CBF Statement on Sen. Cardin’s Retirement Announcement

Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) President and CEO Hilary Harp Falk praised Sen. Ben Cardin’s unparalleled record of success fighting for a cleaner, healthier Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Maryland’s senior senator today announced his plans to retire next year rather than run for a fourth Senate term.  

Sen. Cardin has been a champion for the region’s greatest national resource since he began his public service career in 1967 in the Maryland House of Delegates, the same year CBF was founded. In 1987, he was elected to represent the state’s third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2006, he was elected to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate.  

From his work on the original Chesapeake Bay Agreement in the early 1980s to his recent success securing reauthorization and historic increase in funding for the federal Chesapeake Bay Program, Sen. Cardin has never wavered in his commitment to saving the Bay and its tributaries. 

Sen. Cardin has worked tirelessly to boost funding to restore oyster populations in the Bay and major Maryland tributaries such as the Tred Avon River. He also has been an enthusiastic supporter of education programs that give students the chance to learn about the Bay through hands-on, outdoor experiences. 

In more than 35 years in Congress, Sen. Cardin has helped steer tens of millions in federal funds to Bay research and restoration efforts as well as federal clean water initiatives. He recognizes that saving the Bay requires a multi-state effort and has worked tirelessly to collaborate with other elected officials in the watershed to advocate policies to benefit the entire region.  

As a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Cardin has led the fight to increase federal investment in modernizing the nation’s deteriorating wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater treatment infrastructure.   

Chesapeake Bay Foundation President and CEO Hilary Harp Falk issued the following statement praising Sen. Cardin’s decades of advocacy for the Bay, its waterways, and clean water for the nation: 

“Sen. Cardin has been a fierce advocate for the Bay and the people who love and depend on it for more than fifty-five years. His career has been one important legislative victory for clean water after another.  

“Whether advocating for Maryland fisheries, promoting environmental education, or ensuring federal support for Bay research and restoration, Sen. Cardin is a true Chesapeake Bay champion.  

“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation salutes his enduring commitment to restoring and protecting this national treasure and economic engine. We will be forever grateful for his leadership and dedication to our beloved Bay.”