2014 Press Releases
Press Release Archive
Chesapeake Executive Council names Virginia’s Governor McAuliffe as Next Chair
December 11, 2014Today, the Chesapeake Bay Program announced that the partners have passed a resolution selecting Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe as the new Chair of the Chesapeake Executive Council, beginning January 1, 2015.
Read story$9.8 Million will Reduce Pollution, Improve Water Quality in Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Va.)
September 23, 2014Ashland, VA – The Chesapeake Bay Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) have announced the recipients of $9.8 million in grants for restoration, conservation and environmental outreach initiatives across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The 45 projects will leverage more than $19.6 million in matching funds to lower pollution and improve the health of rivers, streams and the Bay.
Read story$9.8 Million will Reduce Pollution, Improve Water Quality in Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Md.)
September 22, 2014The Chesapeake Bay Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) have announced the recipients of $3 million in grants for restoration, conservation and environmental outreach initiatives across the Maryland and the District of Columbia. The 13 projects will leverage more than $3.8 million in matching funds to lower pollution and improve the health of rivers, streams and the Bay.
Read storyBay Program Partners Invite Watershed Groups, Citizens to Participate in Creating Plans
September 16, 2014Today, Chesapeake Bay Program partners opened new online avenues for individuals, watershed organizations, community groups and other interested parties to become more engaged in the conservation, restoration and protection of their rivers, landscapes and the Bay. Over the next nine months, partners will be crafting the management strategies for meeting the goals of the recently-signed Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. Those who sign up to participate can find out about what is being done, what needs to be done and have the opportunity to offer their input in these plans for supporting thriving landscapes and clean waters throughout the region.
Read story2014 CBSAC Report on Blue Crab Management
July 2, 2014The newly released 2014 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report encourages fishery managers around the Chesapeake Bay to take a risk-averse approach to blue crab management this year, due primarily to a decrease in the number of female crabs in the Bay. This advice is one of several scientifically developed suggestions in this annual assessment, developed by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC), a fisheries management group that includes scientists and representatives from federal and state government as well as academic institutions.
Read storySix Governors, D.C. Mayor, EPA Administrator and Chesapeake Bay Commission Chair Sign Agreement
June 16, 2014This afternoon, the Chesapeake Executive Council—which represents the seven watershed jurisdictions, a tri-state policy group and federal agencies—signed the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, committing Chesapeake Bay Program partners to a set of interrelated goals to advance the restoration, conservation and protection of the Bay, its tributaries and the lands that surround them.
Read storyThirty-six new public access sites opened along Chesapeake rivers and streams
May 22, 2014Last year, Chesapeake Bay Program partners opened 36 new public access sites along rivers and streams in the watershed, bringing the total number of access sites in the region to 1,208. In fact, more public access sites were opened in 2013 than in previously tracked years as states work to meet the public’s consistently high demand for ways to get on the water. Across the watershed, new trails, beaches and boat ramps will allow people to walk, play, swim, fish and launch their paddleboats, sailboats and powerboats into the Bay and its rivers.
Read storyChesapeake Bay’s Underwater Grass Abundance Rises 24 Percent
April 21, 2014Between 2012 and 2013, underwater grass abundance in the Chesapeake Bay increased 24 percent, reversing the downward trend of the last three years.
Read storyShad Abundance in Chesapeake Bay Reaches 41 Percent of Goal
April 15, 2014Over the last decade, American shad abundance in the Potomac River has continued its consistent rise, driving the overall upward trend of shad abundance in the Chesapeake Bay.
Read storyBay Program Partners Continue to Reduce Pollutants Entering Chesapeake Bay
March 24, 2014Pollution controls put in place by Chesapeake Bay Program partners over the last four years have lowered the amount of nutrients and sediment entering the Chesapeake Bay, which is an essential step toward improving water quality and environmental health.
Read storyPublic and Groups to Offer Input Tomorrow on Draft Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement
March 12, 2014Tomorrow, Thursday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to noon, leaders from agencies across the watershed will come together to listen to the public and concerned groups as part of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s process for creating a new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.
Read storyScience Shows Restoration Efforts Can Improve Local Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay
February 25, 2014Pollution-reducing practices can improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams, according to new research from the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership. In a report released today, a number of case studies show that “best management practices”—including upgrading wastewater treatment plants, lowering vehicle and power plant emissions and reducing runoff from farmland—have lowered nutrients and sediment in local waterways.
Read storyChesapeake Bay Program Welcomes Feedback on Draft Watershed Agreement
January 29, 2014Three decades after the first Chesapeake Bay Agreement was signed, Chesapeake Bay Program partners are seeking public input on a new agreement that will guide the next chapter of restoration across the watershed, recommitting stakeholders to conservation success.
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