls for an annual plan for spending; reporting on environmental health and restoration progress, potentially through the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Bay Barometer; and an independent evaluation of federal efforts.

On May 12, President Obama issued Executive Order 13508 on Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Protection, the first-ever presidential directive on the Bay and the first environmental Executive Order by President Obama. The order established a Federal Leadership Committee, chaired by EPA, and with senior representatives from the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Interior and Transportation. These agencies generated draft reports in September 2009 with recommendations for addressing issues such as water quality, public access, landscape conservation, climate change, scientific monitoring and the protection of living resources. These draft reports were integrated into the draft strategy, which must be finalized by May 12, 2010.

Instructions for the providing public comments are contained in the Federal Register notice at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-26923.pdf

The Chesapeake Bay Executive Order required federal agencies to develop a series of seven reports on recommendations for addressing key challenges facing the Bay and its watershed. The draft reports were released to the public on September 10, 2009. The draft reports were then reviewed by the Federal Leadership Committee (FLC) for the Chesapeake Bay, in consultation with relevant state agencies. The reports were revised to reflect consideration of the comments received during state consultation and preliminary public input. The revised reports were released on November 24 and are available below.

After the public comment period ends on January 8, 2010, the federal agencies will review public comments on the draft strategy and revised reports. The comments will be taken into consideration as the FLC develops the final strategy.  However, the committee does not anticipate revising the reports based upon public comments received. The FLC plans to use comments received on the reports to help inform the development of the final strategy.

202a Water Quality Report.pdf (2.69 mb)

202b Targeting Resources Report.pdf (3.34 mb) 

202c Federal Stormwater Report.pdf (1.01 mb)

202d Climate Change Report.pdf (2.08 mb)

202e Access & Landscapes Report.pdf (1.87 mb)

202f Scientific Support Report.pdf (1.17 mb)

202g Habitat & Living Resource Report.pdf (1.55 mb)

Draft 202 reports were released on Sept. 10. The states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia, provided comments on these reports, which were considered by the agencies during revision of the 202 reports, which were then released on November 24.  The comments received from states and D.C. on the September version are below. 

Delaware Comments on 202 Reports.pdf (3.43 mb)

DC Comments on 202 Reports.pdf (34.52 kb)

Maryland Comments on 202 Reports.pdf (60.97 kb)

Pennsylvania Comments on 202 Reports.pdf (159.79 kb)

Virginia Comments on 202 Reports.pdf (366.46 kb)

EPA plans to hold several outreach sessions with stakeholder groups during the weeks leading up to the November 9 release of the Executive Order draft strategy.  The sessions are intended to solicit feedback on ideas in EPA's draft 202(a) report and inform stakeholders about the draft strategy, and provide them a forum to discuss various measures, answer questions and voice concerns.  The formal public comment period on the draft strategy will begin on Nov.9.

The following sessions have been scheduled:

• Local government: Thursday, Oct. 22 from 11am-1230pm – via webinar
  
• Stormwater (homebuilders/developers): Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 2-4pm at D.C.’s Wilson Building, room 415, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
• Agriculture: Thursday, Oct. 29 from 10am-12pm at Adams County Agricultural & Natural Resources Center, Conference Rooms 2-3, Gettysburg, PA.
  

Contact: Greg Barranco, 410-267-5778, barranco.greg@epa.gov

Federal agencies have released seven draft reports on protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

Read the overall executive summary. 

Executive Summary Draft Reports EO 13508.pdf (356.15 kb)

These draft reports make recommendations on how to:

(a) define the next generation of tools and actions to restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and describe the changes to be made to regulations, programs, and policies to implement these actions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

(b) target resources to better protect the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary waters, including resources under the Food Security Act of 1985 as amended, the Clean Water Act, and other laws (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

(c) strengthen storm water management practices at Federal facilities and on Federal lands within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and develop storm water best practices guidance (U.S. Department of Defense)

(d) assess the impacts of a changing climate on the Chesapeake Bay and develop a strategy for adapting natural resource programs and public infrastructure to the impacts of a changing climate on water quality and living resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed (U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Interior)

(e) expand public access to waters and open spaces of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries from Federal lands and conserve landscapes and ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay watershed (U.S. Department of Interior) 

(f) strengthen scientific support for decisionmaking to restore the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, including expanded environmental research and monitoring and observing systems (U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Interior)

(g) develop focused and coordinated habitat and research activities that protect and restore living resources and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed (U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Interior).

Input from the public is critically important to the federal agencies that are creating new approaches for restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. When a draft strategy and revised reports are released on November 9, the formal public comment period will begin. But until then, feedback can be submitted by using the form below. Also available is the option to share thoughts on any entry on this website simply by clicking on the "feedback" link after the entry. The federal agencies will receive and consider feedback posted on this website. However, they will not respond individually to each person who offers comments. The public will have the opportunity to submit formal written comments for the record beginning November 9. 

202(a) Define the next generation of tools and actions to restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and describe the changes to be made to regulations, programs, and policies to implement these actions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

202(a) Water Quality Draft Report Executive Summary.pdf (128.20 kb)

202(a) Water Quality Draft Report.pdf (1.59 mb)

Media contact: Brendan Gilfillan, 202-564-2081, Gilfillan.brendan@epa.gov