By Page H. Gifford
Correspondent
The Chesapeake Bay Program is being revised. The program charts a course for the future of Bay restoration and affects all waterways and communities, including Fluvanna’s, by influencing how we handle our storm water management.
The 2014 Chesapeake Bay Program agreement is being revised to better achieve restoration goals and prepare for the future.
The Chesapeake Bay was the first estuary in the nation targeted by Congress for restoration and protection. In the late ‘70s, U.S. Senator Charles “Mac” Mathias (R-Md.) sponsored a Congressionally funded $27 million, five-year study to analyze the Bay’s rapid loss of wildlife and aquatic life. The study, published in the early ‘80s, identified excess nutrient pollution as the main source of the Bay’s degradation. These initial research findings led to the formation of the Chesapeake Bay Program as the means to restore the Bay.
The first Chesapeake Bay Agreement was signed in 1983 and was a simple, one-page pledge. The agreement was necessary to address the Bay’s pollution problems. It also established a Chesapeake Bay liaison office in Annapolis, Maryland. The signatories of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement of 1983 became the Chesapeake Executive Council. This included the governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the mayor of the District of Columbia, the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
Phase 1 of the new agreement produced the Beyond 2025 Report, presented to the Chesapeake Executive Council in December 2024. Experts reviewed the 10 goals and 31 outcomes of the 2014 Agreement, consolidating them into four proposed goals and 21 outcomes in the revised 2025 draft.
During Phase 2, the partnership will revise the Watershed Agreement and develop a simplified and streamlined structure and process that supports all partners in achieving their commitments in an effective and efficient manner. The goals include thriving habitat and wildlife, clean water, healthy landscapes, and engaged communities.
The goal for wildlife and habitats is sustainability. By protecting and restoring fisheries and wildlife, as well as the network of land and water habitats they depend on. This is done by promoting a balanced and resilient ecosystem that supports local economies, such as fishing, and recreational opportunities. In our area, protecting the health of our local streams, rivers, and lakes is key.
Clean water is essential for all habitats and communities, and reducing pollutants entering the Bay and its rivers will achieve the water quality necessary to support aquatic wildlife and protect human health. The goal is to implement and maintain practices and controls that will reduce excess nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment and also to reduce the amount and effects of toxic contaminants, such as PCBs, plastics, mercury, and PFAS, on the waters, lands, living resources, and communities of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by facilitating an increased understanding of their impacts and mitigation options.
The well-being of the Chesapeake Bay depends on the health of the lands that make up its watershed. As communities within the region continue to grow, the demand for land and resources can put our waters and habitats at risk. The report states that sound land use management and conservation of areas with ecological, historic, and cultural value can reduce pollution, maintain healthy ecosystems, and ensure the health of forests, farms, and open spaces, all while supporting growing economies.
Cost-effective strategies will help communities adapt to changing environmental conditions and ensure clean water for future generations. The goal is to conserve, restore, and enhance landscapes of ecological, economic, and cultural value to maintain water quality, provide habitat for wildlife, and increase resilience. Farms can sometimes be the biggest offenders with fertilizer run-off, but farms in Fluvanna County have been taking a serious look at land management and sustainability.
Maintaining healthy forests helps with water run-off by conserving and restoring forests and tree cover to maximize benefits for water quality, habitat, and people throughout the watershed, with a particular focus on riparian areas and communities.
Development is perhaps the leading cause of stormwater run-off and pollutants, and good planning cannot be dismissed. Nowadays, adapting to changing environmental conditions is the bedrock of healthy waterways. The goal is to increase nature-based solutions to improve planning and response to changing conditions while balancing long-term resiliency of watershed communities, economies, and ecosystems. Many communities throughout the U.S are looking at ways to build greener communities to preserve wildlife habitats, manage land use, and plan for better development.
For more information about the Chesapeake Bay Program, visit https://www.chesapeakebay.net/.
