The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) applauded the House Natural Resources Committee’s approval today of bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and boost funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) and expand environmental education about the Bay.
Introduced by Reps. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and Rob Wittman (R-Va.), the Chesapeake Bay Science, Education and Ecosystem Enhancement (SEEE) Act would provide additional resources for the NCBO through fiscal year 2025.
NCBO is one of the key agencies implementing large-scale oyster restoration projects at the heart of the Bay restoration effort. Its hands-on Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (BWET) program educates the next generation of Bay savers about the wonders of the Bay ecosystem.
CBF Maryland Senior Fisheries Scientist Allison Colden testified in support of the SEEE Act and its importance to restoring the fisheries and ecosystems of the Bay watershed at a January 20 hearing of the House Natural Resource Subcommittee on Waters, Oceans, and Wildlife.
CBF Federal Executive Director Denise Stranko issued the following statement:
“NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office is an integral partner in efforts to restore the Bay and its waterways, fisheries, and wildlife habitats.
“The Office’s oyster restoration expertise, climate change research, and education programs that inspire the next generation of Bay-savers are essential to ensuring the economic and ecological future of this priceless resource.
“CBF congratulates Reps. Sarbanes, Scott, and Wittman for advancing this important bill through the House Natural Resources Committee. We urge the House of Representatives to pass it soon.”
###
Washington, D.C. Communications & Media Relations Manager, CBF
[email protected]
202-793-4485
