Federal, State Leaders Near Final Chesapeake Bay Restoration Plan Ahead of December Summit

Bay Agreement Revisions Mark Improvements, But Fall Short of Advocates’ Ambitions 

Officials yesterday took an important step toward updating the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, setting the stage for governors and federal leaders to formally recommit this December to Bay restoration goals for the next 15 years.  

Since 1983, the Bay agreement has held together the federal-state Bay restoration partnership. This voluntary accord includes many goals, ranging from fisheries to clean water to land conservation. It has undergone several updates, with the last one signed in 2014. Separately, in 2010 states committed to legally binding goals to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.   

The Bay restoration partnership includes Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York, the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and leaders of federal agencies involved in the cleanup.    

Last year, these partners committed to revising the agreement by the end of 2025. Leaders in July released an initial draft of the update that was lacking. This fall, state and federal officials further edited that draft, agreeing to key revisions at an Oct. 28 meeting. The government shutdown limited the participation of most federal partners this month, but the EPA participated using carryover funding.  

The partners are expected to finalize the agreement at a December 2 Chesapeake Executive Council meeting in Baltimore.    

Throughout the process, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has advocated for a strong agreement that:  

The latest version has notable improvements over the July draft. Those include a uniform deadline of 2040, as well as a 2033 midpoint check in that offers a chance to adapt to the latest science. It also now reaffirms the legally-binding pollution reductions states must meet.   

• Affirms state commitments to meet legally required pollution reductions;   
• Provides accountability with a uniform deadline across goals and a midpoint assessment; and, 
• Factors in growing challenges from climate change.  

The agreement is still not as ambitious as what CBF and other advocates have called for. However, it remains critical that all state and federal partners commit to it. A lack of an agreement this year risks disintegrating the unparalleled decades-long partnership working for a healthier Chesapeake Bay.   

Because pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed flows across state lines, states and the federal government must work together toward shared goals to see progress. Maintaining a strong partnership can lead to exceeding original goals—such as when Bay restoration partners recently announced the successful restoration of 11 rivers for oyster habitat.   

CBF Senior Policy Director Keisha Sedlacek issued the following statement.   

“This agreement isn’t perfect, but it is essential. For decades, we’ve seen time and again that progress only comes when we work together toward shared goals.  

“The Bay restoration movement could have easily fizzled out in the current climate of division and uncertainty. Instead, everyone worked to find common ground, creating a vision for the next 15 years.    

“We’re grateful for the leadership of Maryland Governor Wes Moore as chair of the Chesapeake Executive Council, as well as steps taken by Virginia and Pennsylvania toward a stronger agreement.” 

“This December, the Bay states and federal partners must come together and formally renew their promise to restore the Bay, guided by the revised agreement. We will keep advocating for the policies, investments, and science to exceed goals for a healthy Bay—and hold leaders accountable if they fall short.”