News

CBF Urges Congress to Direct Large Share of USDA Budget Boost to Conservation Programs

August 24, 2021

CBF applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for adopting a budget resolution that boosts USDA funding by $89.1 billion. CBF urges lawmakers to invest a significant amount of those funds in conservation programs that improve soil health, reduce pollution, and bolster resilience to climate change.
Shenandoah’s North Fork under Health Advisory Due to Harmful Algal Bloom

August 13, 2021

The Virginia Department of Health this week urged people to avoid the water on more than 50 miles of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River due to dangerous toxic algal mats recently reported in Shenandoah and Warren counties. These harmful algal blooms can contain toxins that cause illnesses and rashes in people, pets, and livestock.
Virginia Farmers Now Eligible for Portable Fencing Funding to Protect Streams

August 10, 2021

This summer, farmers in Virginia became eligible for state cost-share funding to pay for portable fencing to keep livestock out of streams and rivers. Fencing livestock out of waterways has significant benefits for clean water because it prevents erosion and waste from polluting streams. The practice also contributes to healthier herds.
Virginia House and Senate Boost Budgets for Clean Water Programs

August 9, 2021

The Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, meeting in a special session today, approved appropriations that will substantially increase investments in programs that lead to cleaner water in rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Report: Freshwater Mussels Unsung Heroes at Risk in Chesapeake Bay Watershed

July 29, 2021

Freshwater mussels play an amazing yet little-known role in healthy rivers and streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Maryland recently began several pilot restoration projects to monitor and augment mussel populations in the Bay watershed.
Partnership Adds 78 Oyster Reef Balls off Coast of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

July 29, 2021

CBF staff and project partners added 78 reef balls to the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative site located in the Herring Bay oyster sanctuary. The oyster reef balls were placed about two miles offshore in a sanctuary protected from oyster harvesting.
CBF Issuses Statement on 2020 Bay Grasses Survey Results

July 28, 2021

The Chesapeake Bay Program has released the results of the 2020 Bay grasses survey, which found a 7 percent decline from 2019.
Gov. Northam Proposes Clean Water Investments Totaling $411.5 Million in Federal Funds

July 27, 2021

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam today announced a $411.5 million proposal to invest federal American Rescue Plan funds in updating Virginia wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
Shuffling Conservation Funds for Other Purposes Is a No-No – Says State Supreme Court

July 22, 2021

CBF issued the following statement from Pennsylvania Executive Director Shannon Gority, applauding the state Supreme Court’s ruling this week that it is unconstitutional for the Commonwealth to transfer monies from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Oil and Gas Fund to the General Fund in order to fill budget gaps.
CBF Issues a Statement on the June Dead Zone Assessment

July 16, 2021

Data from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Old Dominion University found that the dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay was smaller than average in June.
CBF Urges Municipalities to Use Some Pandemic Recovery Funds to Invest in Local Waters

July 14, 2021

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation issued the following statement from Pennsylvania Executive Director Shannon Gority, encouraging municipalities within the Commonwealth’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed that will receive a portion of a total of $170 million of American Rescue Plan funding, to invest some of it in projects that will clean up and protect water quality in their local communities.
Maryland’s 5 Million Tree Program Will Help Protect the Shore

July 7, 2021

Climate change is a pressing threat to Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Planting trees is a cost-effective way to help insulate communities against climate change and mitigate its more devastating effects.
Baltimore Marks Milestone in Addressing Sewer Overflows

July 6, 2021

After years of advocacy, a major upgrade at the city’s Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant will help prevent millions of gallons of sewage from flowing into Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay.
Herons in Harrisburg

July 2, 2021

Endangered Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are finding unexpected refuge in urban neighborhoods.
Governor Northam Signs Clean Water Bills

June 25, 2021

Today at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation that will benefit the environment and the Chesapeake Bay. The bills were passed earlier this year by the Virginia General Assembly.
CBF Issues Statement on 2021 Dead Zone Forecast

June 23, 2021

The Chesapeake Bay’s dead zone is predicted to be smaller than average this summer. The forecast is largely based on the amount of rainfall from January to May.
CBF Issues Statement on UMCES Report Card

June 22, 2021

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science has released its Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card for 2020 and its overall score remained unchanged from last year at a B-.
Save the Bay News: Urban Watersheds, Community Farms, and Rain Gardens

June 17, 2021

Our monthly roundup of engaging and educational content for you to enjoy at home. This month, we look at the opportunities cities have to help stop pollution in the Bay and its rivers and streams.
Life in a Rain Garden

June 11, 2021

For us, it's water infrastructure. For birds and insects, it's home.
Healthy Fishing Along the Anacostia

May 5, 2021

Cultivating healthy anglers and stewards of our waters in the Latino community.
In Hot Water

April 13, 2021

The world's oceans have absorbed more than 90 percent of the warming generated by climate change. The Bay and the species that call it home are feeling the heat.
The Environment and Public Health: Connecting the Dots

April 7, 2021

The health of our communities is inseparable from the health of our environment. As policymakers and communities throughout the watershed face the compounding, urgent challenges of environmental degradation, public health crises, racial injustice, and climate change, solutions like these that offer significant co-benefits cannot be ignored. In caring for the Bay's health, we care for our own.
Save the Bay News: How Farms Can Save the Bay

February 19, 2021

Our monthly roundup of engaging and educational content for you to enjoy at home. This month, we look at some of the farmers implementing conservation measures to help save the Bay.
Clean Water, New Grass, and Space for Wildlife

February 16, 2021

Rotational grazing improves water quality and pasture quality at Funkhouser Farms in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.
Partners in Clean Water

February 10, 2021

For Chesapeake farmers to help save the Bay, the Biden administration needs to partner with them.