Recent
Restoration Activities (1983-present)
Below is
a timeline of events establishing and implementing restoration
programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed since 1983:
Chesapeake
Bay Agreement, 1983
In light of findings of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's
Chesapeake Bay report, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the
District of Columbia, and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency
signed the first Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Outlining a cooperative
approach to management of the Chesapeake, the voluntary agreement
created the Chesapeake Executive Council comprising the Cabinet
Secretaries from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and the
District of Columbia, and the Region III Administrator of the
U.S Environmental Protection Agency. The Agreement charged the
Executive Council with establishing an implementation committee
to coordinate technical matters and development and implementation
of management plans, and created a liaison office for Chesapeake
Bay activities -- the Chesapeake Bay Program - at the U.S Environmental
Protection Agency's facility in Annapolis, Maryland.
Congressional
support, 1983
The Chesapeake Bay's congressional delegation worked to garner
support to fund the newly formed Chesapeake Bay Program. Representative
Roy Dyson (D-MD) led eight other House members on a tour of
the Bay. Dyson wanted $10 million a year to fund the program.
President
Reagan's State of the Union Address, 1984
President Reagan's January 25th State of the Union Address requested
that the "long, necessary effort to clean up a productive
recreational area and a special national resource - the Chesapeake
Bay" begin.
President
Reagan focuses on Chesapeake Bay restoration, 1984
At the urging of Senators Mathias (R-MD) and Warner (R-VA),
President Reagan, during a tour of the Bay, showed support for
Chesapeake Bay restoration, making it the centerpiece of his
environmental platform for the 1984 presidential campaign.
Presidential
campaign, 1984
Not to be outdone by President Reagan's support for Chesapeake
restoration, House Speaker Thomas O'Neil, Jr (D-MA) quickly
followed suit announcing the need to save "America's Bay"
during a very public tour of the Bay. The Chesapeake became
a feature topic of the presidential campaign.
Appropriations
for the Chesapeake Bay Program, 1984
Congress' fiscal year 1985 appropriations included $10 million
for the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Memorandum
of Understanding with U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 1984
Federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S Geological
Survey, and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, became federal
partners of the Chesapeake Bay Program, signing a Memorandum
of Understanding with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency.
Chesapeake
Bay Program's Federal Agency Committee, 1984
The Chesapeake Bay Program's Federal Agency Committee was formed
to share information among the participating agencies and to
provide advice and assistance in implementing the goals and
commitments of the Bay Program. The Committee was chaired by
the Director of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake
Bay Program. Four workgroups were subsequently created to implement
the Bay Program's commitments on the more than 2.5 million acres
of federally owned lands within the watershed.
Chesapeake
Bay Program Advisory Committees, 1984
The Chesapeake Bay Program created three advisory committees
to assist with implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement:
the Citizens Advisory Committee; the Local Government Advisory
Committee; and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee.
Virginia
Water and Sewer Assistance Authority, 1984
The Virginia General Assembly, recognizing a growing need for
environmental infrastructure, passed legislation creating the
Virginia Water and Sewer Assistance Authority. Formed as a bond
bank, the Authority was charged with financing Virginia's water
and sewer projects.
Chesapeake
Critical Areas Protection Act, State of Maryland, 1984
In response to national studies documenting the Bay's declining
water quality and productivity, and research linking this to
increased levels of pollutants, nutrients and toxics in the
Bay, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Chesapeake Critical
Areas Protection Act. The Act was the first land-use legislation
intended to minimize the effects of runoff pollution from development
and agricultural and forestry activities on lands near the Bay
and its tributaries. It established a Resource Protection Program
for the Bay and its tributaries to foster more environmentally
sensitive development in areas near the shoreline, and it set
up the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission to oversee the
resulting program and to adopt certain criteria by which the
state and local governments would implement the program.
Atlantic
Striped Bass Conservation Act of 1984
Recognizing the commercial and recreational importance, as well
as the interjurisdictional nature of the striped bass fishery,
Congress established a unique state-based, federally-backed
management scheme for the fishery. The Atlantic Striped Bass
Conservation Act of 1984 required the Secretary of Commerce
to impose a moratorium on fishing for striped bass in any state
that was not in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission plan for striped bass. About 85 percent of the Atlantic
striped bass spawned in the Chesapeake Bay.
Chesapeake
Bay Commission Agreement Act, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
1985
The Pennsylvania legislature committed to cleaning up the Chesapeake
Bay.
Volunteer
Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Program, 1985
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay began a first-of-its-kind
volunteer citizen water quality monitoring program.
State
of Maryland phosphate ban, 1985
The state of Maryland issued a statewide ban on the sale and
use of phosphate-based detergents.
State
of Maryland moratorium on striped bass, 1985
The state of Maryland imposed a total moratorium on striped
bass (known locally as rockfish) due to alarming declines in
population levels, especially in the Chesapeake.
Chesapeake
Bay Trust, 1985
The Maryland General Assembly created the Chesapeake Bay Trust,
a nonprofit organization charged with promoting public awareness
of and participation in the restoration and protection of the
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. To achieve its mission,
the Trust received financial contributions from the general
public and the private sector, and it distributed the contributions
in the form of financial support grants to Bay-related programs.
Virginia
Water Facilities Revolving Fund, 1986
The Virginia Resources Authority's (previously the Virginia
Water and Sewer Assistance Authority) function was amended to
allow it to serve as financial administrator and manager of
the Virginia Water Facilities Revolving Fund.
District
of Columbia phosphate ban, 1986
The District of Columbia banned the sale and use of phosphate-based
detergents.
Amendments
to the Clean Water Act, 1987
Congress reauthorized the Clean Water Act for five more years.
Following strong support from Bay legislators in the House and
Senate, the Act included a new section entitled "Chesapeake
Bay". Known as Section 117, the legislation codified the
Chesapeake Bay Program and committed Congress to continue funding
the Bay restoration effort.
Voluntary
management plan for farms, State of Maryland, 1987
Pushing for environmentally wise agricultural practices, Maryland's
Governor, William Schaefer, and the state's Secretary of Agriculture,
Wayne Crawley, set the ambitious goal of having every farm within
a priority area voluntarily adopt farm management plans within
five years, and all Maryland farms within a decade.
Chesapeake
Bay Agreement, 1987
The governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; the Mayor
of the District of Columbia; the Chair of the Chesapeake Bay
Commission; and the Administrator of the U.S Environmental Protection
Agency signed the second Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Providing
more specific guidance on restoration and management priorities
for the Chesapeake Bay, the Agreement included goals and priority
commitments focused on Living Resources; Water Quality; Population
Growth and Development; Public Information, Education and Participation;
Public Access; and Governance. Its centerpiece was a goal to
reduce nutrients entering the Bay by 40 percent by 2000.
Anacostia
Watershed Restoration Agreement, 1987
The District of Columbia, Montgomery County, Prince George's
County, and the state of Maryland signed the Anacostia Watershed
Restoration Agreement. The Agreement established the Anacostia
Watershed Restoration Committee and launched a concerted and
focused effort to restore and protect the Anacostia River.
Chesapeake
Bay Preservation Act, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1988
The Virginia General Assembly enacted the Chesapeake Bay Preservation
Act as an important tool for implementing Virginia's commitment
to the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. The Act required all counties
and cities in Tidewater Virginia to incorporate water quality
protection measures into their comprehensive plans and programs,
and to enact local ordinances to curb pollution from land disturbance
and development. The Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board was
responsible for carrying out the purposes and provisions of
the Act, with the support of the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance
Department, which provided detailed direction and technical
help to localities.
Commonwealth
of Virginia phosphate ban, 1988
The Commonwealth of Virginia banned the sale and use of phosphate-based
detergents.
Water
Quality Improvement Act, State of Maryland, 1988
The Maryland General Assembly passed landmark legislation placing
Maryland at the forefront of national efforts to protect water
quality. The Water Quality Improvement Act established both
short and long-term strategies for reducing nutrient levels
in the state's streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. The Act's
most significant feature was a provision requiring nutrient
management plans for virtually all Maryland farms.
Chesapeake
Bay Basinwide Toxics Reduction Strategy, 1989
The Chesapeake Executive Council adopted the Chesapeake Bay
Basinwide Toxics Reduction Strategy in fulfillment of the 1987
Chesapeake Bay Agreement. The Strategy used the requirements
of the 1987 Amendments to the Clean Water Act as a foundation
for action and initiates a multi-jurisdictional effort to better
define the nature, extent, and magnitude of toxics problems
in the Bay.
Chesapeake
Bay Wetlands Policy, 1989
The Chesapeake Executive Council committed the Bay Program's
partners to a no-net-loss goal of Chesapeake Bay wetlands and
to also take steps to achieve a long-term goal of a net resource
gain in acreage and function. The Policy additionally maintained
the Council's commitment to protect existing wetlands to the
maximum extent practicable.
Commonwealth
of Virginia ban on striped bass, 1989
The Commonwealth of Virginia imposed a total ban on striped
bass fishing due to alarming declines in population levels,
especially in the Chesapeake Bay.
Phosphate
Ban, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1989
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania passed the Phosphate Ban
Act, banning the use of laundry detergents containing phosphates
as an aid to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.
Non-tidal
Wetlands Protection Act, State of Maryland, 1989
The state of Maryland, seeking to protect non-tidal wetlands
by regulating and restricting all activities that could impact
the state's non-tidal wetlands, enacted the Non-tidal Wetlands
Protection Act. The Act also helped to insure "no net loss"
of wetlands, by requiring mitigation or compensation for any
wetland losses, and it included provisions for the structuring
of a smooth and expedient application review process in order
to deal with developments in wetlands.
State
Striped Bass moratoria lifted, 1990
Based on evidence of fish stock rebuilding, Maryland and Virginia,
in consultation with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission,
lifted moratoria on the ban of striped bass fishing, instead
opting for limited seasons.
Farmland
Conservation Program, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1990
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania amended the Agricultural
Area Security Law to include the Farmland Conservation Program.
The Program was charged with coordinating the purchase of agricultural
conservation easements.
Cooperative
Agreement with U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 1990
The Department of Defense became a federal partner of the Chesapeake
Bay Program, signing a Cooperative Agreement with U.S Environmental
Protection Agency to establish a policy of coordination and
cooperation.
Consolidated
Land Preservation Act, State of Maryland, 1990
The Maryland General Assembly established, within the Department
of Natural Resources, the Land Trust Grant Fund to be administered
by the Maryland Environmental Trust. The Grant Fund was to be
used as a revolving loan fund for local land trust acquisition
projects. The Consolidated Land Preservation Act also created
the Bay Access Areas Fund to be used to acquire sites that provide
public access to the Chesapeake Bay.
Code
of Virginia - Wetlands amendments, Commonwealth of Virginia,
1990
The General Assembly of Virginia amended the state's code relating
to non-tidal wetlands to establish and implemented policies
and programs to achieve a no net loss of existing wetland acreage
and function. The amendments also required the development of
voluntary and incentive-based programs that achieve a net resource
gain in acreage and function of wetlands.
Clean
Vessel Act of 1991
A five-year recreational boater sewage disposal program was
established in the Clean Vessel Act of 1991 that charged the
Secretary of Interior to issue grants to coastal and inland
states for pump-out stations and waste reception facilities
for disposal of recreational boater sewage. The program also
directed the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants to
states to pay for the construction, renovation, operation, and
maintenance of pump-out stations and waste reception facilities.
Forest
Conservation Act, State of Maryland, 1991
The Maryland General Assembly enacted the Forest Conservation
Act to reduce the number of forested acres cleared when land
was changed from forests or agriculture to residential, commercial,
or industrial development. The Act also allowed for development
to occur while assuring that some portion of neighboring forest
communities remained viable, and it provided guidelines for
the amount of forest land retained or planted after the completion
of development projects.
Amendments
to the Chesapeake Bay Agreement, 1992
The Chesapeake Bay Program adopted a series of amendments to
the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement. The amendments focused primarily
on the 1987 Agreement's water quality and nutrient reduction
goals and called for the 40 percent nutrient reduction goal
to apply on all tributaries, and to continue after 2000, even
in the face of population growth.
National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Chesapeake Bay Office,
1992
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established
a Chesapeake Bay Office in Annapolis, Maryland, to provide a
focus for its multiple capabilities and activities in the Chesapeake
Bay.
Economic
Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Act, State of Maryland,
1992
The Maryland General Assembly enacted the Economic Growth, Resource
Protection, and Planning Act of 1992 to organize and direct
comprehensive planning, regulation, and funding by state, county,
and municipal governments in furtherance of a specific economic
growth and resource protection policy. The policy was organized
around seven statutory vision statements which must be pursued
in county and municipal comprehensive plans, where priorities
for land use, economic growth, and resource protection are established.
The visions also had to be followed by the state in undertaking
its various programs. Both state and local funding decisions
on public construction projects had to adhere to the visions.
The Act also established an Economic Growth, Resource Protection,
and Planning Commission to oversee, study, and report on progress
towards implementation of the visions.
Water
Resources Development Act of 1992
The Water Resources Development Act of 1992 included a new provision
-- Chesapeake Bay Beneficial Use Site Management - whereby in
a study of environmentally beneficial ways to use dredged materials,
the Army Corps was to coordinate with federal agencies to find
ways to "increase living resource habitats and enhance
environmental quality."
Chesapeake
Bay Program issues directives, 1993
The Chesapeake Bay Program issued directives addressing tributary
strategies; regional action plans to reduce toxics; underwater
Bay grasses restoration; fish passage openings; and reductions
of agricultural nonpoint source pollution.
Nutrient
Management Act, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1993
In fulfillment of Pennsylvania's commitment to the 1983 Chesapeake
Bay Agreement, it became the first state in the Chesapeake Bay
watershed and one of the first in the nation to adopt mandatory
nutrient management controls on farm pollution. The Nutrient
Management Act sought to reduce the amount of nonpoint source
pollution flowing into the Bay from Pennsylvania's watersheds
by controlling the handling and disposal of manure and fertilizers
in the state, without imposing complex restrictions on certain
agricultural interests.
Silvicultural
Water Quality Law, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1993
The General Assembly of Virginia enacted the Silvicultural Water
Quality Law. The Law authorized the Virginia Department of Forestry
to require corrective measures for silvicultural operations
causing, or with potential to cause, sedimentation of state
waters. In cases where the Department enforced the Law, the
first step was issuance of a Notice of Required Action, which
is an informal description of what needs to be done to correct
the problem. If that failed to bring resolution, an informal
conference was held with the operator.
Environmental
Education Act, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1993
The Pennsylvania General Assembly enacted of the Environmental
Education Act, authorizing five percent of the pollution fines
and penalties collected by the Department of Environmental Protection
annually to be set aside for a grants program and used to stimulate
environmental education in the state.
Agreement
of Federal Agencies on Ecosystem Management in the Chesapeake,
1994
Twenty-five federal agencies and departments signed an Agreement
of Federal Agencies on Ecosystem Management in the Chesapeake
Bay, formalizing the increasing role of the federal government
in the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Chesapeake
Bay Basinwide Toxics Reduction and Prevention Strategy, 1994
The Chesapeake Executive Council approved the Basinwide Toxics
Reduction and Prevention Strategy to reduce the amount of toxics
entering the Bay. Through largely voluntary pollution-prevention
efforts, the strategy encouraged industries to cut discharges
in half by the turn of the century, while federal facilities
were asked to set an example by making reductions of 75 percent.
The new strategy also sought to target the greatest risks to
the Bay by cleaning up known "hot spots" and by singling
out a handful of chemicals that pose the greatest threat for
further reduction efforts.
Agriculture-Linked
Investment Program Act, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1994
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania created the Agriculture-linked
Investment Program to encourage farmers to adopt agricultural
best management practices as a part of a nutrient management
plan. Incentives took the form of low-interest capital in exchange
for the adoption of a nutrient management plan.
New Chesapeake
Bay Initiatives, 1994
The Chesapeake Executive Council issued new initiatives for
riparian forest buffers, habitat restoration and aquatic reefs.
Reciprocal agricultural certification programs also began.
Striped
bass stock restored, 1995
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission declared the
striped bass stock restored.
Local
government partnership initiative, 1995
The Chesapeake Executive Council's local government partnership
initiative was signed, engaging the watershed's 1,650 local
governments in the Bay restoration effort
Land
Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act, Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, 1995
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania enacted the Land Recycling
and Environmental Remediation Standards Act establishing a state-wide
land recycling program. The Act created a realistic framework
for setting cleanup standards, provided special incentives for
developing abandoned sites, released responsible parties from
liability when cleanup standards are met, set deadlines for
Departmental actions, and provided funding for environmental
studies and cleanups.
Virginia
Chesapeake Bay Partnership Council, Commonwealth of Virginia,
1995
The Virginia Chesapeake Bay Partnership Council was created
to advise the Governor, Secretary of Natural Resources, and
the General Assembly on issues related to Virginia's participation
in the Chesapeake Bay Program. The Council's membership included
12 citizens, the Chairmen of relevant General Assembly committees,
and the Chairman of the Virginia Delegation to the Chesapeake
Bay Commission. One Virginia member from each of the Bay Program's
standing advisory committees served as ex-officio members.
Agricultural
Stewardship Act, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1996
The General Assembly of Virginia passed the Agricultural Stewardship
Act with support from the Virginia Farm Bureau and other agricultural
commodity organizations. The Act created a program in which
the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with
farmers and local soil and water conservation districts to resolve,
in a common-sense manner, water quality problems caused by sediment,
nutrients, and pesticides from agricultural operations. The
Act did not apply to forestry activities, odor concerns, landfills
or waste problems that do not involve agricultural products.
The program provided a wide variety of means for farmers to
correct water quality problems before any enforcement action
becomes necessary.
Smart
Growth Legislation, State of Maryland, 1997
The Maryland General Assembly adopted several specific programs,
which together form the Smart Growth Initiative. Collectively,
these programs aimed to direct state resources to revitalize
older developed areas, preserve some of Maryland's valuable
resources and open space lands, and discourage the continuation
of sprawling development into rural areas. The legislation allowed
the state to direct its programs and funding to support locally-designated
growth areas and protect rural areas.
Open
Space Land Preservation Act, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1997
The Virginia General Assembly enacted the Open Space Land Preservation
Act. The Act created the Open-space Lands Preservation Trust
Fund to be used by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation for grants
to persons conveying conservation easements for costs associated
with such conveyances, such as legal and appraisal costs or
all or part of the value of the easements.
Water
Quality Improvement Act, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1997
The General Assembly of Virginia passes the Water Quality Improvement
Act. The Act created a statewide program to address point and
nonpoint sources of water pollution through cooperative technical
and financial assistance programs. It also established a special
fund to be administered by the Directors of the Departments
of Conservation and Recreation (nonpoint source) and Environmental
Quality (point source).
Water
Quality Monitoring, Information and Restoration Act, Commonwealth
of Virginia, 1997
The Virginia General Assembly enacted the Water Quality Monitoring,
Information and Restoration Act. The Act established monitoring
and information requirements (including reports required by
the federal Clean Water Act) to be implemented by the State
Water Control Board. The monitoring and information requirements
included accurate and comprehensive assessment of state water
quality; identification of water quality trends; and development
of initiatives and programs to address water quality concerns.
Chesapeake
Bay Gateways and Water Trails Act of 1998
Congress approved the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails
Act directing the National Park Service to identify, conserve,
and restore important resources throughout the Bay watershed
that serve as "gateways" to understanding the Bay.
The legislation authorized up to $3 million a year for financial
and technical assistance to help states and local partners conserve
and restore the Bay's important resources.
Prohibition
on Hydraulic Clam Dredging, State of Maryland, 1998
To help restore the health of Maryland's waters, the General
Assembly authorized a prohibition on hydraulic clam dredging
equipment in areas of submerged aquatic vegetation of the Chesapeake
Bay. Use of the dredging equipment destroyed the underwater
sea grasses that absorb harmful nutrients from the Bay and provided
an important habitat for fish and crabs.
Federal
Clean Water Action Plan of 1998
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Clean Water Act,
the White House asked federal agencies to develop and implement
a comprehensive plan that would help revitalize the nation's
commitment to its valuable water resources. The result, using
the Bay Program as a model, was the Clean Water Action Plan.
The key actions described in the Action Plan focused on achieving
cleaner water by strengthening public health protections, targeting
watershed protection efforts at high priority areas, and providing
communities with new resources to control polluted runoff and
enhance natural resource stewardship. The Department of Agriculture,
U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior,
Department of Defense (including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers),
Department of Commerce (through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration), Tennessee Valley Authority, Department of Energy,
Department of Transportation, and Department of Justice joined
with tribal, state, and local partners to implement the 111
key actions of the Action Plan and build a new framework for
watershed protection.
Water
Quality Improvement Act, State of Maryland, 1998
The General Assembly of Maryland enacted the Water Quality Improvement
Act. Described as the most comprehensive farm nutrient control
legislation in the country, the Act provided a framework for
a set of regulatory requirements. The most far-reaching requirement
was that all agricultural operations with gross annual incomes
greater than $2,500, or with more than eight animal units, had
to implement a nitrogen and phosphorus-based nutrient management
plan by a prescribed date. The Act also required that farmers
using chemical fertilizers, sludge or animal manure have and
implement nitrogen-and-phosphorus based plans by prescribed
dates.
Federal
Agencies Chesapeake Ecosystem Unified Plan (FACEUP), 1998
The federal Clean Water Action Plan provided a blueprint for
restoring and protecting the nation's waters. The plan was implemented
in the Bay region with the signing of the Federal Agencies Chesapeake
Ecosystem Unified Plan (FACEUP) by 22 federal agencies and departments.
Building on the success of the 1994 Agreement, FACEUP expanded
current restoration efforts by adding 50 new commitments aimed
at protecting the Bay watershed.
Chesapeake
Bay Water Quality Steering Committee, 1999
The Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Steering Committee, composed
of representatives from all six Bay watershed states, the District
of Columbia, U.S Environmental Protection Agency's regulatory
and non-regulatory programs, the Chesapeake Bay Commission,
the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and the Interstate Commission
on the Potomac River Basin, was created to provide management
oversight for the process of integrating the cooperative and
statutory programs of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Poultry
Waste Management Legislation, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1999
The General Assembly of Virginia passed legislation requiring
the State Water Control Board to establish a regulatory program
for poultry waste management. The legislation obliged growers
with more than 200 animal units of poultry (about 20,000 chickens)
to obtain coverage under a general permit and have and implement
nutrient management plans to limit poultry litter land application
rates. The legislation also required commercial poultry growers
to file plans with the Department of Environmental Quality detailing
the ways in which they will provide assistance to the poultry
growers with whom they contract to ensure that poultry waste
is properly stored and managed and transported to areas where
it can be used.
Bi-State
Blue Crab Strategy Development, State of Maryland and Commonwealth
of Virginia, 1999
At the January 1999 meeting of the Bi-State Blue Crab Advisory
Committee, the Maryland Secretary of the Department of Natural
Resources requested that the states of Maryland and Virginia
contribute $150,000 each to fund a forward-looking view of how
to more effectively manage the Bay's blue crab harvest. The
aim of the request was to ensure that scientific knowledge would
contribute to blue crab management recommendations. To show
commitment to the effort, the Secretary also proposed that Maryland
place a moratorium on developing any major new blue crab regulations
until after the two-year project is completed. Both states succeeded
in having the funds added to their respective budgets and the
two-year study is initiated.
Environmental
Stewardship & Watershed Protection Act (Growing Greener),
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1999
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania enacted the Growing Greener
Program. Signed into law by Gov. Tom Ridge, the Program aimed
to invest nearly $650 million over five years to preserve farmland
and protect open space; eliminate the maintenance backlog in
State Parks; clean up abandoned mines and restore watersheds;
and provide new and upgraded water and sewer systems.
Land
Trust Reimbursement Grant Program, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
1999
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania established the Land Trust
Reimbursement Grant Program to accelerate farmland preservation
activity by developing partnerships with land trusts.
Income
tax credit legislation, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1999
The Virginia General Assembly enacted a tax credit for conservation
easement donors. The state income tax credit applied to Virginia
landowners who donated an easement on or after January 1, 2000.
The provision allowed for easement donors to claim a credit
against their Virginia State income tax liability of 50 percent
of the value of the donated easement.
Chesapeake
Bay Agreement, 2000
Reaffirming their commitment to restoration of the Chesapeake
Bay, the states of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District
of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and the U.S Environmental
Protection Agency adopted a new agreement: Chesapeake 2000.
The Agreement set a large number of ambitious and aggressive
objectives to be achieved by 2010. Commitments focused on the
topics of Living Resource Protection and Restoration; Vital
Habitat Protection and Restoration; Water Quality Protection
and Restoration; Sound Land Use; and Stewardship and Community
Engagement. The Agreement's centerpiece was to remove all nutrient
and sediment water quality impairments in the Chesapeake Bay
and its tidal tributaries by 2010.
Chesapeake
Bay 2000 Watershed Commitments Taskforce, 2000
The Chesapeake Bay Program's Implementation Committee created
the Chesapeake 2000 Watershed Commitments Taskforce. The Taskforce's
goal was to determine how to achieve the Chesapeake 2000 commitment
of developing and implementing locally-supported watershed management
plans in two-thirds of the Bay watershed by the year 2010.
Blue
crab fishing regulations, Maryland and Virginia, 2001
Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Commission joined in
a coordinated effort to reduce fishing pressure on blue crabs
by instituting regulations aimed at reducing the fishing effort
by approximately five percent, as part of a commitment to lower
fishing effort by some 15 percent over a period of three years.
Sewer
Overflow and Treatment Plant Bypass Reporting, State of Maryland,
2001
Concern about the health of the Chesapeake Bay, led the General
Assembly of Maryland to pass legislation limiting open water
dumping, and monitoring sewage overflows in the state's waters.
The legislation prohibited material dredged from the shipping
channels of the Bay from being dumped in the open waters of
the Bay, except for beneficial purposes. It also required owners
or operators of sanitary sewer systems, combined sewer systems,
or wastewater treatment plants to report to the Department of
the Environment about any sewer overflow or treatment plant
bypasses resulting in the direct or potential discharge of raw
or diluted sewage into the surface waters or ground waters of
the state.
Submerged
Aquatic Vegetation Protection Zones, State of Maryland, 2002
The General Assembly of Maryland passed legislation extending
the development protections of the Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas
to the state's Atlantic coastal bays.
Water
Resources Planning Act, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2002
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania passed the Water Resources
Planning Act. The Act required the Department of Environmental
Protection to update, within five years, the State's Water Plan
to determine how much water the state has, how much water the
state uses, and how much water will be available in the future.
The Act also required farmers and businesses to register their
water use.
Coastal
Bays Protection Act, State of Maryland, 2002
The General Assembly of Maryland passed the Coastal Bays Protection
Act. The Act required creation of a 100-foot buffer along the
edge of tidal waters in new developments.
Farm
Security Act of 2002
Congress approved the federal farm bill, which among other provisions,
increased funding for environmental programs, helping to protect
Maryland and Virginia farmland from urban sprawl and reduce
the volume of agricultural pollutants flowing into Chesapeake
Bay.
