Public Access Workgroup
The Public Access Workgroup is dedicated to enhancing physical access to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries in order to foster a sense of shared responsibility and encourage stewardship through outdoor experiences. Working with state partners, the Workgroup aims to add 300 new access sites to waterways by 2025.
Upcoming Meetings
No upcoming meetings.
Scope and Purpose
The sense of place that evolves from outdoor experiences along the waters of the Bay region often leads to a feeling of shared responsibility for the resources. People who enjoy the outdoors are more likely to become active citizen stewards, engaged in the many conservation and stewardship efforts taking place throughout the region. Despite this, physical access to the Bay and its tributaries—the very resources that form the basis for the Chesapeake’s unique identity—is limited. This has real consequences for quality of life, for the economy, and for long-term conservation.
In 2010, the Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, issued in response to President Obama’s Executive Order 13508, calls for “expanding public access to the Bay and its tributaries through existing and new local, state and federal parks, refuges, reserves, trails and partner sites.” It includes a key outcome to increase public access to the Bay and its tributaries by adding 300 new public access sites by 2025.
In 2014, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement was signed. The Agreement reaffirmed and the public access goal and outcome contained in the Executive Order Strategy and included the identical goal and outcome commitment to increase public access by 300 sites by 2015.
The Public Access Planning Action Team supports the implementation of the Agreement and Executive Order public access goal and outcome. This team, coordinated by the National Park Service, includes representation from federal, state, local, and non-profit partners responsible for and committed to public access development.
Projects and Resources
Benefits and Barriers Research Project
This is a far-reaching study, conducted between April and October 2022, consisting of three research phases and an ambitious mission to understand the public’s relationship and expectations for public water access sites, the relationship between water access and personal stewardship behavior, and the particular barriers for traditionally underserved population segments.
The core of this study is a large, representative survey of residents across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, assessing a broad range of perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. The quantitative survey was backed up by focus groups and in-depth interviews to delve into people’s motivations and barriers, particularly among underserved population segments, infrequent visitors to water access sites, and people who had undergone a transformation in their relationship with the water.
Publications
2024 Public Access Outcome Review Summary
Published on March 1, 2024Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan - Executive Summary
Published on January 30, 2013The Chesapeake Bay and the major rivers are the region’s ecological and cultural lifeblood. They are the primary features that have shaped human habitation for millennia.
The very resource that means Chesapeake or Susquehanna or Potomac to the world has become one that is hard for many people to reach. Year after year, residents of the Chesapeake watershed repeat the refrain: access to the water is too limited. Citizens want more places along the water where they can walk, sit, play, picnic, camp, swim, fish, watch wildlife and put in their canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, sailboats and powerboats. It is important to their quality of life.
This Chesapeake Watershed Public Access Plan responds to this need. The plan is a product of the Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, developed in response to Executive Order 13508. The strategy aims to increase public access to the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries by adding 300 new public access sites by 2025. It calls for the National Park Service in conjunction with watershed states to “develop a public access plan to inform and guide expansion of Chesapeake watershed public access.” This plan serves that purpose.
The plan was produced by a Public Access Action Team, which includes people involved in public access planning and implementation in each of the Chesapeake watershed states and the District of Columbia and the National Park Service. The plan:
- Summarizes the demand for public access in the Chesapeake watershed
- Outlines the process, steps, and definitions used for developing this plan
- Establishes the baseline of existing public access sites
- Depicts specific potential public access sites that can could be developed in the future, as well as areas and stretches requiring additional attention
- Describes planning challenges to be considered in adding new access sites
- Summarizes findings and sets out next steps for implementing the plan and increasing access
Questions about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan can be directed to John Davy, National Park Service, Chesapeake Bay Office.
Download: Complete Document
View detailsWatershed Agreement
Public Access Goal
Members
Lisa Gutierrez (Chair), Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Aurelia Gracia (Coordinator), Fostering Chesapeake Stewardship Goal Implementation Team Coordinator, National Park Service (NPS)
Daniel Koval (Staffer), Stewardship Goal Implementation Team Staffer, Chesapeake Research Consortium
Erik Zlokovitz, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Email: Erik.Zlokovitz@maryland.gov
Phone: (410) 260-8324
Mark Hohengasser, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Empire State Plaza
Agency Building 1
Albany, New York 12238
Email: Mark.Hohengasser@parks.ny.gov
Phone: (518) 486-2909
Michael Krumrine, Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware 19901
Email: Michael.Krumrine@state.de.us
Phone: (302) 739-9243
Marcia Pradines, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Britt Slattery, Fostering Chesapeake Stewardship Goal Implementation Team Coordinator, National Park Service (NPS)
Wendy O'Sullivan, National Park Service (NPS)
1750 Forest Drive Suite 130
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Email: wendy_o'sullivan@nps.gov
Phone: (202) 374-9051
Joanne Goodwin, District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
Kelly McClary, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Kevin DuBois, U.S. Department of the Navy
1510 Gilbert Street
Bldg N26, Room 3300
Norfolk, Virginia 23511
Email: kevin.dubois@navy.mil
Phone: (757) 341-0424