Fully half of Virginia is drained by Chesapeake Bay rivers, and two-thirds of the state's population lives within the Bay watershed. From the farm fields of the Shenandoah Valley to the pinewoods of the Eastern Shore, for most Virginians the Bay is as close as the nearest creek or stream.

PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES

From the day it opened its Virginia Office in the early 1980's, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has been leading efforts to save the Bay in the Old Dominion through environmental advocacy, education, science, policy, and collaboration.

Clean Water
Virginia waters once ran pure and clear, cleansed naturally by the forests, wetlands, natural shorelines, and open spaces that dominated the Virginia landscape. Today, however, Virginia has lost nearly half its original forest land and more than 40 percent of its wetlands. In addition, millions of gallons of municipal and industrial wastewater are discharged daily into state rivers, contributing nutrient and chemical pollution to a murky soup of silt and runoff.

Despite the Bay’s poor condition, there is real hope for its recovery. The key to reaching our goal to "Save the Bay" will be dramatic reductions in the pollution coming from the Bay region's sewage treatment plants, farms, and urban and suburban neighborhoods. Achieving these reductions will require the commitment and participation of every watershed resident.

We offer several programs in Virginia that promote and advocate for cleaner, healthier water. If you enjoy boating take the pledge to be a Boater for the Bay! Cycling? Take our Cyclist for the Bay pledge. Do you have a green thumb? Become a Gardener for the Bay. Want to make a difference in local storm run-off? Join our Virginia Mud Busters team!

Land Conservation
CBF works with landowners and public and private organizations across the Commonwealth to voluntarily restore and conserve wetlands, forests, farmland, and stream buffers using conservation easements, cost-share initiatives, and restoration programs.

We also provide Virginia farmers with technical and planning support to restore wetlands, "re-naturalize" shorelines, re-vegetate stream banks and place conservation practices on environmentally sensitive properties.

Environmental Education
Environmental education for our young people is the key to long-term progress in saving the Bay. CBF's nationally recognized field education program engages 14,000 Virginia students and teachers a year, taking them onto the water aboard our "floating classroom" fleet of Bay workboats and canoes or to our unique Chesapeake Bay island centers. These science-based experiences support Virginia Standards of Learning and have inspired thousands of students to become life-long stewards of the Chesapeake.

Restoration
CBF's Gloucester County Oyster Restoration Center produces 1 million native oysters a year for state reefs as part of the largest oyster restoration effort in Bay history. CBF's "Oyster Corps" of citizen volunteers and students donate hundreds of thousands of additional oysters to the effort.

CBF's Grasses for the Masses program teaches citizen volunteers to grow underwater grasses and plant them in Virginia rivers in an effort to restore this vital Bay resource.

Legal Action
CBF has been instrumental in the adoption of critical conservation measures in Virginia, including laws that protect shorelines, finance water quality improvements, manage poultry waste, and protect nontidal wetlands.

CBF’s legal team monitors the implementation and enforcement of local and state environmental laws, and if necessary takes legal action against polluters to protect the environment.

You can make a difference! Joining CBF's Action Network is a great way to be an effective Bay advocate and keep informed about what is going on in the Bay watershed.