Land Use Workgroup

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About

Accurate land use/land cover (LULC) data are critical for informing the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Watershed Model. Prior to 2017, LULC data for the Chesapeake Bay watershed were derived mainly from 30-meter resolution satellite imagery. Inaccuracies in these data at local scales related to their coarse spatial and categorical resolution and made it difficult for states to develop Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) and to receive credit for all reported best management practices (BMPs). Because the responsibility to implement restoration efforts is ultimately born by local governments and organizations, it is vital that the land use data used in the watershed model are perceived as relevant and accurate at the scale of local governance. LULC data are also critical for monitoring and achieving multiple outcomes set forth in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, including those related to water quality, wildlife habitat, climate resiliency, watershed health, land conservation and land conversion.

To address the need for accurate LULC data relevant to local restoration and conservation decisions, the Land Use Workgroup, through the direct involvement of local stakeholders, will oversee the development and review of high-resolution (1-meter cells) LULC data with sufficient categorical detail to inform current and future versions of the watershed model and multiple outcomes outlined in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The high-resolution LULC data need to be reproduced on a recurring basis from 2013 onward to assess and monitor progress towards goals and outcomes. Comparable LULC data are also needed for the 1985 to 2012 timeframe to inform the calibration of future versions of the watershed model and to provide context for interpreting current LULC trends. LULC conditions also must be forecasted into the future to inform restoration plans, enhance climate resiliency, credit nutrient reductions associated with value the role of land conservation and land use planning in maintaining water quality, and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of restoration and conservation actions.

Goals include:

1. With stakeholder input from the LUWG, including local governments and other impacted workgroups, develop, maintain and apply temporally, spatially and categorically detailed land use database that is consistent and accurate from 1985 to present for all local jurisdictions within and adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, adaptive to evolving management concerns and relies on the best available data at all scales.
2. To develop alternative future LULC scenarios for the Chesapeake Bay watershed for assessing future nutrient loads, habitat and watershed vulnerabilities, and for crediting valuing the effects of land use planning and land conservation for protecting the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

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