Jennifer Volk Environmental Quality Specialist; UD Cooperative Extension Chair, Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality Goal Implementation Team.

Chesapeake Bay Program 2014 Watershed Agreement

Jennifer VolkEnvironmental Quality Specialist; UD Cooperative Extension

Chair, Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality Goal Implementation Team

The Chesapeake Bay and Watershed

Six-state, 64,000 square mile watershed

Home to 18 million people

10,000 miles of shoreline Over 3,600 species of

plants, fish and other animals

$750 million to local economies

The Chesapeake

Bay Watershed in

DE Within all 3 counties Very rural character:

Developed 10% Agriculture 48% Rangeland 3% Forest 16% Water 1% Wetland 21% Other 1%

Small, but growing, towns

Who is the Chesapeake Bay Program?

We are a partnership… Federal agencies

o Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)o US Department of Agriculture (USDA)o US Forest Service (USFS)o US Geological Survey (USGS)o US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)o And more

State agencieso Natural Resources/Environmental departmentso Agricultural departmentso Parks and Recreation groupso Fish and Wildlife agencies

Local Governments

DNRECMDA

DDA

DCR

DNR

MDE

DEQDEP

DCNR

PDA

DEC

DAF

Alphabet soup!

Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership

Non-profit organizationso Chesapeake Bay Foundationo Center for Watershed Protectiono Ducks Unlimitedo National Fish and Wildlife Foundationo And more

Academic institutionso Land grant universities o Cooperative Extension programso Sea Grant programso Research centers and consortiumso And more

CBP Organizational Structure

Scientific, Technical

Assessment, and Reporting

Partnering,Leadership

& Management

MaintainHealthy

Watersheds

Protect & Restore Water

Quality

Sustainable Fisheries

Protect & Restore

Vital Habitats

Foster Chesapeake Stewardship

Goal Implementation Teams

ImplementationWorkgroups

ImplementationWorkgroups

ImplementationWorkgroups

ImplementationWorkgroups

ImplementationWorkgroups

ImplementationWorkgroups

Management BoardScientific & Technical

Advisory Committee

Local GovernmentAdvisory Committee

Citizens’ Advisory Committee

Action TeamsSocial Sciences

Modeling Lab Action TeamDiversity Action Team

Chesapeake Executive Council

Principals’ Staff Committee

Communications Workgroup

STAR Workgroups

As of: 11-20-14

The Partnership Approach

Brings together diverse leaders and experts across numerous political boundaries to collaborate on achieving a common goal –a healthy bayo Consolidate and coordinate effortso Share resourceso Compliment efforts and avoid duplication

Partners come together to evaluate data, share best practices, report on progress toward goals, and make policy and management decision

Partnership Agreements

1983 Chesapeake Bay Agreemento Signed by governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia;

mayor of District of Columbia; administrator of EPA; chair of Chesapeake Bay Commission

o Signatories became the Executive Council 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement

o 40% nitrogen reduction by 2000 Chesapeake 2000

o Goals to reduce pollution, restore habitat, protect living resources, promote sound land use practices, and engage the public

o Headwater states (Delaware, New York, West Virginia) joined the water quality restoration efforts

2014 Agreement signed June 16th (at 2014 EC meeting)

2014 Agreement Vision

The Chesapeake Bay Program partners envision an environmentally and economically sustainable Chesapeake Bay watershed with clean water, abundant life, conserved lands and access to the water, a vibrant cultural heritage and a diversity of engaged citizens and stakeholders.

Goals and Outcomes The signatories will collectively work on

the following goals and outcomes to advance restoration and protection of the Chesapeake ecosystem and its watershedo Goals – articulate the desired high-level

aspects of the Visiono Outcomes – specific, time-bound, measureable

targets that directly contribute to achieving each Goal

Sustainable Fisheries

Goal: Protect, restore and enhance finfish, shellfish and other living resources, their habitats and ecological relationships to sustain all fisheries and provide for a balanced ecosystem in the watershed and Bay.

Outcomes:o Blue Crab Abundanceo Blue Crab Managemento Oystero Forage Fisho Fish Habitat

Vital Habitats Goal: Restore, enhance and protect a

network of land and water habitats to support fish and wildlife, and to afford other public benefits, including water quality, recreational uses and scenic value across the watershed.

Outcomes:o Wetlands

• Black Ducko Stream Health

• Brook Trouto Fish Passage

o Submerged Aquatic Vegetation

o Forest Buffero Tree Canopy

Water Quality Goal: reduce pollutants to achieve the

water quality necessary to support the aquatic living resources of the Bay and its tributaries and protect human health.

Outcomes:o 2017 Watershed Implementation Plano 2025 Watershed Implementation Plano Water Quality Standards Attainment and

Monitoring

Toxic Contaminants Goal: Ensure that the Bay and its rivers

are free of effects of toxic contaminants on living resources and human health.

Outcomes:o Toxic Contaminants Researcho Toxic Contaminants Policy and Prevention

Healthy Watersheds Goal: Sustain state-identified healthy

waters and watersheds recognized for their high quality and/or high ecological value.

Outcomes:o Healthy Watersheds

Stewardship Goal: Increase the number and the diversity

of local citizen stewards and local governments that actively support and carry out the conservation and restoration activities that achieve healthy local streams, rivers and a vibrant Chesapeake Bay.

Outcomes:o Citizen Stewardshipo Local Leadershipo Diversity

Land Conservation Goal: Conserve landscapes treasured by

citizens in order to maintain water quality and habitat; sustain working forests, farms and maritime communities; and conserve lands of cultural, indigenous and community value.

Outcomes:o Protected Landso Land Use Methods and Metrics Developmento Land Use Options Evaluation

Public Access Goal: Expand public access to the Bay

and its tributaries through existing and new local, state and federal parks, refuges, reserves, trails and partner sites.

Outcomes:o Public Access Site Development

Environmental Literacy Goal: Enable every student in the region

to graduate with the knowledge and skills to act responsibly to protect and restore their local watershed.

Outcomes:o Studento Sustainable Schoolso Environmental Literacy Planning

Climate Resiliency Goal: Increase the resiliency of the

Chesapeake Bay watershed, including its living resources, habitats, public infrastructure and communities, to withstand adverse impacts from changing environmental and climate conditions.

Outcomes:o Monitoring and Assessmento Adaptation

Management Strategies

Outline the means for accomplishing each Outcome as well as monitoring, assessing and reporting progress and coordinating actions among partners and stakeholders, as necessary.o How local governments, nonprofit and private partners

will be engagedo Where actions, tools or technical support are needed to

empower local governments and others to do their parto What steps will be taken to facilitate greater local

participation in achieving each Outcome

Released for public comment today!

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/chesapeakebaywatershedagreement/page

Questions/Discussion

Jennifer Volk, [email protected], 302-730-4000