Chesapeake Bay

16-Oct-2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced Senate passage of the 2010 Energy and Water Development Conference Report. The bill includes more than $15 million for Eastern Shore priorities. It now heads to the President to be signed into law.

“The Chesapeake Bay is part of who we are as Marylanders – it is part of our heritage and part of our culture – and it’s our greatest natural resource. This funding is a federal investment in the lives and livelihoods that depend on the Bay,” Senator Mikulski said. “I will continue to fight to keep the Bay and Eastern Shore communities priorities in the federal checkbook.”

The bill includes:    » read more »

Congressional Agenda Would Complement President’s Plan to Save the Bay

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 8, 2009) -- A report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council compiles the numerous threats facing the Chesapeake Bay and examines federal solutions to save this national treasure. This analysis comes on the heels of reports commissioned by President Obama to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and a draft bill circulated by Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD.).

“It’s no secret the Chesapeake Bay has been struggling for decades to recover from a variety of threats to its health,” said Nancy Stoner, Co-Director of NRDC’s Water Program and co-author of the report. “What is less well known is that there are solutions -- many of which are finally underway.”    » read more »

Enhanced stormwater regulations will reduce runoff pollution in waters of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia's waterways

October 05, 2009 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine highlighted the adoption of enhanced stormwater regulations by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board today. The new regulations are expected to reduce the impact of polluted runoff from new developments into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways in the Commonwealth.    » read more »

Maryland And Virginia Senators Introduce Bill To Support Chesapeake Bay Clean-Up; Strengthens NOAA's data collection, resource management & public outreach

June 10, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD), along with Senators Mark R. Warner and Jim Webb (both D-VA) today introduced the Chesapeake Bay Science, Education and Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2009, which would strengthen and enhance the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) role in the multi-state Chesapeake Bay clean-up effort.    » read more »

Senator helped secure $10 million in this year's budget to fund projects that will help restore the Bay's watershed

June 5, 2009 -- BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today joined officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in announcing more than $12.9 million for the Chesapeake Stewardship Grant Program to help restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today announced his FY 2010 budget appropriations requests that will protect and help clean the Chesapeake Bay watershed while updating Maryland’s aging water infrastructure. The Senate will take up the appropriations bills this summer. A complete list of Senator Cardin’s appropriations requests can be found at cardin.senate.gov.    » read more »

Federal funds are major infusion for Commonwealth's program to boost Chesapeake Bay crab population, aid commercial fishermen

May 19, 2009 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced today the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has approved $7.5 million of federal funds for the state's ongoing program to boost the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population and aid struggling commercial fishermen.

With the first part of Virginia's multi-faceted, three-year blue crab disaster relief plan already underway, the new infusion of federal fishery disaster funds will help ensure the continued success of the statewide effort to reduce harvest pressure on the blue crab, and to continue an innovative marine debris clean-up program using out-of-work crab dredgers.    » read more »

May 12, 2009 -- By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America and in furtherance of the purposes of the Clean Water Act of 1972, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), and other laws, and to protect and restore the health, heritage, natural resources, and social and economic value of the Nation's largest estuarine ecosystem and the natural sustainability of its watershed, it is hereby ordered as follows:

PART 1 – PREAMBLE    » read more »

2-Year milestones to target nutrient reduction deadline of 2020

MOUNT VERNON, VA (May 12, 2009) - Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley today announced a suite of ambitious two-year milestones to accelerate Maryland’s on-the-ground efforts to reach its current nutrient reduction goals by a newly established end date of 2020. The Governor made the announcement at the 26th meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council, the multi-jurisdictional partnership that coordinates regional Bay restoration programming.    » read more »

May 12, 2009 -- DOVER – Delaware Governor Jack Markell announced Tuesday that Delaware’s Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Collin O’Mara and Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee today joined federal agency representatives and officials from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New York and the District of Columbia in a meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council. Together, they affirmed a multi-state, multi-agency commitment to accelerate cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay, increase government accountability and provide clean water in the many communities that share the Bay’s watershed.    » read more »

O'Malley discusses "Tipping Point" strategy with scientists on tour of Bush River

HARFORD COUNTY, MD (May 11, 2009) - On the eve of the 26th Chesapeake Executive Council Meeting, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and senior advisors toured the Bush River aboard the R.V. Rachel Carson to discuss two new strategies to accelerate Bay restoration in Maryland.

Citing what scientists call a “tipping point” — a stage at which progress within a tributary can begin to promote self-healing — the Governor announced plans for a major new outreach effort to enlist local governments, businesses and citizens to take a more active role in restoring the health of Maryland’s waterways.    » read more »

From 2007-2009, investments total more than $810 million

May 08, 2009 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today applauded the Virginia Resources Authority's (VRA) issuance of Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund Bonds to finance $186,186,610 in wastewater treatment and sewer system infrastructure and upgrades statewide. VRA's total investment in nutrient removal for the Chesapeake Bay for FY 2007-09 in all programs now exceeds $810 million.

"The Commonwealth has dedicated more than $1 billion to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay since the start of my term, and we have made fighting pollution one of our core concerns," Governor Kaine said. "By issuing these bonds, the VRA continues to be our close partner in all of our efforts."    » read more »

Winter Dredge Survey Indicates Bi-State Management Actions are Having Desired Effect

April 17, 2009 --
ANNAPOLIS, MD and RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley today announced the Chesapeake Bay's adult population of blue crabs has increased substantially over last year, indicating management measures put into place in 2008 to address population declines are working.

The results of the most recent Bay-wide winter dredge survey, which is conducted annually by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), estimate the total number of crabs overwintering in the Chesapeake Bay during 2008-2009 has increased from 280 million in 2007-2008 to just over 400 million.    » read more »

Vote Preserves Chesapeake Bay Funding Bush Administration Labeled as "Ill-Considered"

May 21, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) released the following statement after the U.S. House voted today to override the President's veto of the Food and Energy Security Act (H.R. 2419), which includes $438 million in conservation funding for the Chesapeake Bay. In the President's veto statement, he singled out the funding for the Bay as "ill-considered." The Senate is expected to override the veto later this evening.    » read more »

Help Secure Maryland's Energy Future; O’Malley Signs BGE Settlement Worth Nearly $2 Billion for Maryland Ratepayers

BALTIMORE, MD -- April 24, 2008 -- Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley today joined Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., House Speaker Michael E. Busch, Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown, to sign legislation to protect Maryland’s environment and the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and help secure Maryland’s energy future.

Chesapeake Bay: Photo by Big Mike 42    » read more »