Press Statement
Maryland Governor Wes Moore took an important stance for environmental justice last week by signing an executive order focused on securing and leveraging state data to support environmental justice.
Recent efforts by the Trump administration have made federal census data for environmental justice unreliable and, at times, completely unavailable. This has made it difficult to understand the impacts of regulatory actions on overburdened communities. Recognizing this critical data gap, Moore announced Maryland’s Environmental Justice Screening Tool, a map that displays data on pollution burdens and health metrics across Maryland.
Thanks to this step from the Moore administration, the screening tool is now running independently from federal data and will be available despite any changes at the federal level. This effort will preserve the ability of Maryland agencies to account for inequities in decision-making. Notably, the executive order also requires state agencies to appoint an environmental justice officer and develop a strategic plan to promote environmental justice.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden issued the following statement:
“Communities that are most vulnerable to pollution and threats from climate change need state leadership now more than ever. This executive order is a clear signal that the Moore Administration is prioritizing environmental justice and ensuring critical data remains available to state decision-makers.
“But this is just the start. We must now ensure this information is used by state agencies to dismantle historical inequities and protect vulnerable communities from threats like flooding, excessive heat, and toxic contaminants, especially as extreme weather rapidly becomes our new normal.”
Restoration efforts coupled with conservative management are working. Chesapeake Bay Foundation supports staying the course while highlighting areas still in need of conservation.
After Maryland’s oyster population nearly tripled over the past 20 years, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced it will maintain its current regulations for the 2025 to 2026 oyster harvest season.
This includes maintaining daily bushel limits, number of harvest days per week, and limited harvest closures in the Chester River. DNR cited these strategies as key contributing factors to the significant increase in oyster numbers. Ensuring continued responsible management of oyster harvest will help sustain momentum for the comeback of Maryland’s oysters alongside continued robust restoration efforts.
Maryland is expected to reach its goal to fully restore oyster habitat in five Chesapeake Bay tributaries by the close of 2025. Now at a critical juncture, the state must continue building on that success through additional oyster restoration investments and responsible management of the oyster fishery.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Maryland Executive Director, Allison Colden, issued the following statement:
“Our effort to bring oysters back from the brink in Chesapeake Bay is working, but continued recovery is not guaranteed. That’s why we support DNR’s decision to maintain its current harvest regulations for this season.
“However, oyster recovery is not uniform throughout the Bay. The latest oyster stock assessment indicates that more than 80 percent of oyster harvest comes from only eight harvest areas, and that four of those have been subject to unsustainable harvest rates for four years or more. We urge DNR to consider a delayed or staggered opening of these areas to reduce the overall fishing effort contributing to high harvest rates.
“Oyster sanctuaries are likely significantly contributing to the overall abundance of oysters in Maryland. The Choptank River region, which contains three targeted restoration tributaries, has the highest abundance of oysters in Maryland. As we strategize on what oyster restoration looks like beyond 2025, we should build on that proven success throughout more Maryland rivers.
“Oysters are a bedrock of our Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and economy. Protecting this vital resource, and reversing decades of overharvesting, disease impacts, and loss of habitat will require a long-term strategy and redoubled commitment. We commend DNR for staying the course and encourage further proactive management to protect Maryland’s oyster resource and those who depend on it.”
New research indicates a collapse of the osprey population along the seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a frequent area for industrial menhaden fishing by Omega Protein.
A May 2025 survey by Dr. Bryan Watts of The College of William and Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology documented a 90 percent decline of nesting osprey on Virginia’s Delmarva Peninsula. The Center for Conservation Biology concluded “the most likely cause of the decline is prey availability.”
This decline in nesting adults adds to a recent trend of osprey chicks starving in their nests across the tidal portions of Chesapeake Bay where osprey historically rely on the small, oily fish called menhaden for food. Osprey in many parts of the region are reproducing at rates well below the historic lows of the DDT crisis in the 1970s.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) corroborates the osprey decline, likely attributing it to a scarcity of food. “Limited prey availability, their capture or their delivery to nests is seemingly the principal driver of poor reproductive success,” the USGS wrote in a recent letter to Congress.
Virginia is the only state along the Atlantic coast that still allows industrial menhaden reduction fishing in its state waters. That sole remaining reduction fishing operation, Reedville-based Omega Protein, harvests well over 100 million pounds of menhaden from the Commonwealth’s waters each year.
A recent letter from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) called for “serious consideration of reducing purse seine fishing in the Bay” given that data to understand impacts of concentrating the industrial menhaden fishery in Virginia waters remains “woefully inadequate.”
Omega’s lobbying has blocked funding for much needed menhaden research in the Chesapeake Bay.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is expected to consider whether further menhaden management for the Chesapeake Bay is warranted in the coming months.
Chris Moore, Virginia Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, issued the following statement:
“Virginia is the epicenter of both the industrial menhaden fishery and incredibly concerning warning signs. The data shows osprey starving in portions of the Chesapeake Bay, and now a total osprey collapse along the seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
“Had Omega Protein not consistently opposed menhaden science, Virginia would be developing better answers on ecology and fishery impacts during these challenging times. No company blocks science with the best interest of the public and the environment at heart.
“We don’t have perfect science, but we have enough to acknowledge a problem. It’s time for Virginia to act. Virginia must take this challenge head-on and consider opportunities to ensure enough menhaden are in state waters when osprey and other vulnerable predators need menhaden.”
VMRC maintains current blue crab regulations, comprehensive study expected next year
Blue crab harvest regulations in Virginia will remain largely the same after the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) concluded its June 24 meeting maintaining current rules for this iconic Chesapeake Bay species.
Blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay have struggled in recent years, according to information released June 24 by the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee.
This comes as new survey results reveal blue crabs in Maryland and Virginia have dipped to the second lowest number in recent history. A comprehensive study of the causes behind the decline are expected next year.
The 2025 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, conducted jointly by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Maryland Department of Natural Resources, estimated total crab abundance at 238 million. This figure is the second lowest since surveys began in 1990, just three years after an all-time low of 226 million crabs in 2022.
The reasons for the decline are still uncertain. Maryland and Virginia are currently conducting a comprehensive stock assessment for blue crabs, slated for completion in 2026. The last assessment was completed nearly 15 years ago in 2011. Many environmental conditions have changed during that time due to climate change, habitat loss, and the expansion of blue catfish, a voracious predator of young crabs.
Recent polling conducted by CBF earlier this year revealed that Chesapeake Bay area residents believe blue crabs are the Bay animal most in need of protection, underscoring the public’s concern for this culturally and economically vital species.
Chris Moore, Virginia Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, issued the following statement:
“This is another year of distressing numbers for blue crabs. The stock assessment due out in early 2026 will help us understand the complex causes for this decline so that the next generation of blue crabs, watermen, and Virginians can enjoy blue crabs in the future.
“We’ve lost critical habitats like underwater grasses, and the rise of invasive predators like blue catfish pose a major threat. Climate change and polluted runoff harm young and spawning crabs. We must find a more sustainable path for this economically and environmentally important species. The stock assessment will empower decision-makers with the science needed to make blue crab recovery a reality.”
Allison Colden, CBF’s Maryland Executive Director, issued the following statement:
“Red flags are flying for blue crabs. But the exact cause of their alarming decline is still somewhat unknown. Many environmental factors could be contributing, such as the loss of underwater grasses and the voracious and invasive blue catfish. Additional insights from the 2026 stock assessment will be paramount if we are to effectively protect this staple Bay species from further decline.
“We urge Maryland and Virginia to continue working collaboratively to sustainably manage this fishery so future generations can enjoy crab feasts and loaded crab cakes for years to come.”
Years in the making, regulations governing large-scale solar projects in Virginia have been finalized and went into effect Wednesday, June 18.
These regulations establish standards for mitigation when a solar project causes significant impacts to farms and trees.
To mitigate, a developer can secure their own permanent conservation easement on comparable land or pay into a fund that the state will use to carry out conservation on the developers’ behalf. The regulations also include incentives for developers to improve site construction practices like limiting grading and preserving topsoil or even planting trees along waterways on land identified for conservation, which can reduce mitigation requirements.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Staff Attorney Patrick Fanning issued the following statement:
“The regulations strike an important balance, protecting forest cores and farms while we accelerate renewable energy deployment to reach Virginia Clean Economy Act goals.
“The solar mitigation regulations will improve utility scale solar facility siting, help developers avoid our highest conservation value lands, and create a flexible framework for mitigation where avoidance is not feasible. Where it is required, importantly, mitigation in the form of permanent conservation easements will protect prime farm and forest lands while advancing clean energy.”
The Trump administration today proposed to “repeal all greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants” by abandoning its statutory obligation to protect public health and welfare and departing from long-settled scientific consensus that power plant emissions contribute to dangerous air pollution.
Fossil fuel-generated power plants emit pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide, and soot, which can cause deadly lung and heart ailments. Airborne pollution also contributes roughly a quarter of the excess nitrogen pollution to the Bay. When this pollution falls to the water, the excess nitrogen contributes to the growth of algae blooms, which can create low-oxygen dead zones that suffocate fish, crabs, and other marine life.
Communities around the Chesapeake Bay are among the most vulnerable to sea level rise on the East Coast, while warming temperatures are changing the Bay’s ecosystem. Heat-trapping carbon emissions from electricity generators are the second-largest contributor to climate change, after transportation.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) supported the power plant limits, finalized in April 2024, as important tools for fighting climate change and reducing nitrogen pollution in waterways.
Additionally, the Trump administration today proposed to roll back a separate regulation to prevent dangerous pollution from mercury and air toxics. CBF has long supported the mercury and air toxics standards. Mercury is the most common metal pollutant in Bay waters. Reducing levels of this dangerous neurotoxin is important to restoring the Bay and its tributaries and protecting the health of people living across our region.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Senior Vice President for Programs Alison Prost issued the following statement.
“Rolling back rules that stop dangerous pollution from power plants is a direct threat to the Chesapeake Bay and millions of people living in our region.
“Extreme weather from climate change leads to more pollution washing into waterways, while power plant emissions are a significant contributor to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Homes and businesses along the Bay are among the most vulnerable to sea level rise on the entire East Coast.
“We must stand together against these rollbacks that put our health, homes, and waterways at risk.”
While Chesapeake Bay health declined in 2024 compared to the previous year, the Bay’s health remains on a long-term upward trend, according to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)’s 2025 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card released today.
UMCES identified extreme weather from drought and heavy storms in 2024 as one possible reason for the decline. Intense rainfall on hard, dry soil leads to runoff that washes pollution into streams, rivers, and the Bay. Climate change is intensifying extreme weather in the region, leading to both stronger storms and more severe droughts.
The release of the report card comes as the Trump administration rolls back climate change work and proposes slashing funding to federal agencies and programs that support Chesapeake Bay restoration and are instrumental in monitoring progress. Those include the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
This year is also pivotal as leaders around the region work to update the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which since the 1980s has guided federal-state efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay.
For more than two decades, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and UMCES have each independently produced two of the most respected reports on the health of the Chesapeake Bay. In future years, the two organizations plan to collaborate more closely on this mission.
CBF President and CEO Hilary Harp Falk issued the following statement.
“The health of the Chesapeake Bay isn’t just an environmental issue. It’s a quality-of-life issue for nearly 19 million people. This report card reflects the progress we’ve made, and the serious challenges that remain. This is the moment to push forward—not pull back.
“The Bay has long inspired bipartisan leadership. Congress must stand up to reckless rollbacks and fully fund the coordinated efforts across federal agencies to clean up the Bay. At the same time, state leaders must rise to the moment by recommitting to clean water goals with bold and urgent action.
“For more than 40 years, science and partnership have been fundamental to Bay restoration success. But the system remains out of balance and the federal/state Chesapeake Bay partnership is under threat. The choices we make today will determine whether our communities and economies thrive tomorrow.
“The extreme weather of 2024 is not an anomaly—it’s a warning. Climate change is accelerating, and with it comes more flooding, pollution, and ecological stress. The Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts threaten the world-class science and partnership at the heart of the effort.
“Science has always been the backbone of Chesapeake Bay restoration. The latest report card highlights not only improvements, but also where the Bay is struggling. New research, including the Comprehensive Evaluation of Systems Response (CESR), show us that targeting efforts where they’re most needed will make Bay cleanup more effective and efficient.
“There is tremendous value in our academic and scientific communities, which is why CBF is proud to be deepening our partnership with UMCES. We must support our scientists.”
The EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program announced today that states are continuing to make progress in reducing pollution to the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams, according to the latest estimates from computer modeling tools.
Verifying these models through monitoring is vital to assessing the health of waterways. The Bay Program expects to further update its indicator tool with the latest monitoring results by July.
This comes as the Trump administration has proposed extreme budget cuts to federal agencies working for a healthy Chesapeake Bay, including the EPA, NOAA, USGS, and USDA.
Starting in 2010 under the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, the federal-state Bay restoration partnership committed to a 2025 deadline for goals to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution to the Bay. The state partners are Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.
While states have made notable progress on work to reduce pollution, particularly from wastewater treatment plants, efforts are lagging to curb polluted runoff from developed areas and farms. Even though they are expected to miss the 2025 deadline, states are still required to meet the pollution-reduction goals.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Senior Vice President for Programs Alison Prost issued the following statement.
“The Chesapeake Bay cleanup has made tremendous progress thanks to decades of partnership at the state, federal, and local levels. But far too much pollution still enters the Chesapeake Bay.
“The Bay is facing growing challenges from climate change and development, and we’re seeing troubling signs from blue crabs, striped bass, and other iconic species.
“The Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts threaten to devastate longstanding bipartisan work to restore the Bay and local rivers and streams. Congress must step up, invest in clean water, and reject the dangerous rollbacks to agencies working for a healthy Chesapeake Bay. Continued commitment and leadership on the Bay from state and federal partners will be critical for everyone who lives in our region.”
Last week, roughly 21 million gallons of partially treated sewage overflowed from the Patapsco River Wastewater Treatment Plant after heavy rainfall. Authorities confirmed the overflow does not present an immediate health hazard to residents. However, such incidents can overload local waterways with nutrient pollution and be harmful to fish, underwater grasses, and other important Bay ecosystems.
Both the Patapsco and Back River Wastewater Treatment Plants have a long history of pollution. Although maintenance, staffing, and treatment equipment have been improved, overflow issues can still occur and should be considered in future permitting.
Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is currently renewing discharge permits for both wastewater treatment plants. If adequately updated, these permits could better protect water quality and keep communities safe. Impacted residents can submit their public comments on the Back River plant through June 6, and the Patapsco River plant through June 20.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Staff Scientist Gussie Maguire issued the following statement:
“Wastewater overflows are 100 percent preventable. Yet more intense rainfall from climate change, combined with aging, leaky sewage pipes, will increase the likelihood of overflows and require additional oversight by wastewater treatment plant operators. Bacteria in partially treated wastewater poses a risk to swimmers, anglers, and wildlife, while nutrient pollution feeds algal blooms that can create dead zones.
“The Back River and Patapsco River Wastewater Treatment Plants have made significant improvements in recent years, but irrefutable damage has already been done. The new discharge permits tighten maintenance and training requirements, but still allow for nutrient trading, where plants can meet legal requirements without meaningfully reducing pollution. Given both facilities’ troublesome history and increasing overflow risks, this option for nutrient credit trading should not be part of any renewed permits.
“MDE has made meaningful strides to bring both treatment plants back into state compliance and we urge the agency to uphold even stronger standards when renewing each discharge permit. Now is the time for Baltimore and Anne Arundel residents who enjoy recreating in the Patapsco and care about clean water to voice their concerns and submit comments to MDE.”
Survey results show second lowest total crab abundance in recent history
Blue crabs in Maryland and Virginia have dipped to the second lowest number in recent history, according to results issued today from the annual blue crab winter dredge survey conducted jointly by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The 2025 survey estimated total crab abundance at 238 million, the second lowest since the surveys began in 1990. This comes just three years after an all-time low in 2022 of 226 million crabs.
This year’s decline spread across all segments of the population, including adult male crabs at 26 million, adult female crabs at 108 million, and juvenile crabs at 103 million. These numbers are significantly lower than 2024’s results, which were just slightly below average.
Blue crab numbers can vary dramatically year by year, depending on weather trends, predator numbers, and habitat availability. The loss of critical crab habitat, such as underwater grasses, as well as the rise of invasive predators like blue catfish, can threaten blue crabs. Other factors like climate change and polluted runoff can also be detrimental for young and spawning crabs.
Chesapeake Bay area residents believe blue crabs are the Bay animal in most need of protection, according to polling results conducted by Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) earlier this year. Because of the blue crab’s short lifespan, no single response can be the solution. Only a comprehensive and collaborative approach will improve the population. Given that, CBF urges:
- Maryland to maintain current regulations for male crabs and further strengthen protections for female crabs, including reducing the importation of egg bearing “sponge” crabs from Virginia;
- Virginia to reduce its blue crab harvest, and consider additional protections for males, which have reached a historic low;
- The federal government to fully fund programs and agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Environmental Protection Agency that support regional clean water initiatives that protect blue crab habitat.
Despite annual surveying and management framework advancements, the exact causes of blue crabs’ decline are still somewhat a mystery to scientists. Thankfully, Maryland and Virginia are currently conducting a comprehensive stock assessment for blue crabs, slated for completion in late 2026. The last assessment was completed nearly 15 years ago in 2011. Many environmental conditions have changed during that time due to climate change, habitat loss, and the expansion of blue catfish, a voracious predator of young crabs. The updated assessment will give critical insights into those drivers of blue crabs’ decline, as well as tangible management recommendations that could better protect the species from further collapse.
The blue crab fishery is cooperatively managed by Maryland and Virginia. Each state must consider further protections for this critical species, and U.S. Congress should protect and fully fund agency budgets that help protect blue crabs and the Chesapeake Bay’s ecological heritage.
CBF’s Maryland Executive Director, Allison Colden, issued the following statement:
“The red flags are flying for blue crabs. With more than five years of below average crab numbers, it is clear that changing conditions in the Bay are undermining the current management of this important species.
“The winter dredge survey provides a snapshot in time. The upcoming comprehensive stock assessment, due in 2026, will give us a more complete picture of the impacts of environmental threats to blue crabs, and what Maryland and Virginia can do to better protect them. Managers must heed those assessment results, and act swiftly to protect the opportunity for the next generation to experience the joy of a summertime crab feast.”
Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Virginia Executive Director, Chris Moore, issued the following statement:
“The latest blue crab numbers are extremely distressing. Blue crabs are a staple on our plates, in our water, and in our culture. We must protect them in order ensure their important role in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and preserve sustainable harvests for the most valuable commercial fishery in the Bay.
“Given the continued decline of males in the population, Virginia should look for ways to reduce harvest of male crabs — which has been a growing part of our crab harvest. We are eager to see the results of the 2026 stock assessment and resulting harvest changes that can help secure this species’ future.”
CBF’s Federal Director, Keisha Sedlacek, issued the following statement:
“Blue crab numbers are crashing just as the Trump Administration dismantles programs restoring water quality and underwater habitat like grasses vital for crabs. Saving the Bay and its iconic species like crabs has always been a bi-partisan effort. Congress must work together to ensure federal investments in restoration continue. We cannot backtrack on blue crabs or the Bay.”
