Press Release
A coalition of Hampton Roads leaders explored solutions to sea level rise, climate change, and other key water quality and habitat issues at a land conservation summit Friday in Virginia Beach.
Virginia’s United Land Trusts, Wetlands Watch, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) hosted land conservation agencies, government officials, nonprofit organizations, and other key stakeholders to advance solutions for land preservation in the low-lying Hampton Roads region, which is particularly threatened by sea level rise.
In Hampton Roads, organizers said, there has not been extensive coordinated policy and resources for land conservation, a key tool in tackling climate change impacts.
“Land conservation is more than about having open space for public access or an attractive view of wetlands, forest, or farm field. It’s also a strategic tool to build resiliency for sea level rise by retaining water and enhancing natural resources,” Chesapeake Bay Foundation Hampton Road’s Director Christy Everett said.
By strategically conserving more land, local leaders noted that they can not only increase resiliency for flooding areas, but also preserve open space for outdoor recreation and public use, create wildlife habitat, improve water quality, as well as protect important natural resources.
“It takes a lot of leadership in this space to do this work. And it can’t happen without community buy-in,” Executive Director of Wetlands Watch Mary-Carson Stiff said.
Amid rising development pressure and the loss of tree canopies and wetlands, stakeholders identified opportunities for land conservation, including tools like rolling easements and land banks that repurpose vacant or foreclosed properties.
Hampton Roads has the highest rate of sea level rise on the East Coast, experiencing a foot and a half of relative sea level rise over the last century. Rates are projected to more than double in the years to come.
This has deleterious effects for surrounding areas. Repeated flooding in coastal areas can contribute to septic system failures, economic losses for businesses, and increased pollution washing into the Chesapeake Bay. Rising sea levels can also lead to the loss of wetlands, which are important natural filters that help clean the Chesapeake Bay.
For more information on climate change issues facing the Bay watershed, including CBF projects in the Hampton Roads region, check out our story map.
Chris Moore, most recently the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Senior Regional Ecosystem Scientist, has taken the helm of the CBF Virginia office as its executive director.
He replaces former Virginia Executive Director Peggy Sanner, who retired in August. Moore’s first day in the new position was Dec. 4.
“I’m excited to help continue the excellent work of CBF’s Virginia office. We have a very talented staff that is doing great things from resiliency solutions to oyster restoration to conservation. I’m honored to be able to guide their efforts moving forward,” Moore said.
Moore looks forward to applying his scientific and advocacy expertise to support the Virginia office’s initiatives in improving water quality and reducing pollution in the Bay watershed.
“I’m fortunate to have a diverse background from my previous roles, which has prepared me for many of the issues we are working on,” Moore said. “We’ll hit the ground running during Virginia’s upcoming legislative session, including advocating for investment in clean water programs and resiliency, ensuring a healthy menhaden population, banning toxic pavement sealants, and preserving tree cover.”
Since joining CBF in 2005 as a Science Advocate, Moore has led a host of advocacy, policy, and technical support efforts for Chesapeake Bay fisheries and water quality restoration.
In the scientific field, Moore helped build sustainable fisheries for striped bass, Atlantic menhaden, and blue crabs, as well as supported oyster policy and restoration initiatives. Moore’s water quality work involved a wide range of activities including monitoring, on-the-ground restoration, and regulatory development.
In addition, his advocacy efforts with elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels helped garner legislative decisions important to improving the health of the Bay watershed.
“I am very excited to announce Chris Moore as CBF’s new Virginia executive director,” said Alison Prost, CBF’s Vice President for Environmental Protection and Restoration. “His work building partnerships while consistently following the science will strengthen the initiatives of the Virginia office.”
Moore received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. He received his master’s degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University.
Moore currently resides in Virginia Beach with his wife Kristyn, children Aubrey and Callen, and their dogs Nauset and Haven. An avid sportsman, he spends as many days as possible on the waters and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has selected Tola Sanni as its new Chief Financial Officer, overseeing CBF’s accounting, payroll, and financial & grant management, and reporting. She also serves as the treasurer of CBF’s Board of Trustees.
Sanni has more than 25 years of finance and accounting experience. She comes to CBF from TOLS Consulting, where she served as strategic thought partner and collaborated with senior management, providing financial advice and review. Sanni’s first day at CBF was Oct. 30.
“Tola is a seasoned financial leader in the nonprofit sector who is well-known as a warm colleague and mentor,” said CBF President Hilary Harp Falk. “Tola’s broad technical expertise, combined with her strong people skills, make her an ideal fit for CBF.”
Prior to TOLS Consulting, Sanni spent four years as Chief Financial Officer for MomsRising, a transformative and multicultural non-profit organization working to increase family economic security. She also spent nearly 10 years at the National Association of Broadcasters, where she led the finance and accounting team. Sanni has an MBA in Finance from Howard University.
“Having seen firsthand the damage pollution can cause, I’m excited to be part of working towards a cleaner Chesapeake Bay that can be enjoyed by everyone in the watershed,” said Sanni. “I’m looking forward to being a valuable resource and mentor as we advance CBF’s mission.”
Sanni lives in Bowie, Maryland, with her husband and three sons.
Brennan Ka’aihue celebrated winning a 2022 Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Diversity Award with a project that is for the birds.
Ka’aihue and a small crew of volunteers planted 75 shrubs and trees at the corner of Ritner Highway and College Ridge Drive on Oct. 21 at Dickinson College in Carlisle.
For Ka’aihue, the planting was about connecting people and wildlife, birds in particular. “We need birds to survive.” Ka’aihue said. “This planting will provide not only food and shelter for migratory and resident bird populations, but also present an opportunity for members of the community to interact with a food source of native species.”
The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), presents the Dock award annually for conservation and Environmental Justice work in under-represented communities.
Dr. Zeshan Ismat of Lancaster City also received the 2022 award. She started the Blackbirds Environmental Justice group to teach youngsters about the environment in a fun way while emphasizing stewardship, community, and justice.
The Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Diversity Award program is made possible by partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and Project UP, an initiative of Packaging Corporation of America and Boise Paper that aims to revitalize urban communities through tree planting.
Recipients of the award receive trees and supplies to help advance their efforts. Ka’aihue and crew planted native pawpaw, American persimmon, black chokeberry, redbuds, and hawthorn at Dickinson.
“We are thrilled to partner with Arbor Day Foundation and Project UP on this award, and deeply appreciate their support on community-led projects such as these,” said Carla Essing, CBF Grassroots Manager in Pennsylvania.
“Conservation of our natural spaces in urban and suburban areas are key to connecting people with the environment, helps to provide places of respite for humans and wildlife alike, and brings color and life back into these highly developed spaces,” Eissing added. “I’m honored to work with such amazing partners and community members such as Brennan and Zeshan.”
Ka’aihue grew up in Las Vegas and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology, and lives in Dauphin Borough along the Susquehanna River.
Ka’aihue’s land care career started as a volunteer with Central Pennsylvania Conservancy (CPC) and now, the native Hawaiian works for the CPC as a stewardship specialist.
Ka’aihue is proud to receive recognition that comes with winning the Dock Award. “It’s great to see all the different things that I’ve done over the years recognized by my peers in the community, and to be able to use that as a platform to pay it forward,” Ka’aihue said. “Because we’re having the time of our lives planting this now, but to think seven generations ahead how this will benefit people and birds who haven’t been born yet. It’s really heartwarming and wonderful.”
Mira Lloyd Dock is recognized as the first Pennsylvania woman to lead the way in forest conservation. She was an advocate for Penn’s Woods and in 1901 was appointed to the State Forest Reservation Commission by Pennsylvania Governor William Stone.
The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership will announce the 2023 Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Diversity Awards recipients in November.
Launched in 2018, the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership celebrated the planting of its 5-millionth tree in October of last year. To learn more about the partnership, visit www.tenmilliontrees.org.
The Halfmoon and Pequea Creek Watersheds Renewal Project, coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), is accelerating progress toward bringing impaired streams in the two Pennsylvania watersheds back to health.
The project uses a multipronged approach to help restore the health of streams in both watersheds that are impaired by nonpoint source runoff, like certain agricultural activities. Its goals are to restore and protect those streams for the health, well-being, and quality of life of watershed residents.
The basis for the renewal project is two innovative watershed management plans that combined emerging high-resolution watershed data and modeling with extensive local stakeholder engagement.
Partners developing and implementing the Pequea and Halfmoon plans with CBF included county conservation districts, local watershed and conservation organizations, academic institutions, state and local government agencies, local businesses, planning agencies, landowners, farmers, and residents.
Funding acquired by Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) is moving the five-year project forward. The senators requested $2.18 million for the Pequea Creek Watershed renewal plan in Lancaster and Chester counties. Senator Casey sought an additional $1.06 million for the Halfmoon Creek Watershed restoration plan in Centre and Huntingdon counties. It was the first time in a decade that senators were able to request funds for specific projects in annual appropriations bills.
Funding vital for development of the Pequea and Halfmoon watershed restoration plans was made possible by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
The Halfmoon and Pequea plans also are eligible for federal funding through the Clean Water Act and other sources.
The project increases critically important conservation technical assistance to farmers in both watersheds, access to specialized equipment for use by Plain Sect farmers in Pequea Creek, and meaningful hands-on experiences to actively engage and inform farmers about issues like the interrelationships between soil and stream health, conservation tools and techniques, and the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
A dedicated position will be added in each watershed to cultivate and implement conservation opportunities with agricultural producers, landowners, agribusinesses, partners, and contractors.
Contractual technical assistance will help create conservation plans and design practices. In the Pequea watershed, access and use of non-motorized cover crop and no-till equipment will be available for use by Plain Sect farmers.
The project will also offer a series of hands-on farmer-to-farmer conservation field days to teach and engage farmers through hands-on experiences.
“The Renewal Project represents an evolution in CBF’s work to reduce pollution to Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams. Using our plans as a guide, this project will accelerate implementing key practices to bring streams back to health, improve wildlife habitat critical to critters like the brook trout, and enhance local appreciation of our local waters,” said Harry Campbell, CBF Science Policy and Advocacy Director in Pennsylvania.
Under the Pequea plan, funding will be used to keep soils and nutrients on the land with such practices as cover crops, no-till agriculture, riparian buffers, streambank fencing, streambank stabilization, and other practices.
The goals for Halfmoon are to reduce sediment, preserve critical landscapes, restore degraded landscapes, and foster stewardship of the watershed.
The Chesapeake Executive Council, which leads the federal-state Chesapeake Bay restoration partnership, elected Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as its chair at its annual meeting today in Washington, D.C. The Council is made up of representatives from of the six Bay watershed states, Washington, D.C., the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The meeting comes at a pivotal time. As the 2025 Chesapeake Bay restoration deadline approaches, leaders acknowledge efforts across the watershed will not meet goals to reduce pollution.
Leaders in Bay restoration are currently considering new approaches for the future. This year an EPA Chesapeake Bay Program scientific committee released a key report titled Comprehensive Evaluation of System Response, which details why Bay restoration has been slower than expected and identifies ways to accelerate efforts to reduce pollution.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation President Hilary Harp Falk issued this statement:
“The Bay restoration movement needs strong leadership more than ever as we enter the next chapter. Congratulations to Governor Moore, who is well poised to guide efforts toward a healthy Bay for future generations.”
“In the next phase of Bay restoration, we must confront climate change, focus on benefits to all people in the watershed, and build and strengthen the partnerships necessary for success. Scientists have made clear that to achieve a healthy Bay we need to welcome innovation and creative approaches, as well as invest in projects with verified benefits for the region’s waterways.”
“More than 90 percent of remaining pollution reductions needed to meet Bay restoration goals must come from agriculture. Working with the agricultural community is key to success, as well as investment in farm conservation practices in the Federal Farm Bill and state programs.”
Volunteer oyster gardeners set a record in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Virginia program this year, with 691 volunteers across Virginia’s tidal waterways raising and returning 146,533 oysters in 2023. These oysters were planted on nearby reefs, where they are filtering up to 7.3 million gallons of water per day. The total this year far surpasses CBF’s previous Virginia oyster gardening record of 104,000 oysters set in 2019.
“This year’s record-breaking oyster gardening numbers are due to two factors—favorable natural conditions for oysters in the water, and the outstanding dedication of our growing number of volunteers,” said CBF Virginia Oyster Outreach Coordinator Jessica Lutzow. “We work with everyone from individuals to businesses to schools to condo associations to raise oysters for restoration work. It’s such a fun way to create a tangible benefit for waterways.”
CBF’s oyster gardeners, as shown in this video, raise oysters in cages suspended from a dock. Over the course of a year, the baby oysters grow into adults, filtering water and creating habitat for aquatic life. Volunteer gardeners return year-old oysters to CBF, which places them on a nearby reef off-limits to harvest, where they grow and reproduce. These oysters contribute to the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance goal of adding 10 billion new oysters to the Bay by 2025.
For those who don’t live on the water, CBF can help gardeners raise oysters at one of 16 public locations, including marinas and other areas with access to tidal water.
This year CBF held 11 oyster gardening events in Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore, the Northern Neck, and the Middle Peninsula. Partners in the effort include the Tides Inn, Nansemond River Preservation Alliance, Elizabeth River Project, Friends of the Rappahannock, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, all COA partners.
Those interested in becoming an oyster gardener, or businesses with water access interested in becoming a public gardening location, can e-mail oystergardener@cbf.org and visit this link for more information.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Student Leaders Hold Summit at CBF’s Brock Environmental Center
Climate change is one of the most important issues we face today and in the future. In Virginia Beach last weekend, 40 high school students from across Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania worked to develop climate change solutions that can be implemented in their communities at the biannual Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Student Leadership Summit.
Over the course of three days from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, high schoolers in CBF’s Student Leadership Program discussed pressing issues with environmental leaders and investigated the impacts of climate change on local forests, marshes, and the Chesapeake Bay by collecting water quality data and conducting biological surveys.
They spent the weekend at CBF’s Brock Environmental Center and camped at First Landing State Park, also working on maintenance of native plant gardens and oyster restoration. Each student developed a final action project identifying solutions and recommendations for climate resiliency in their communities and across the region.
Luna Mendoza Castro of Virginia Beach is a junior at An Achievable Dream Academy. Mendoza joined students from across the region to make a difference in addressing climate change and resiliency.
“It affects us every single day, whether we want it to or not. If there’s flooding, I’m going to be affected by it. I can’t get to school sometimes even,” Mendoza said. “I’m still young and I want to make an impact now, rather than waiting too late and wishing I had.”
CBF’s Student Leadership program equips the next generation of environmental stewards to take action through advocacy, restoration projects, and addressing issues in their communities. It is open to all high school students in the Bay watershed, which encompasses parts of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
“Student leaders are making a difference locally by finding solutions that create more resilient communities and healthier rivers and streams,” said CBF Vice President for Education Tom Ackerman. “These students are the next generation of environmental problem-solvers and they set an important example for their peers and all of us.”
Charlotte Kearns of Catonsville was one of the many students who traveled from Maryland to Virginia Beach to tackle climate change issues.
“The Patapsco floods a lot. Increased flooding really hurts our Ellicott City community. We can see firsthand the impacts to our rivers,” Kearns said. “Through working with communities, you can have a better environmental impact.”
Morgan Stellfox of Enola, Pennsylvania, is a junior at East Pennsboro High School.
“It helped build my confidence that climate advocacy can make a difference, and climate resiliency is possible,” Stellfox said. “I found the oyster bagging educational because it covered an area I didn’t know too much about, being from PA, and it was really interesting to see a method of reusing [oyster shells] to recover the [oyster population] in action.”
This is the 50th year of CBF’s award-winning environmental education program, which has led more than 1.5 million people in hands-on environmental investigations.
Research shows that outdoor learning helps students improve resilience, problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork, and leads to higher test scores and stronger engagement in school.
CBF offers many different types of environmental education experiences. Schools can sign up to take students on a CBF field experience at www.cbf.org/education. To find out more about CBF’s student leadership program, visit https://www.cbf.org/programs/student-leadership/.
Environmental groups hope for improvements to flawed permit
Between now and Nov. 25, Maryland residents have an opportunity to provide comments to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) concerning a permit that governs how more than 1,400 industrial facilities manage pollution from stormwater runoff that affects communities across the state, as well as local rivers and streams. A public hearing will be held on Sept. 28 at MDE’s offices in Baltimore and written public comments will be accepted until Nov. 25.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), Blue Water Baltimore, the Gunpowder Riverkeeper, as well as the Potomac Riverkeeper Network and Waterkeepers Chesapeake found the permit seriously flawed and filed suit against MDE in December of 2022. The Chesapeake Legal Alliance represents Blue Water Baltimore and the Gunpowder Riverkeeper. The Environmental Integrity Project is representing Potomac Riverkeeper Network and Waterkeepers Chesapeake.
The permit fails to take into account the increased intensity, frequency, and duration of rain events due to climate change; it fails to address environmental justice by conducting cumulative impacts analyses of facilities located in overburdened communities; it allows certain industrial facilities to gain exemption from permitting requirements without third party verification of whether pollutants on their sites will be exposed to stormwater; and it does not provide fence-line communities the opportunity to weigh in on the risks that they face.
“We appreciate MDE taking another look at this permit. The Moore Administration has acknowledged the challenge of climate change as well as the importance of environmental justice,” said CBF Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden. “This permit, as written, favors polluters over the communities they harm. We hope that citizens voice their concerns and that MDE will respond.”
“Industrial stormwater pollution threatens communities as well as water quality. This hearing gives Marylanders a second chance to ensure that environmental justice communities are protected from such pollution,” said Bob Dreher, Legal Director of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network
MDE’s data shows that stormwater running off industrial sites has extremely high levels of pollution, including nitrogen, lead, copper, and aluminum. The previous industrial stormwater permit failed to achieve the state’s primary objective to reduce pollution from stormwater.
“This permit single-handedly regulates pollution from nearly 300 facilities in the Baltimore region, where residents are consistently hardest hit by the compounding factors of climate change, systemic disinvestment, toxic contamination, and so much more,” said Alice Volpitta, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper with Blue Water Baltimore. “Now is the time for regulators to hear our voices, protect our waterways, and prioritize the people living on the frontlines of this issue every day.”
“We have well over 100 industrial sites in the Gunpowder, Bush, Bird, and Middle River watersheds. All of these sites cumulatively impact downstream, underserved communities and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay,” said Gunpowder Riverkeeper Theaux Le Gardeur.
MDE reopened the permit for public comment on specific provisions after the environmental organizations pointed out that the MDE failed to allow public comment on those provisions before finalizing the permit.
“Increasing rainfall due to climate change is supercharging the pollution coming off of industrial sites, leading to serious health impacts on nearby communities that are often the most overburdened with pollution. With this hearing, Maryland has a new opportunity to create a permit that protects some of our most vulnerable community members,” said Robin Broder, Acting Executive Director of Waterkeepers Chesapeake.
While the strength of the permit is important, so is enforcement. The Chesapeake Accountability Project, through a public information request, found widespread noncompliance under the previous permit from 2017 to 2020. Only 24 percent of MDE inspections—475 of 1,979—found industrial facilities following permit requirements with about two-thirds being noncompliant. MDE only took six formal enforcement actions in response.
“Swift and efficient permit enforcement is key to ensuring compliance terms are met and state waters are protected, which is why enhanced enforcement is a top priority for the environmental groups involved in the suit. We hope MDE will renew its compliance commitments, provide additional resources for inspections, and prioritize sectors known to pose a high risk to water quality and public health,” said Sheronda Rose, CBF Litigation Staff Attorney.
Black in Marine Science Is Coalition’s 100th Member
The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance (COA) welcomed its 100th partner this month, marking an important milestone for the coalition. COA consists of non-profits, academic institutions, businesses, and aquaculture operations working together to restore the Chesapeake Bay’s oyster population. The efforts by these partners and others are helping achieve COA’s goal of adding 10 billion new oysters to the Bay by 2025.
The 100th partner is Black in Marine Science, a network focused on increasing diversity in marine science while highlighting the many Black scientists already in the field. The connection to COA creates new opportunities for collaboration around oyster restoration, research, and aquaculture.
“We are thrilled to join this partnership and excited to collaborate with other like-minded organizations. I truly believe in the mission of the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance and the impact it has on restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Black in Marine Science Community Director Leslie Townsell. “As a member of COA, we have access to valuable resources and support that help us achieve our mission of improving the lives of those we serve through environmental stewardship. I am excited to work alongside other members and see the positive changes we can make together.”
Oysters filter water, form reefs that create habitat for crabs, shrimp, and game fish, and contribute to local economies and the seafood industry. But oyster numbers in the Chesapeake Bay have declined to just a small fraction of historic population levels.
With a goal of sparking momentum and innovation to bring back the Chesapeake oyster around a collective goal, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation founded COA in 2018.
COA’s diverse coalition of partners today range from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, to Solar Oysters, to the Nansemond Indian Nation. A full list and map of COA’s partner organizations can be found at this link.
“We cannot truly restore the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay unless we work together. That’s why reaching 100 partners is such an important milestone for the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance,” said COA Manager Tanner Council. “We never set a numeric goal for a certain number of partners–we have always just sought out the best from around the Bay’s oyster world to join us. Our door remains open to anyone working for the Bay oyster.”
COA has tackled the challenges facing increasing oyster populations in many ways. That includes distributing more than $280,000 in grants in the last three years to promote innovation in oyster aquaculture, restoration, and public education. COA partners are presently applying for the next $150,000 pool of grants to be awarded in December.
COA has also hosted two Chesapeake Oyster Science Symposiums in the last two years, totaling over 500 attendees in person and online, to foster collaboration and research in oyster restoration and aquaculture. The next symposium will take place on Oct. 26 in Cambridge, MD, and online.
“Being a COA Partner and an Oyster Innovation Grant awardee has made our business more marketable,” said Claire Neubert, co-owner of the Hampton-based ecotourism business Shored Up. “When people hear that we are COA Partners and grant awardees, they have a better understanding of our business, our goals, and what we do for Bay oysters.”
Research, innovation, and the dedication of academic institutions is also key to increasing oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay.
“COA has been a principal group in bringing scientists, commercial growers, resource managers, and oyster gardeners together to share their ideas and passion for restoring our resource. We are very proud to be part of it,” said University of Maryland Extension Principal Agent Don Webster.
Promoting growing oysters for food is an important part of increasing the number of oysters filtering water in the Bay. Oyster aquaculture has tremendous potential for achieving ecological benefits while providing economic opportunities. Companies contributing to this burgeoning industry include Rogue Oysters, a COA partner based on the Rappahannock River in Virginia.
“Oysters are literally a foundation species that supports a healthy Chesapeake Bay by creating clean habitat for the Bay’s marine life to thrive. Great partners like COA are critical to bringing everyone together to see a thriving oyster population that fuels a thriving Chesapeake Bay and helps restore it to its former glory,” said Rogue Oysters Co-Founder Taryn Brice Rowland.
In Maryland, the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association has engaged students in new oyster-related projects as a COA Partner and an Oyster Innovation Grant awardee.
“Through COA meetings and conferences, we are able to learn more about oysters, their needs, and decisions being made throughout the community that impact oyster restoration,” said St. Mary’s River Watershed Association General Manager Emma Green. “It’s important to bridge communities across the watershed beyond eating oysters. COA connects people across the Bay region and beyond to form diverse partnerships that allow people to combine efforts and resources to support a common goal of restoring oyster populations.”
Council notes that there are many ways to support COA.
“We also welcome and promote businesses, civic groups and schools through our Reef Builder Tier, and accept individuals into our Supporter Level, which keeps members informed on COA highlights and opportunities. There’s room for everyone who loves the oyster,” said Council.
To find out more about COA, visit http://www.chesapeakeoysteralliance.org/.
