Press Statement
The Senate Appropriations Committee’s bipartisan fiscal year 2025 Interior-Environment bill includes welcome increases for EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program and Interior Department programs that restore wildlife habitat and increase public access and understanding of the Bay region’s history and natural resources.
The panel adopted the $44.6 billion bill yesterday by a vote of 28-1.
The EPA-led Chesapeake Bay Program coordinates the federal-state-local government partnership to clean up the Bay and its tributaries. Roughly two-thirds of the Program’s annual budget goes directly to state and local partners for watershed restoration, protection, and monitoring activities.
The Senate Appropriations Committee would increase the Bay Program’s fiscal 2025 budget to $92.5 million from the current level of $92 million. The Interior-Environment bill the House adopted on July 24 by a vote of 210-205 would keep Bay Program funding flat at $92 million in fiscal 2025.
The Chesapeake Watershed Investment for Landscape Defense (WILD) program, administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, awards competitive grants to fund local projects that restore fish and wildlife habitat, improve water quality, and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities in the Bay region.
Chesapeake WILD grants would see fiscal 2025 funding bumped up to $8.5 million from $8 million this year under the Senate Appropriations bill. The House-passed bill would leave funding unchanged at $8 million next year.
The Chesapeake Gateways Program, operated by the National Park Service, manages the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails Network of historic, cultural, and natural sites and funds grants for community-based projects to share the Bay’s diverse stories, support tourism, and promote economic development.
The Gateways budget would get a slight increase to $3.05 million in fiscal 2025 from this year’s $3.03 million under the Senate Appropriations Committee bill. The House-passed bill would also leave the Gateways budget unchanged in fiscal 2025.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Federal Director Keisha Sedlacek made the following statement:
“The Senate Appropriations Committee has wisely recognized that essential federal partners like EPA and the Interior Department must have sufficient resources as we enter the next phase of the restoration effort.
“CBF thanks the committee for boosting the budgets of the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, which keeps the multi-agency partnership on track, and Interior Department grant programs that fund locally led projects to restore fish and wildlife habitat and increase public access to the wonders of the watershed.
“We commend Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), Interior-Environment Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) for their hard work and bipartisan approach to drafting this year’s bill.
“We encourage the Senate to pass it soon and urge panel leaders to fight to preserve these important investments in the Bay region in conference with the House.”
In a positive step for forest conservation and clean water, Harford County has reached a settlement that will rescind the approvals for Abingdon Business Park and require developers to reforest parts of the property.
The project developers, BTC III I-95 Logistics Center will no longer move forward with planned development. The settlement requires them to stabilize the 327-acre site and install stormwater management. It will also require reforestation and revegetation on the property, which is just upstream of Bush River, and will help mitigate pollution in local waterways. The landowner, Harford Investors LLP, retains the right to develop the property in the future, but would be required to resubmit future warehouse construction plans.
The business park’s original plan, approved by Harford County Department of Planning and Zoning, involved the clearing of a 220-acre forest, including 49 large and ecologically valuable specimen trees, to build warehouses. Despite legal action against this plan, much of the forest had already been cleared in the property’s center, including 29 of the 49 specimen trees.
Since 2019, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has argued, in various jurisdictions, that Abingdon Business Park’s forest conservation plan, which included a specimen tree waiver, was inadequate.
CBF filed a lawsuit in 2020, seeking judicial review of the plan, arguing it was against the 1991 Maryland Forest Conservation Act which requires specific strategies for retaining, reforesting, and protecting forest areas tied to new development. This lawsuit led to a landmark ruling in the Maryland Court of Appeals declaring that forest conservation plans can be legally challenged. Forests are essential to improving water quality, providing habitat for wildlife, and supporting healthy communities.
Following this landmark ruling, CBF filed multiple injunctions, and in May 2023, a Harford County Circuit Court judge agreed with CBF and issued a stop work order on future tree clearing at Abingdon Woods. Appeals from the developers followed, but ultimately resulted in this settlement which will require them to reforest roughly four acres of the property and revegetate much of the cleared area as meadow.
Paul Smail, CBF’s Vice President for Litigation and General Counsel, said in a statement:
“This is a promising step for the future of Maryland’s forests. Despite the damage that’s already been done at Abingdon Woods, this settlement between Harford County and the developers is a step in the right direction. For many years, CBF has urged jurisdictions to hold developers accountable and deny their inadequate forest conservation plans. These actions led to a landmark ruling that will keep Maryland forests better protected from harmful development.
“Any reforestation at Abingdon Woods—even only four acres, two of which will restore the buffer adjacent to residences—will support healthier waters in Haha Branch, which flows into the Bush River, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. Bush River is already classified as impaired due to high levels of sediment from stormwater runoff. This settlement will have a positive impact, not only on the environment, but for community health, and the everyday lives of Harford County residents.”
Today, Governor Wes Moore announced $130 million in grants, awarded to the State of Maryland by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that will support Maryland’s pollution reduction and climate goals by investing in green infrastructure and jobs.
Allison Colden, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Executive Director said in a statement:
“This grant is a major investment in Maryland’s green future. New funding for green infrastructure and natural solutions to climate change, such as living shorelines, forested buffers, and critical habitats, will be paramount to keeping Maryland resilient against sea-level rise, extreme weather, and other climate threats while reducing pollution reaching our waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
“With this support, the Moore Administration is one step closer to achieving Maryland’s bold climate goals. We look forward to seeing more natural filters and green infrastructure solutions being implemented across the state.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced a $10 million grant for oyster sanctuary reef construction in Maryland. The grant, administered to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), will fund the building of new reef bases on about 50 to 75 acres within existing oyster sanctuaries. DNR will present target areas for additional oyster restoration at the August 19 meeting of the Maryland Oyster Advisory Commission.
The 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement outlined a goal to fully restore oyster habitat in 10 tributaries—five being in Maryland—by 2025. These large-scale restoration efforts have been extremely successful; over 1,000 acres of oyster reefs have been restored in Maryland. These reefs filter water quality and provide essential habitat for dozens of other species like blue crab and striped bass.
In its 2024 Hope on the Half Shell report, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) recommended building off this success and targeting oyster restoration in 20 additional Bay rivers. This latest investment from NOAA is a critical catalyst in the next phase of oyster restoration in Chesapeake Bay.
Allison Colden, CBF Maryland Executive Director said in a statement:
“This grant is a major step forward for oyster restoration and a strong continuation of Maryland’s success in adding more oysters to the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters are the bedrock of our ecosystem and will be key to adapting to climate change, building resilient shorelines, improving water quality, and supporting local economies.
“Historic overharvesting, disease, pollution, and habitat loss have left this keystone species vulnerable and populations in dire need of support. Fortunately, the Bay Agreement’s current model of targeting and fully restoring tributaries for oysters has been wildly successful.
“Large-scale oyster restoration has been made possible through strong federal investment, state support, and the collaboration of many partners. As this major oyster restoration phase nears completion, sustained federal funding will remain crucial as we look towards restoring additional tributaries beyond 2025. We are encouraged by NOAA and DNR’s continued commitment to oyster restoration and look forward to the transformational benefits this funding will bring to the Bay for oysters and the many species that depend on them.”
On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to accept review of the recent Title VI Civil Rights Complaint filed on behalf of South Baltimore residents enduring pollution from Maryland’s largest trash incinerator. The complaint was filed with EPA on May 28, 2024, by the South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT), represented by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Environmental Integrity Project (EIP).
EPA’s acceptance is an initial step in the complaint review process. With the decision, EPA has indicated its intent to investigate SBCLT’s allegations against Baltimore City and Department of Public Works’ (DPW) 10-year solid waste management plan. The complaint claims that the plan unequally contributes to health risks faced by people living in one of Baltimore’s most disadvantaged communities.
By deciding to accept and investigate this Title VI complaint, EPA has taken a promising step towards addressing the concerns raised by South Baltimore communities that have endured the harmful effects of Baltimore Refuse Energy Systems Company’s (BRESCO) pollution for decades.
In response to EPA’s decision, partners have issued the following statements:
Carlos Sanchez with SBCLT said:
“As a lifelong South Baltimore resident and someone who loves my community of Lakeland, I’m thankful for EPA’s action to accept our complaint. Every day we live with the consequences of our city’s ongoing missed opportunity to budget for a just transition to zero waste away from toxic trash incineration. The good news is this is a fixable problem and we are confident that our city leadership, who understand the importance of equity, will step up and do the right thing and begin to treat this environmental justice issue with the urgency it deserves.”
CBF Environmental Justice Staff Attorney Taylor Lilley said:
“The residents living near BRESCO deserve more from their city. While EPA’s decision marks the first step in a longer investigation, we are hopeful that this path leads to cleaner air and safer lives for South Baltimore communities.”
EIP Senior Attorney Leah Kelly said:
“This is a preliminary but encouraging step forward in EPA’s process for reviewing Civil Rights complaints. Residents of South Baltimore deserve to live in a clean and healthy environment. We hope that EPA’s investigation leads to real benefits for these communities after decades of decisions to add more pollution sources to this area.”
During its July 10 meeting, Caroline County Planning Commissioners considered new legislation that will strengthen local oversight on the storage of food processing residuals, also known as industrial sludge or dissolved air flotation (DAF) material.
Over the past year, residents in Caroline County have experienced the negative health and nuisance effects of irresponsible food processing residual handling. This caused County Commissioners in December to pass a moratorium on the use of land or structures for the material’s storage. Hundreds of residents attended the hearings, many testifying that the rancid material posed a threat to their local environment, rivers and streams, public health, and way of life.
In March, legislation passed in Maryland’s General Assembly that now requires a permit for sludge handling and application on farmland. Caroline County Commissioners were supportive of the bill and instrumental in its passage. This new action from the Commissioners compliments the popular bipartisan state legislation, requiring those who store food processing residuals in Caroline to hold a permit and meet certain conditions intended to protect the public and environment from harm.
A public hearing for this bill is tentatively set for July 23.
In a statement, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Advocacy Director Alan Girard said:
“This county legislation comes at the right time in the right place.
“The overapplication and irresponsible storage of food processing residuals is an urgent threat to our environment and health. People across Caroline County and Maryland have made their concerns about this material known, and this legislation is a direct response to that.
“Storage and use of food processing residuals should not put the public and waterways at risk. Caroline County’s proposed bill works together with state legislation passed earlier this year to stop Maryland farms from being a dumping ground for this putrid material. We commend Caroline County commissioners for continuing to find solutions that protect communities, public health, and the environment.”
CBF is heartbroken to announce the news of Doug Myers’ passing. Doug was a beloved colleague and friend. He served as the Foundation’s Maryland Senior Scientist for nearly 12 years where he fiercely advocated for Bay health and environmental justice. His kindness and love of the outdoors was infectious, and his legacy of environmental stewardship will have a lasting impact for many generations to come. We are incredibly grateful for Doug’s dedication to the Bay, and we will miss him deeply.
– Allison Colden, CBF Maryland Executive Director
More information can be found in Doug’s obituary.
CBF StaffThe House Appropriations Committee has approved, by a 29-25 vote, a fiscal year 2025 Interior-Environment spending bill that protects key Bay restoration programs from deep cuts but guts the overall EPA and Interior Department budgets and contains numerous controversial policy riders the Chesapeake Bay Foundation opposes.
The bill calls for EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program to be funded at $92 million for the third straight year. It also contains the extra $47.6 million a year for the Program included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Through the Program, EPA coordinates the multi-state, multi-agency cleanup of the Bay and its tributaries. Roughly two-thirds of the Program’s annual budget funds locally led conservation projects across the Bay’s six-state watershed.
Also for the third year in a row, the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) program, administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, would see its fiscal 2025 budget held constant at $8 million. Chesapeake WILD grants help finance local habitat restoration projects throughout the region.
The National Park Service-run Chesapeake Gateways Program would be funded at $3 million for the fourth year running under the fiscal 2025 spending bill. The Program manages the Chesapeake Gateways and Trails Network, which focuses on increasing access to public lands and conserving the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the Bay region. Most of its annual allocation funds community-based projects to tell the Bay’s diverse stories to a wider audience.
Unfortunately, the House Appropriations Committee measure also contains disastrous policy riders to block an array of other Biden administration initiatives and regulations, including air and water pollution rules essential to restoring the health of the Bay and its tributaries.
These partisan riders also target groundbreaking Biden administration initiatives to fight climate change and its devastating effects, which already pose an existential threat to the Bay region. And they would undermine forward-looking programs that promote environmental justice, and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The House Appropriations Committee also approved the annual spending bill that funds Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, by a vote of 30-26. The fiscal 2025 Energy and Water bill includes $10.3 million for the Corps to use dredged material to help address sea-level rise and recurrent flooding on Virginia’s Tangier Island. That is the full amount requested in President Biden’s 2025 budget.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) recently convened a meeting of federal, state, and local officials with community leaders on Tangier to discuss developing a state-certified resilience plan for the Tangier Island system, including neighboring Port Isobel.
Since the 1850s, Tangier Island has lost about two-thirds of its land mass. According to researchers, much of the rest could be lost in the next 50 years without intervention.
CBF Federal Director Keisha Sedlacek made the following statement:
“While CBF appreciates that the Chesapeake Bay Program, Chesapeake WILD grants, and the Chesapeake Gateways Program were spared the budget ax, we are distressed by the crippling cuts the fiscal 2025 Interior-Environment bill proposes to the EPA and Interior Department budgets.
“We also strongly oppose the many ‘poison pill’ riders included that would block the leading agencies responsible for protecting human health, the environment, and our natural resources from carrying out their core mission.
“However, CBF was pleased to see robust funding of $10.3 million for the Army Corps to continue its vital work to protect Tangier Island while there is still time. This unique Bay island and its culture are truly irreplaceable.
“We urge the Senate Appropriations Committee to match the House Energy and Water bill’s funding for Tangier Island and to continue its bipartisan tradition of prioritizing Bay restoration programs in the Interior-Environment bill.”
The health of the Chesapeake Bay has improved to a C+ for the first time in 20 years in the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)’s 2023/2024 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Report Card released today. The study also indicates the overall health of the Bay watershed is in moderate condition, earning a C rating, which remains consistent with UMCES’s 2022 report.
In response to the report, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Vice President for Environmental Protection and Restoration Alison Prost issued the following statement:
“While a C+ is an improvement, it’s clear that far too much pollution is still entering the Bay. We can and must do more for the Bay, its rivers and streams, and the communities that depend on them.
“Chesapeake Bay cleanup has made some tremendous progress, which can be traced back to the dedicated state, federal, and local partnership formed across the watershed. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“Restoration efforts will not meet goals to reduce pollution by the 2025 deadline. This puts us at a critical moment for the Bay movement. We’ll be unable to tackle the significant challenges ahead unless governors across the Chesapeake Bay watershed publicly recommit to continue working together for a healthy Bay. Updating the Chesapeake Bay Agreement by the end of 2025 represents a critical opportunity for the partnership to set the stage for success.
“We have seen success in some areas. For example, there’s been consistent recovery and improvement in overall acreage of underwater grasses, However, we’re still less than halfway to meeting the Bay Agreement’s goal for sub-aquatic vegetation. We’ve also collaboratively reduced nutrient pollution from sewage treatment plants that go directly into our waterways, despite population growth and climate change. However, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from other sources, specifically stormwater runoff and agriculture, remain areas for improvement.
“Preventing polluted runoff from entering our waterways will require immense collaboration between states and municipalities. But its multi-faceted benefits are well worth it. People, economies, wildlife habitat, fisheries and more all benefit from a healthy Bay.
“Reports like the Comprehensive Evaluation of Systems Response, or CESR, show us there are approaches to Bay cleanup that could be more effective and efficient, and also help us optimize the use of resources. Revising the Bay Agreement as soon as possible will be critical to putting those lessons into action and extending our progress beyond 2025.”
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is applauding the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s passage and Governor Josh Shapiro’s signing this week of a bill that requires the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to plant native vegetation along state highways.
State House members gave final approval to House Bill 797 last week after the Senate approved amendments to it. Monday, Governor Shapiro’s signature made it a law.
According to Rep. Brett Miller (R-Lancaster), who introduced the bill, the legislation requires PennDOT to develop a list of native vegetation species that can be used in roadside work throughout the state. The use of specific species in a given area will be based on the recommendations of the state Department of Agriculture’s Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee.
Julia Krall, CBF Executive Director for Pennsylvania, issued the following statement:
“With more than 41,600 miles of state-maintained roads, this law delivers a plethora of ecological benefits across the state, reduces polluted runoff, and adds more natural beauty for those traveling through the Commonwealth.
“Native plants help slow down, spread out, and soak in stormwater runoff. Their root structures act as an anchor, helping to keep soils from eroding. Once mature, the roots, topsoil, and vegetation form a powerful combination for treating many of the pollutants in road runoff.
“When established, native plants require less maintenance and control non-native, invasive plant intrusion.
“Pennsylvanians can look forward to more trips with roadsides bursting with flowers that support birds and bees while protecting rivers and streams.”
