Terms of Use

Use of the Site

This website is provided as a public service by the Chesapeake Bay Program partners.

Information Ownership, Use and Distribution

Information presented on this website is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. All documents and information may be freely distributed and used for non-commercial, scientific and educational purposes. Commercial use of the documents available from this server may be protected under the U.S. and foreign copyright laws. Individual documents on this website may have different copyright conditions that will be noted in those documents. Any communication or material transmitted to this website by electronic mail or otherwise, including any data, questions, comments, suggestions or the like, will be treated as public information.

Chesapeake Bay Program Photo/Graphic Usage Policy

The Chesapeake Bay Program retains the rights to all images used on www.chesapeakebay.net. Some materials have been donated or obtained from individuals or organizations and may be subject to additional restrictions on use. Permission to use images from www.chesapeakebay.net must be obtained in writing from the Chesapeake Bay Program Communications Office.

Bay Program content must be attributed as "courtesy Chesapeake Bay Program" adjacent to the content or in the production credits.

Interested Bay Program partners, government organizations, nonprofit and educational institutions may use Chesapeake Bay Program imagery, video and audio material for educational or informational purposes, including photo collections, textbooks, public exhibits and internet web pages by sending an email to requests@chesapeakebay.net with the following information: 1) Name of organization requesting permission; 2) Contact person including mailing address, phone number and e-mail address; 3) Description of CBP content and where it is located; 4) Intended use of CBP content (e.g., web, publication, slide show); and 5) Duration of use.

Map Usage Policy

Maps produced by the Chesapeake Bay Program are for graphical purposes only unless otherwise explicitly stated. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the data presented given the current technology, the data are often from multiple sources, gathered in multiple ways at different points in time and at different spatial resolutions. Therefore the Chesapeake Bay Program cannot guarantee that the data represented are 100 percent accurate in their positional accuracy or attribute content. The Chesapeake Bay Program assumes no liability for any damages caused by errors or omissions in the data or for misuse, misrepresentation or misinterpretation of the map.

System Monitoring

This system is monitored to ensure proper operation, to verify the functioning of applicable security features, and for comparable purposes. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring. Unauthorized attempts to modify any information stored on this system, to defeat or circumvent security features, or to utilize this system for other than its intended purposes are prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution.

Public-Domain Software

Links are provided to public domain software developed by or for the Chesapeake Bay Program partners. Although these programs have been used by the Chesapeake Bay Program partners, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the Chesapeake Bay Program partners as the accuracy and functioning of these program and related program material.

Content Accuracy, Completeness and Usability of CBP Data and Information

Information and data served here come from a wide array of state, federal, regional, local, industrial, academic, and stakeholder partners. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners make every effort to provide and maintain accurate, complete, usable, and timely information on our website. However, some data and information accessed through these pages may, of necessity, be preliminary in nature and presented prior to final review and approval by the appropriate Workgroup, Subcommittee or Committee within the Chesapeake Bay Program. These data and information are provided with the understanding that they are not guaranteed to be correct or complete and are often marked "draft." Users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of these data and information before using them for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences. Conclusions drawn from, or actions undertaken on the basis of, such data and information are the sole responsibility of the user.

Users who are interested in citing information from the Chesapeake Bay Program website should follow the examples listed below as general guidance.

Example of a Water Quality Data Citation

Chesapeake Bay Program. Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality Database 1984-present. Accessed February 22, 2011 from http://www.chesapeakebay.net/data/downloads/cbp_water_quality_database_1984_present

Example of a Chesapeake Bay Program Document Citation

Chesapeake Bay Program (2012). State of the Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed: A Report to the Citizens of the Bay Region. Annapolis: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Example of a General Webpage Citation

Chesapeake Bay Program (2012). Habitats. Accessed February 22, 2011 from http://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/bayecosystem

Chesapeake Bay Program partner-authored or produced data and information are in the public domain. While the content of most Chesapeake Bay Program web pages is in the public domain, not all the information on our site is in the public domain. Some images/graphics are used by the Chesapeake Bay Program with permission. For other use, you may need to obtain permission from the copyright holder under copyright law.

You are welcome to make a link to any of the web pages the Chesapeake Bay Program has published on the internet. There is no need to request permission. We will identify material we use from sources outside of the Chesapeake Bay Program and request others do the same when using information published by the Chesapeake Bay Program.

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this website contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for the user's convenience. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to particular items in hypertext is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.

Liability

Publication of the Chesapeake Bay Program website is made possible through grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program Office. Our news, stories and features reflect the science, restoration, conservation and stewardship efforts of the many Bay Program partners and do not necessarily reflect those of any governmental or grant-making organization.

None of the Bay Program partners nor any of their employees, contractors, or subcontractors make any warranty, expressed or implied, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information or data contained within the website. Reference within this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the Chesapeake Bay Program partners.