Chesapeake Bay Agreement Draft Falls Short

August Events, Public Feedback Key to Strengthening Major Federal-State Agreement

As state and federal leaders around the region update the major agreement guiding Chesapeake Bay restoration, this August is a pivotal time to urge stronger measures to protect the Bay.   

A draft update of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed is open for public feedback through Sept. 1, and people across the region can urge leaders to adopt a stronger Bay Agreement. On Aug. 5, the state of Maryland will hold an open house to discuss the agreement, and on Aug. 14 the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will hold a town hall in Annapolis on ensuring an effective Bay Agreement. 

Since 1983, various iterations of the Bay Agreement have held together the federal-state Bay restoration partnership. Starting in 2010 under the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, states in the partnership committed to a 2025 deadline for legally-binding goals to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution. The 2014 agreement included this and additional Bay restoration goals.  

Though states have made notable progress on many Bay Agreement goals, including reducing pollution, they will not meet the 2025 pollution-reduction deadlines. Meanwhile, new science shows how Bay restoration work can be done more efficiently and effectively.  

Last December, the federal and state Bay restoration partners committed to revising the Bay Agreement by the end of 2025. The partnership includes the governors of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York, the mayor of the District of Columbia, state legislators, and leaders at federal agencies.  

These partners have worked toward a more effective agreement, including laudable efforts to bring more voices into the process. However, the draft agreement still falls short.  

The revised Bay Agreement should apply the latest science, implement innovative environmental and economic strategies, and increase accountability. It must:  

• Set one uniform deadline of 2035 across all goals to provide accountability, with regular check-ins every two years; 
• Clearly define targets, including for habitat restoration and pollution reduction; 
• Include the voices and perspectives of Indigenous communities; 
• Address challenges from climate change across goals; and 
• Affirm commitments to meeting the pollution reductions the federal government and states are legally required to meet under the Clean Water Act, despite missing the 2025 deadline. 

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Senior Policy Director Keisha Sedlacek issued the following statement.   

“This is a defining moment for the Chesapeake Bay. We have made tremendous progress, but the system remains out of balance. Growing threats from climate change add to the challenge. This August is the chance for everyone to speak up, or risk a future with dirty rivers and streams and a struggling Chesapeake Bay.     

“The current draft of the Bay Agreement is incomplete—and the holes matter. While key goals and outcomes are included, the draft agreement lacks accountability and important details. It falls short in charting the course to clean water, healthy habitats, and engaged communities.  

“To provide accountability, the agreement needs one uniform deadline of 2035 across goals with regular check-ins every two years. Clearly defined targets, including for habitat restoration and pollution reduction, are critical. Including the voices and perspectives of Indigenous communities will strengthen the partnership. Addressing challenges from climate change should be woven into each goal and outcome.   

“Most importantly, the revised Bay Agreement must reaffirm commitments to pollution reductions the federal government and states are legally required to meet under the Clean Water Act. The Bay Agreement adds additional accountability and transparency to reducing pollution to the Bay.  We can’t afford further delay. If those pollution reduction commitments are abandoned, we will explore all options—including litigation.   

“The Chesapeake Bay is home to one of the largest and longest-running environmental restoration movements in the world. We have faced challenges before, banded together to set aggressive goals, and come out stronger. Future generations are counting on us to do it again. We cannot let them down. By working together toward common goals, we can leave a legacy of clean water, thriving marshes, forests, and reefs, and flourishing communities.”