The revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which guides clean water restoration in our region, has recently been released to the public for input.
While this agreement is a critical opportunity to recommit to the vision of clean, swimmable, and fishable waters, in its current form, the draft agreement lacks accountability and important details. And Bay partners who are crucial to doing this clean water work are threatening to walk away from a comprehensive agreement. The public comment period is our opportunity to get it right, and the deadline is Sept. 1.
Join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to voice your concern and urging Bay leaders to strengthen this agreement. We need a strong, concrete plan to guide Bay restoration into the future with all partners involved, accountable, and committed to clear goals and a consistent deadline.
This is a defining moment in the history of saving the Bay. We have made tremendous progress, but the system remains out of balance. And new threats from climate change are adding to the challenge. The current draft of the Bay Agreement is incomplete — and the holes matter. Right now, the agreement falls short in charting the course to clean water, healthy habitats, and engaged communities. But we can change that.
Specifically, the revised agreement needs to:
Additionally, and most importantly, the revised Bay Agreement must affirm commitments to the pollution reductions the federal government and states are legally required to meet under the Clean Water Act. It is essential that we reach those targets as quickly as possible. Including concrete water quality goals in the Bay Agreement adds additional accountability and transparency to the state's pollution-reduction efforts.
If pollution-reduction commitments are abandoned, we must explore all options — including litigation.
The Chesapeake Bay is home to one of the largest and longest-running environmental restoration movements in the world. We have faced challenges like this before, banded together to set aggressive goals, and come out the other side stronger. Future generations are counting on us to do it again. We cannot let them down. By working together, and with states reaffirming their commitments, we can leave a legacy of clean water, thriving marshes, forests, and reefs, and flourishing communities. Thank you for standing with us.
Keisha Sedlacek
Senior Policy Director
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
— A link to the document is at the Chesapeake Bay Program website https://www.chesapeakebay.net or visit https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/Revised-CBW-Agreement-For-Public-Feedback-2025.06.30.pdf. Email comments to comments@chesapeakebay.net or to read recent comments visit https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/documents/Public-Comments-on-the-Chesapeake-Bay-Watershed-Agreement-Revision-Process.pdf.
