Transcript Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Structure and Modeling



Jennifer Volk
Environmental Quality Specialist; UD Cooperative Extension
Chair, Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality Goal Implementation Team
 Six-state,
64,000 square
mile watershed
 Home to 18 million people
 10,000 miles of shoreline
 Over 3,600 species of
plants, fish and other
animals
 $750 million to local
economies



Within all 3 counties
Very rural character:
 Developed
10%
 Agriculture
48%
 Rangeland
3%
 Forest
16%
 Water
1%
 Wetland
21%
 Other
1%
Small, but growing, towns
We are a partnership…

Federal agencies
o
o
o
o
o
o
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State agencies
o
o
o
o

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
US Forest Service (USFS)
US Geological Survey (USGS)
US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
And more
Natural Resources/Environmental departments
Agricultural departments
Parks and Recreation groups
Fish and Wildlife agencies
Local Governments
Alphabet
soup!
DAF
DCR
DCNR
DDA
DEC
DEP
DEQ
DNR
DNREC
MDA
MDE
PDA
 Non-profit organizations
o Chesapeake Bay Foundation
o Center for Watershed Protection
o Ducks Unlimited
o National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
o And more
 Academic institutions
o Land grant universities
o Cooperative Extension programs
o Sea Grant programs
o Research centers and consortiums
o And more
As of: 11-20-14
Citizens’ Advisory
Committee
Chesapeake Executive Council
Principals’ Staff Committee
Local Government
Advisory Committee
Action Teams
Scientific & Technical
Advisory Committee
Management
Board
Social Sciences
Modeling Lab Action Team
Diversity Action Team
Communications
Workgroup
Goal Implementation Teams
Sustainable
Fisheries
Protect &
Restore
Vital Habitats
Protect &
Restore Water
Quality
Maintain
Healthy
Watersheds
Foster
Chesapeake
Stewardship
Partnering,
Leadership
& Management
Implementation
Workgroups
Implementation
Workgroups
Implementation
Workgroups
Implementation
Workgroups
Implementation
Workgroups
Implementation
Workgroups
Scientific,
Technical
Assessment,
and Reporting
STAR
Workgroups
 Brings
together diverse leaders and experts across
numerous political boundaries to collaborate on
achieving a common goal –a healthy bay
o Consolidate and coordinate efforts
o Share resources
o Compliment efforts and avoid duplication
 Partners
come together to evaluate data, share
best practices, report on progress toward goals,
and make policy and management decision

1983 Chesapeake Bay Agreement
o Signed by governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia;
mayor of District of Columbia; administrator of EPA;
chair of Chesapeake Bay Commission
o Signatories became the Executive Council

1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement
o 40% nitrogen reduction by 2000

Chesapeake 2000
o Goals to reduce pollution, restore habitat, protect living resources,
promote sound land use practices, and engage the public
o Headwater states (Delaware, New York, West Virginia) joined the
water quality restoration efforts

2014 Agreement signed June 16th (at 2014 EC meeting)
The
Chesapeake Bay Program partners
envision an environmentally and
economically sustainable Chesapeake
Bay watershed with clean water,
abundant life, conserved lands and
access to the water, a vibrant cultural
heritage and a diversity of engaged
citizens and stakeholders.
 The
signatories will collectively work on the
following goals and outcomes to advance
restoration and protection of the Chesapeake
ecosystem and its watershed
o Goals – articulate the desired high-level aspects of the
Vision
o Outcomes – specific, time-bound, measureable targets
that directly contribute to achieving each Goal
 Goal:
Protect, restore and enhance finfish,
shellfish and other living resources, their habitats
and ecological relationships to sustain all fisheries
and provide for a balanced ecosystem in the
watershed and Bay.
 Outcomes:
o Blue Crab Abundance
o Blue Crab Management
o Oyster
o Forage Fish
o Fish Habitat
 Goal:
Restore, enhance and protect a network of
land and water habitats to support fish and wildlife,
and to afford other public benefits, including water
quality, recreational uses and scenic value across
the watershed.
 Outcomes:
o Wetlands
• Black Duck
o Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
o Stream Health
• Brook Trout
o Tree Canopy
o Fish Passage
o Forest Buffer
 Goal:
reduce pollutants to achieve the water
quality necessary to support the aquatic living
resources of the Bay and its tributaries and protect
human health.
 Outcomes:
o 2017 Watershed Implementation Plan
o 2025 Watershed Implementation Plan
o Water Quality Standards Attainment and Monitoring
 Goal:
Ensure that the Bay and its rivers are free of
effects of toxic contaminants on living resources
and human health.
 Outcomes:
o Toxic Contaminants Research
o Toxic Contaminants Policy and Prevention
 Goal:
Sustain state-identified healthy waters and
watersheds recognized for their high quality and/or
high ecological value.
 Outcomes:
o Healthy Watersheds
 Goal:
Increase the number and the diversity of
local citizen stewards and local governments that
actively support and carry out the conservation and
restoration activities that achieve healthy local
streams, rivers and a vibrant Chesapeake Bay.
 Outcomes:
o Citizen Stewardship
o Local Leadership
o Diversity
 Goal:
Conserve landscapes treasured by citizens in
order to maintain water quality and habitat; sustain
working forests, farms and maritime communities;
and conserve lands of cultural, indigenous and
community value.
 Outcomes:
o Protected Lands
o Land Use Methods and Metrics Development
o Land Use Options Evaluation
 Goal:
Expand public access to the Bay and its
tributaries through existing and new local, state
and federal parks, refuges, reserves, trails and
partner sites.
 Outcomes:
o
Public Access Site Development
 Goal:
Enable every student in the region to
graduate with the knowledge and skills to act
responsibly to protect and restore their local
watershed.
 Outcomes:
o Student
o Sustainable Schools
o Environmental Literacy Planning
 Goal:
Increase the resiliency of the Chesapeake
Bay watershed, including its living resources,
habitats, public infrastructure and communities, to
withstand adverse impacts from changing
environmental and climate conditions.
 Outcomes:
o Monitoring and Assessment
o Adaptation
 Outline
the means for accomplishing each
Outcome as well as monitoring, assessing and
reporting progress and coordinating actions among
partners and stakeholders, as necessary.
o How local governments, nonprofit and private partners will be
engaged
o Where actions, tools or technical support are needed to empower
local governments and others to do their part
o What steps will be taken to facilitate greater local participation in
achieving each Outcome
 Released
for public comment today!
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/chesapeakebaywatershedagreement/page


Jennifer Volk, [email protected], 302-730-4000