2015 Executive Council Meeting

On Thursday, July 23, the Chesapeake Executive Council (EC) held its annual meeting to set goals and guidance for the partnership at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. During their afternoon press event, Council members announced the release of twenty-five management strategies outlining the Chesapeake Bay Program’s plans for achieving the goals and outcomes of the landmark Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, advancing the restoration, conservation and protection of the Bay, its tributaries and the surrounding lands.

In addition to announcing the strategies, the Executive Council also passed two resolutions—first, endorsing the recommendations of the State Riparian Forest Buffer Task Force and committing to collaborative efforts that will increase the miles of forests on agricultural lands, and second, that the Bay Program hold a symposium on financing environmental restoration efforts. Members also agreed to two joint letters, one supporting programs to keep livestock out of streams and another supporting funding in the President’s 2016 budget for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which includes more than $33 million for the Rivers of the Chesapeake collaborative proposal. The Executive Council also heard from Bay Program Director Nick DiPasquale, who discussed the partnership's work over the last year.

As chair of the Executive Council, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe presided over the public meeting, which began with a private luncheon at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. The Council then held a public session, followed by a press conference.

Details

  • 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Executive Council Private Luncheon
  • 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.: Public Meeting and Press Conference
  • 1:15 p.m.: Meeting adjourns

Attendees

  • The Honorable Terence R. McAuliffe, Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia (Executive Council Chair)
  • The Honorable L. Scott Lingamfelter, Chairman, Chesapeake Bay Commission (Delegate, VA)
  • The Honorable Muriel Bowser, Mayor, District of Columbia
  • The Honorable Gina McCarthy, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • The Honorable Boyd K. Rutherford, Lieutenant Governor, State of Maryland
  • The Honorable Ed Kee, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, State of Delaware
  • The Honorable John Quigley, Secretary, Department of Environmental Protection, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Event Photographs

To view photographs from the 2015 meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council, please visit our Flickr set.

Event Video

Chesapeake Executive Council Annual Meeting courtesy DC Mayor's Office on YouTube

News Release and Meeting Materials: