Press Release

Newly-planted trees along Pennsylvania streams will live longer, grow stronger, and have a better chance to clean and protect local waters, thanks to a grant by the Foxwynd Foundation of Chester County to the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership. The partnership is coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).

The $75,000 tree survival grant from the Foxwynd Foundation, of Uwchland, PA, stems from its mission to support initiatives that foster community well-being and resilience.

“At Foxwynd Foundation, we are committed to fostering environmental sustainability,” Pamela Villagra, Foundation Executive Director said. “Supporting the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is a crucial step in ensuring that the trees planted today thrive and contribute to a healthier environment for future generations. We are proud to play a part in this initiative, which aligns with our mission to protect and preserve our natural resources.”

The one-year tree survival grant will be used for maintenance, supplies, and logistical support for trees planted by the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, which has grown to over 300 member organizations.

“Maintaining trees is as important as planting them,” said Julia Krall, Pennsylvania Executive Director for CBF. “New trees cannot mature and filter and absorb polluted runoff if they don’t survive. The important follow-up care for trees by partners, made possible by the generous support of the Foxwynd Foundation, will have a positive impact on local water quality.”

The grant is one of the first for Foxwynd’s environmental focus and requires matching funds within a year. CBF would like those funds to come from the support of CBF memberships.

Maintenance in a riparian buffer may include straightening, removing, or replacing tree shelters after storms, and checking for competing vegetation inside shelters. Other work could include removing bird nets from shelters with trees growing out the top, applying herbicides, and mowing around trees.

Roughly 28,000 miles of Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams are damaged by polluted runoff and the legacy of coal mining. Trees are the most cost-effective tools for cleaning and protecting waterways. Trees filter and absorb polluted runoff, stabilize streambanks, and improve soil quality. Trees also help address climate change by cooling the air and sequestering carbon.

Foxwynd Foundation’s generous donation to the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is funded by The Foxwynd Foundation Donor Advised Fund. Launched in January 2024, the Foxwynd Foundation has impacted environmental sustainability, healthcare, and housing through 32 organizations in 17 U.S. states.

Learn more about the Foxwynd Foundation and the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership.

Discussion on key Bay health practice comes as restoration effort nears 2025 deadlines

Farmers in White Post, Virginia, traded successes and lessons learned from implementing conservation practices that benefit their land and livestock while reducing pollution to local waterways Wednesday. 

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a partner in the Mountains-to-Bay Grazing Alliance, which hosted the roundtable Wednesday, providing local farmers an inside look at conservation practices in action at a local 227-acre farm.

“Rotational grazing is a regenerative farming practice and remains one of the most effective ways to improve soil health and reduce pollution from farms to the rivers and streams that feed the Chesapeake Bay,” said Matt Kowalski, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Watershed Restoration Scientist. “We were excited to be part of this roundtable so new and experienced rotational grazing farmers could hear from each other about their experiences and the benefits of putting these practices in place.”

The grazing roundtable kicked off with Ryan O’Connor of Green Rock Enterprises explaining to the group the rotational grazing, tree plantings, grazing infrastructure, and portable fencing and water troughs put in place when he began managing the farm three years ago. 

“This land had been continuously grazed. The consequences of that were pretty obvious. The grass was short, spare, a lot of noxious weeds everywhere. But now we have a lot more ground cover, diversity, a lot more grass. We’re still learning, but over time, I think we’ll continue to see more benefits of these regenerative practices,” O’Connor said. 

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the local Soil and Water Conservation District, and the National Resources Conservation Service were some of the organizations that helped implement these projects over the years.

After visiting the grazing operation, farmers chatted over dinner with other producers and technical experts about incorporating rotational grazing into their farming operation. Farmers expressed ways they planned to change their fencing and asked questions about timing for rotating the grazing livestock.

This grazing roundtable comes at a pivotal time in Bay restoration. Virginia is expected to miss 2025 pollution reduction deadlines set by the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. 

This increases the urgency for Virginia Governor Youngkin to recommit to Bay restoration and address challenges identified by the latest science at the December Chesapeake Executive Council meeting of Bay state leaders. 

A recent EPA milestone report noted Virginia’s significant funding in recent years for these agricultural best management practices. While they have helped reduce pollution, the report noted that agriculture and stormwater runoff from developed areas remain major sources of pollution into the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers and streams that feed it.

Anglers can catch these fish in upcoming Maryland Rod and Reef Slam

To express his love of fishing in the Chesapeake Bay, Silver Spring resident Rick Bowers recently wrote and produced two new songs about Maryland’s most voracious invasive predators—the blue catfish and Chesapeake channa (formerly snakehead).

In his catchy country tunes, appropriately named “Blue Cat Blues” and “Chesapeake Channa,” Bowers encapsulates the joy of fishing for invasive species. He also highlights why targeting these fish is important for Bay health.

Blue Cat Blues and Chesapeake Channa by Rick Bowers Band can be found on Spotify.

“These two songs combine my passions for fishing and songwriting,” said Rick Bowers. “I hope people around the Bay can relate and feel inspired. Let’s get out there! Catching these invasive species is fun, flavorful, and good for the Bay.”

Rick is a Clean Water Captain with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and is a member of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Blue Catfish Advisory Committee, which proposes solutions to the destructive invasion of blue catfish in the Bay. 

“Like the song lyric says,” Bowers adds. “Blue cats are growing bigger; getting meaner; and sucking up the Bay like a vacuum cleaner.”

“Catching and eating invasive species like blue catfish and snakeheads is one of the most effective ways to reduce their harm to the Bay’s native ecosystem,” said Allison Colden, CBF Maryland Executive Director. “Rick’s songs perfectly reflect that, while also highlighting the fun that comes along with it.”

Anglers looking to follow Rick’s lead and target invasive species can do so in the upcoming Maryland Rod & Reef Slam fishing tournament, running from September 7 to 15. The tournament, hosted by CBF, Coastal Conservation Association Maryland, and Chesapeake Oyster Alliance, challenges participants to target the largest diversity of species by fishing around restored oyster sanctuary reefs. Oyster reefs provide exceptional habitat for fish species, including invasives.

The tournament will be followed by an award ceremony and beach party on Sunday, September 15 at CBF’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, and will include live performances by The Eastport Oyster Boys. Learn more about this event.

More than 100 visitors explored rain gardens, living shorelines, bioswales, tree plantings, and other green infrastructure projects throughout Norfolk Saturday during a garden-style, self-guided tour offered by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. 

For three hours, homeowners opened up their doors and visitors stopped by schools and parks to receive their one-of-a-kind look at the ten private and public projects throughout the city transformed by green infrastructure. These projects create beautiful, natural solutions to flooding and pollution, tying in closely to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay by reducing pollutants flowing into streams and rivers.

“Each of these projects builds up our community’s protection against flooding in our vulnerable region. But it’s also about beautifying the space for people,” said CBF’s Hampton Roads Grassroots Coordinator Lisa Renee Jennings, organizer of the Green Infrastructure Tour. “As Bay restoration goals near 2025 deadlines, we are thrilled the public was able to see how they can get involved at a pivotal time when we all need a recommitment to Bay restoration. Together we can build on the momentum to make a more resilient Virginia.”

CBF and partners were on hand at each site to offer expertise and resources. CBF partners included the City of Norfolk, Teens with a Purpose, Garden Club of Norfolk, the Elizabeth River Trail, Elizabeth River Project, and Norfolk Master Gardeners. 

Residents in various stages of implementing these projects in their own homes and communities were common visitors to the sites Saturday. Jennings fielded questions on the steps to build a living shoreline and rain garden while she was stationed at Purpose Park. The youth empowerment organization Teens with a Purpose established Purpose Park, which provides a safe environment for local teens to express themselves creatively and reconnect with their community. Teens weeded the rain and pollinator gardens as well as read their poetry from Purpose Park’s stage Saturday.

At around the same time, Kati Grigsby, CBF’s restoration coordinator, answered questions from a backyard dock full of interested tour participants. At this private residence, CBF and the Elizabeth River Project built a living shoreline and buffer that employed a more holistic approach to restoration that allows wetlands to shift inland, promotes sustainability as well as the well-being of nearby ecosystems.

All the conversations aimed at giving the public a better understanding of how these natural solutions improve water quality and increase protection from the impacts of climate change.

“Having seen firsthand how these projects bring the community together and benefit the environment, we were so excited to offer this tour and inspire others who are interested,” Grigsby said. “The power of urban restoration with the public was on full display Saturday.” 

Other sites included Lafayette Park’s stormwater wetland, Linwood Elementary’s Green Campus, Sherwood Forest Elementary’s rain garden, Pocket Park along Lovitt Avenue, The Hague, a private residence’s wetland buffer, Jeff Robertson Park, and the Ryan Resilience Lab. 

“These projects have brought life, beauty, and educational opportunities to our schools,” said Norfolk Tree Commission Treasurer and Norfolk Public Schools basketball coach Steve Dolly. “Areas that were once bare, flooded, and even causing safety concerns are now flourishing sustainable spaces to learn from and admire.”   

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) invites the public to enjoy a self-guided, garden-style tour of green infrastructure projects in Norfolk, which create beautiful, natural solutions to flooding and pollution. 

This Green Infrastructure Tour offered by CBF provides the opportunity to understand how these natural solutions improve water quality and increase protection from the impacts of climate change – in addition to ways the community can get involved as 2025 deadlines bring Bay restoration to a critical crossroads. 

On Saturday, August 24 from 9:00 AM until noon, CBF and partners will be on hand to give the public a one-of-a-kind look into these public spaces and private project sites including tree plantings, shoreline restoration, rain gardens, and bioswales. Registration closes on Wednesday, August 21.

“Public awareness of nature-based designs is key to creating more green spaces not only in public areas, but also our backyards. Each of these projects builds up our community’s protection against flooding in our vulnerable region,” said CBF’s Hampton Roads Grassroots Coordinator Lisa Renee Jennings, organizer of the Green Infrastructure Tour. “These projects also tie in closely to the restoration of the Bay by reducing pollutants flowing into our streams and rivers. As Bay restoration goals near 2025 deadlines, we are thrilled that the public gets to see the critical role these projects play and how they can get involved at such a pivotal time.”

CBF partners include the City of Norfolk, Teens with a Purpose, Garden Club of Norfolk, the Elizabeth River Trail, Elizabeth River Project, and Norfolk Master Gardeners.

“These projects have brought life, beauty, and educational opportunities to our schools,” said Norfolk Tree Commission Treasurer and Norfolk Public Schools basketball coach Steve Dolly. “Areas that were once bare, flooded, and even causing safety concerns are now flourishing sustainable spaces to learn from and admire.” 

These unique features enhance the community’s quality of life by mitigating flooding, protecting habitat, and beautifying landscapes. At each site, visitors can take home resources that show how to incorporate these practices on their own property. 

“Having seen firsthand how these projects bring the community together and benefit the environment, we are excited to offer a tour and inspire others who are interested,” said Kati Grigsby, CBF’s Hampton Roads restoration coordinator. “I’m looking forward to sharing the power of urban restoration with the public.”

Two days prior to the tour, registrants will receive a list of locations, a guide to help source plants, and expert advice.  Ten locations may be explored at the registrant’s leisure.

The public can register until August 21.

Federal and state elected representatives join environmental leaders to discuss advancing Bay restoration and community health

The future of the Chesapeake Bay’s restoration in Virginia was the focus of the “Beyond 2025: How the Bay Agreement Can Impact Our Community” panel discussion Wednesday in Virginia Beach at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) Brock Environmental Center.  

Federal and state elected representatives joined environmental leaders at the CBF event to discuss new approaches to restoration and conservation work as Bay states expect to miss 2025 deadlines to have practices in place to reduce pollution.  

“The fingerprints of the Bay agreement can be seen across Virginia, from the Lafayette River to the James River to farms in the Shenandoah Valley,” Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Policy Manager Jay Ford said. “But we still have a long way to go to make our rivers and streams to be healthy and thriving so that all Virginians have the chance to fish and swim in our waters. Moving forward, we must center people, build long-term climate resilience, and increase focus on shallow habitats and plants and animals.” 

Panelists included U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, Virginia Delegate Alex Askew, Virginia Delegate Anne Farrell Tata, Virginia Deputy Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Stefanie Taillon, City of Norfolk Coastal Resilience Manager Justin Shafer, and CBF’s Virginia Policy Manager Jay Ford.    

Calling Bay restoration a bipartisan issue, panelists first focused discussion on Virginia efforts that have led to significant progress in improving water quality, health, and the economy.  

That included record support for agricultural best management practices that led to substantial reductions in agricultural pollution in Virginia, investment in flood protection projects across the state, and work to ensure rivers and streams like Norfolk’s Lafayette River continue to rebound. The Lafayette River was the first river in Virginia to meet goals for oyster habitat restoration set for 10 Bay tributaries.   

But the Bay and the rivers and streams that feed it are still at risk. The discussion on Wednesday focused on how to change the approach of restoration and conservation work to focus on outcomes that improve the lives of people and wildlife.  

This December, on the eve of 2025, the Chesapeake Executive Council is scheduled to meet. The Council is comprised of governors of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and New York, the mayor of Washington, D.C., the EPA Administrator, and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. The Chesapeake Bay watershed spans across all of these jurisdictions, and cooperative partnership is essential to meeting these goals.  

CBF is calling for the following actions at the December meeting:  

• Attendance in person by each of the Executive Council members, including all six Bay watershed governors and the EPA Administrator;  
• A formal recommitment to maintaining the Bay restoration partnership, as well as meeting the pollution-reduction and other restoration goals already agreed to by Executive Council members; and  
• A commitment by the Executive Council to update the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by the end of 2025 to address challenges identified by the latest science.  

Watch Wednesday’s full discussion here. 

Anglers Will Compete to Catch the Greatest Diversity of Fish Species and Demonstrate the Importance of Restored Oyster Reef Habitat

Registration is now open for one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most unique fishing tournaments—the Maryland Rod and Reef Slam.

This annual tournament challenges anglers to fish around restored oyster reefs and target the greatest variety of species, including invasives like snakehead and blue catfish. Oyster reefs create extremely valuable fish habitat and often become angling hotspots.

This year’s event will run from Saturday, September 7, through Sunday, September 15. Fishing will be followed by a beachfront after-party and awards ceremony at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) Philip Merrill Center in Annapolis on September 15, featuring live music from the Eastport Oyster Boys, local food, and drinks. The tournament is co-hosted by CBF, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Maryland, and Chesapeake Oyster Alliance (COA).

“In this family-friendly tournament, anglers will experience the immense diversity of fish species that rely on oyster sanctuary reefs to thrive,” said Allison Colden, CBF Maryland Executive Director. “Oysters build underwater habitat that naturally attracts bottom-dwelling critters that gamefish eat. Restoring oyster reefs is a great way to help the many fish species that depend on this habitat.”

Past Rod and Reef Slams have resulted in as many as 16 different species being caught in one day. White perch, drum, toadfish, bluefish, rockfish, blue crabs, and Spanish mackerel have been recorded in past tournaments.

“Oyster reefs not only filter the Bay but also provide shelter and great habitat for fish and other marine life,” said former Maryland Rod and Reef Slam champion, Herb Floyd. “I especially enjoy the challenge of catching a wide variety of species and exploring the many reefs in our beautiful Chesapeake Bay waters.”

Event details include:

• Start date: Saturday, September 7, 2024
• End date and after-party: Sunday, September 15, 2024 from 12–3 p.m.
• Party location: CBF Headquarters, the Philip Merrill Center, located at 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland 21403
• Tournament entry fee: $50 for adults, $25 for youth; after-party only tickets also available
• Fish tracking: All participants must track their catches (species, size, and location) virtually through the iAngler Tournament app.
• Divisions: Powerboat, Kayak, and Youth. All anglers are automatically entered into the Invasive Species division.
• Boundaries: Restored oyster reefs in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and tributaries. Click here for an interactive map.
• Prizes: Grand Prize will be awarded to the highest overall diversity of species caught with any tiebreakers determined by fish length. There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes for powerboat, kayak, and youth divisions, and one prize for the invasives division.
• Build a reef: Join CCA Maryland at Port Covington Marina in Baltimore Peninsula September 7th and 8th. Roll up your sleeves and help build reef balls as part of the Living Reef Action Campaign and the 2nd Annual Oysters Blues & Brews festival. Find more information here. 

Eligible invasive species include blue catfish, flathead catfish, and Northern snakeheads (Chesapeake channa). Fishing for and eating these species is one of the best ways to reduce their threat to the Bay.

There are more than 100 oyster reefs that anglers can choose to fish, from small sites in the northern Bay and around Annapolis, to large-scale restoration reefs in Harris Creek, the Little Choptank River, and Tred Avon River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Oyster restoration has been one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most successful restoration initiatives. Oyster reefs filter water quality and provide essential habitat for dozens of other species such as striped bass and blue crab. COA and its partnership of nonprofits, oyster farmers, and community organizations are committed to adding 10 billion oysters to the Bay by 2025.  

Registration for this event is required by September 6, 2024.

Citing the fundamental right Pennsylvanians have to clean air and pure water, the  Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has filed an amicus brief asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reverse a Commonwealth Court decision that led to its voiding the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

The brief states that “This Court should reverse the Commonwealth Court’s decision finding that the RGGI Regulation is an invalid tax and declaring it void, and should find that it constitutes a fee, consistent with the ERA (Environmental Rights Amendment) and the laws and regulations protecting clean air in the Commonwealth.” 

The RGGI is a coordinated effort between several Northeastern states that sets a regional limit on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Each power plant must pay for each ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) it emits at quarterly auctions. The emissions cap lowers over time, leading to cleaner air and less pollution to waterways while reducing emissions that contribute to climate change. 

The United States Energy Information Administration states that Pennsylvania ranks as the country’s fifth-highest state in generating the most carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel fired electric generating units.

According to CBF’s amicus brief, Pennsylvania courts have long held that the critical distinction between a tax and a fee is whether the charge is intended to be a general revenue-producing measure, or if it is a regulatory measure intended to cover the cost of administering a regulatory scheme authorized under the police power of the government. 

“Fees from the RGGI can provide important funding to reduce greenhouse gases and to conserve, improve and maintain Pennsylvania’s air and water quality for generations to come, as required by our state Constitution,” CBF Pennsylvania Staff Attorney Trisha Salvia said.

“Revenue from RGGI also means greater carbon dioxide sequestration, regenerative agriculture that enhances soil health, and riparian and upland tree plantings in rural, suburban, and urban landscapes,” Salvia added.

Pennsylvania became the 12th member of the RGGI in 2022, joining RGGI pursuant to a 2019 executive order and a subsequent rulemaking by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Environmental Quality Board (EQB). 

Various parties filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court alleging that Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI was unconstitutional, “because it usurps the authority of the General Assembly to levy taxes under the Pennsylvania Constitution and is not otherwise statutorily authorized.”

Last November, the Commonwealth Court declared the RGGI rulemaking void because the auction proceeds that it will generate is a tax in violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution, and that “participation in RGGI may only be achieved through legislation duly enacted by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and not merely through the Rulemaking promulgated by DEP and EQB.”

The DEP appealed the decision to the state’s Supreme Court in December 2023.

“Pennsylvania is unique to most of the other RGGI states in that it has the Environmental Rights Amendment within its Constitution that provides authority to DEP, its trustee, to protect, conserve and maintain its air and waters from the impacts of fossil fuels to its citizens,” Salvia said.

The Environment Rights Amendment, Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution reads: “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

The Effort Builds off Major Oyster Restoration Success in Chesapeake Bay Tributaries

Today, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Maryland deployed 150 reef balls set with spat, or juvenile oysters, into the St. Mary’s River in southern Maryland. This effort is part of a larger initiative to add 600 oyster reef balls into the river and increase overall reef habitat and oyster populations in Chesapeake Bay tributaries.

The St. Mary’s River is one of the 11 Bay tributaries targeted to be fully restored for oyster habitat by 2025—and the only one on Maryland’s western shore. In its 2024 Hope on the Half Shell report, CBF recommends targeting an additional 20 Bay rivers for oyster restoration.

“Strategically targeting and restoring Chesapeake Bay tributaries for oyster habitat has been an extremely successful model that we should continue to build on,” said CBF Maryland Coastal Resource Scientist Julie Luecke. “A healthier Bay will require additional investment in oyster restoration and aquaculture, and luckily we already know it works.”

Oyster sanctuary reefs are powerhouses across the Bay. They filter water and provide habitat for many other species, including blue crabs and striped bass. When they reproduce, they don’t just seed oysters in the sanctuary, but also oysters downstream that can support a productive oyster harvest and local economy.

Oysters are most vulnerable during their first few weeks of life. Larvae are microscopic and must attach to a hard surface for survival. Reef balls are manmade, concrete structures that serve as excellent substrate for oyster spat, mimicking the structure of a mature oyster reef. The reef balls keep spat elevated from the Bay’s muddy bottom where they can suffocate, and their three-dimensional structure creates valuable fish habitat.

Throughout the year, CBF and CCA volunteers have built over 600 reef balls for this initiative. The project was funded by CCA through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.   

“We’re proud to work with community partners and students throughout the region to build important habitat and to connect people to the value of three-dimensional oyster reefs,” said David Sikorski, CCA Maryland Executive Director. “It’s great to know that through rolling up our sleeves and working together, we can make long lasting impact on the future health of our watershed.” 

This effort furthers the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance’s ambitious goal of adding 10 billion oysters to Maryland and Virginia waters by 2025.

A living shoreline on the Eastern Shore will protect land and residents from erosion thanks to a crew of volunteers who worked with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) throughout this week to complete maintenance projects. 

In addition to moving 20 tons of sand to the shoreline, the volunteers also placed three coconut fiber coir logs, graded the sand using rakes, and placed loose oyster shells. On Friday, the volunteers are expected to install fencing to protect the project.

The Royall Woods living shoreline, located in Belle Haven, uses natural methods to shield Eastern Shore tidal shorelines from erosion.  

“As an Eastern Shore local, I’m excited to showcase a resiliency practice made possible through community dedication and support projects that will benefit my hometown for years to come,” said Kati Grigsby, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Restoration Coordinator. “Volunteering allows CBF to implement and maintain these amazing projects. These terrific volunteers got outside, worked alongside the community, and helped the local environment.”  

Living shorelines use materials such as plants and oyster reefs to protect tidal shorelines from erosion. However, like a garden, living shorelines require maintenance to function correctly and maintain their aesthetic value. Other than improving water quality by filtering pollutants, living shorelines beautify waterfronts and provide better habitat for wildlife like turtles and shorebirds. 

Learn more about living shoreline projects.