1. Planning for Our Future:
A new Chesapeake Watershed Agreement
Russ Baxter
Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources for the Chesapeake Bay

2. Visit: www.chesapeakebay.net/watershedagreement
Public comment invited through March 17, 2014
Visit:

3. NY DC VA MD PA DE WV
Bay Commission
Federal govt
Bay Program is truly a partnership that works collaboratively to restore and protect the Bay watershed.
All of these state, federal and non-government organizations…and many more, work together to offer the best possible science that can help managers and leaders make informed decisions that will benefit our watershed’s resources and citizens.
The CBP partnership also sets the top-level direction for priorities in Bay restoration. Through thoughtful planning and goal-setting =– such as we’re doing now with this Agreement – all partners work together to guide the work.
A vast partnership of all the major players in the Chesapeake region, working collaboratively on science, policy and restoration efforts

4. Chesapeake Bay Program History
1980 Chesapeake Bay Commission
1983 Chesapeake Bay Agreement
1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement
1992 Amended to develop Tributary strategies
2000 Chesapeake Bay 2000
2005 New Tributary strategies were released
2009 Executive Order Signed
2010 Chesapeake Bay TMDL
2011 “Alignment” process begun
Common Goals and Shared Effort to Restore the Bay
6 Bay States and DC
EPA and other federal agencies
Local Governments
Non-profit Organizations
Academic Institutions 4 4

5. Why is a new Agreement important?
We (the partners) need to:
Revisit and renew our commitments to work together & set new goals (nearly 14 years since the last agreement was signed)
Provide opportunity for full participation by the headwater states
Update science, governance and management techniques – ie: climate change, adaptive management
Improve our coordination, integration & collaboration among the partners
Align the EO and TMDL with the Partnership agreement and governance structures to ensure proper coordination
Why do we need a new Agreement?
1) Re-commmittment
Everyone’s participation is critical to achieving the shared goal of clean waters in the Bay and throughout the watershed.
And in every relationship – esp. one as complex as CBP – there’s value in taking time to re-examine how things are working and where you need to improve in order to move forward.
C2K commitments are largely outdated – need a new guiding plan w/ solid goals
Chesapeake 2025 is our roadmap for the near future
Opportunity to change our way of doing business
2) Current agreement based on current science
CBP is a unique, regional partnership focusing on the continuous pursuit of the best scientific understanding of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
Just as our science and circumstances (and ecosystems) change – CBP needs to adapt its goals and outcomes to better reflect what we know today.
3) Improved inclusion/collaboration
Chesapeake 2025 brings together federal agencies, Bay states & DC to work in a more integrated and collaborative fashion for benefit of Bay restoration
Better integration of EO, TMDL & CBP goals
Makes our efforts more transparent and accountable
A balanced, collaborative effort to get us to a balanced ecosystem that can support both natural resources and people’s quality of life

6. What will it do?
Clarity
Clearer goals and more well defined outcomes than previous agreements
Flexibility
Allow us to adapt our thinking and management decisions to adjust to changing conditions and circumstances
Transparency & Accountability
Partners set priorities & commit resources through management strategies
Simplification
Goals are more clear (simpler) than those of C2K – therefore more understandable, measureable
Focus will be on higher priority goals and outcomes for the partnership. Individual partners may have additional priorities, but this Agreement is focused on the goals and outcomes where having a partnership is helpful or necessary to the achievement of those outcomes.
Flexibility
Resource managers in each jurisdiction will be able to adapt their management strategies to better support their goals
This is not an “opt out” – it’s a sensible solution to the diverse ways that jurisdictions manage the equally diverse resources they have
Accountability
Regular reviews of partner management strategies and clear, simple goals on high priority issues will make it easier to track how efforts are going

7. ALL goals, outcomes and strategies derived from the CBP Goal Teams –
How will it work?
ALL goals, outcomes and strategies derived from the CBP Goal Teams –
issue experts & stakeholders from across the jurisdictions / watershed.
GOAL
CBP’s Executive Council (EC) agrees on the
Watershed Agreement
GOALS & initial OUTCOMES
OUTCOME
OUTCOME
CBP’s Principals’ Staff Committee (PSC) tracks OUTCOMES ,
ensuring they are measureable & achievable; adapting as needed
OUTCOME
Mgmt
Strategy
New Watershed Agreement will include the overarching GOALS & initial OUTCOMES
Management strategies will be called for in the new watershed agreement – but not be drafted or finalized
There will be plenty of time for input on the development of these strategies
Mgmt
Strategy
CBP’s Management Board (MB) to manage and track the STRATEGIES, adapting them as necessary over time for success
Mgmt
Strategy
Management strategies will guide the work and will also allow some flexibility to implement the practices that make the most sense for each portion of the watershed.

8. What are the Goals? Sustainable Fisheries Vital Habitats
Blue Crab Abundance; Blue Crab Management; Oysters, Forage fish; Fish Habitat (spawning, nursery and forage)
Vital Habitats
Wetlands – re-establish tidal and nontidal wetlands, enhance function of degraded wetlands
Black duck habitat;
Stream health;
Brook trout;
Fish passage
SAV
Forest buffers;
Urban tree canopy
At its most basic level, the Watershed Agreement focuses on 5 goals – shown here.
Within each goal are more specific goals for things such as:
Blue crabs, oysters, forage fish (like menhaden) and preserving fish habitat
Wetlands, underwater grasses, fish passage and forest buffers
Water quality
Land conservation

9. What are the Goals? Water Quality
Nutrient and Sediment reduction goals and schedules called for in the Chesapeake Bay TMDL
Healthy Watersheds
Protect currently-healthy waters and small watersheds
Maintain currently identified “healthy waters”
Land Conservation
Protect additional 2 million acres
Develop methodology for measuring extent and rate of change in impervious lands
Evaluate “incentive, resources and tools” to assist local governments in reducing rate of ag and forest land consumption

10. What are the Goals?
Public Access Add 300 public-access sites Environmental Literacy Increase participation of students in watershed educational experiences; highlight successful environmental educations; develop baseline metrics for environmental literacy

11. Management Strategies
Within one year of the Agreement, Goal Implementation Teams will develop management strategies for the outcomes supporting the Agreement goals. These strategies will outline the means for accomplishing the outcome, monitoring, assessing and reporting progress and coordinating actions among partners and stakeholders, as necessary.

12. Watershed Agreement in Summary
Image courtesy Choose Clean Water Coalition
Looks ahead to address emerging challenges
Sets clearer goals for partners to strive toward; and specific outcomes to help us measure our progress
Incorporates latest science and ecosystem management techniques
Better integrates and coordinates between CBP and EO goals for the Bay
Creates greater flexibility and improved accountability for partners’ efforts
This new Watershed Agreement is a big opportunity for each partner since it will set the stage for the future generation of restoration. It is the foundation for the next phase of the Bay effort for us all.

13. Finally, I want to be sure to direct you to the Watershed Agreement webpage, shown here – chesapeake bay dot net slash watershed agreement.
On this page you can:
Offer your official comments in writing, right on the page
Find the address to which you can submit a more formal letter
See a summary comments we received during the first public comment period last summer, and find out how we resolved them.
Thank you and now we welcome your input on the new Watershed Agreement!
To offer your comments, visit: