Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Good news! In a positive step for forest conservation and clean water, Harford County has reached a settlement that will rescind the approvals for Abingdon Business Park and require developers to reforest parts of the property. “For many years, CBF has urged jurisdictions to hold developers accountable and deny their inadequate forest conservation plans. This settlement will have a positive impact, not only on the environment, but for community health, and the everyday lives of Harford County residents," said Paul Smail, CBF’s Vice President for Litigation and General Counsel. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ehviqg5n

Yesterday, CBF and Coastal Conservation Association Maryland deployed 150 reef balls set with spat, or juvenile oysters, into the St. Mary’s River in southern Maryland. This effort is part of a larger initiative to add 600 oyster reef balls into the river and increase overall reef habitat and oyster populations in Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gvYjKtyV

How much do you know about green infrastructure? Join CBF in Hampton Roads on August 24 for a self-guided tour of beautiful and functional greening projects! The tour includes ten locations to explore at your leisure, including tree plantings, shoreline restoration, rain gardens, and bioswales. Register today: https://lnkd.in/eDFC866u

🚨 ACTION NEEDED: Bay savers, we need your help! Congress is considering an amendment that would prevent EPA from holding Bay states accountable for not meeting their pollution reduction requirements! We need you to contact your representative today and tell them to vote NO on this amendment. Speak up now: https://lnkd.in/evc_h-Kz

TAKE ACTION NOW: The Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint’s 2025 deadline is quickly approaching and despite some major wins for the Bay, we still have a lot of work to do. As Bay leaders plan for what comes after 2025, it is critical to build momentum for this restoration effort. New goals must be set before the end of 2025, informed by the latest science, lessons learned, and with input from partners and community members like you. Urge our leaders to formally recommit to protecting and restoring the Bay, and to set a bold new vision for Bay restoration before the August 30 deadline. https://lnkd.in/e96RuhYu

CBF mourns the loss of our friend and colleague Doug Myers, Maryland Senior Scientist. Doug devoted nearly 12 years of his life to fiercely advocating for the Bay's health and the communities that are connected to it. https://bit.ly/3LngZt9

Great news: $50 million in new annual funding for the Clean Streams Fund, which extends the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), is included in Pennsylvania’s 2024-25 budget! 🎉 “We are thrilled that the Governor and legislators have made increased and sustained investments in the new budget for family farms and cleaner rivers and streams. It is a watershed moment like no other for Pennsylvania,” said Julia Krall, Pennsylvania Executive Director for CBF. https://lnkd.in/e77F2N9q

Their impressive annual migrations from estuarine nurseries to summer ocean feeding grounds make striped bass a cultural icon along the Atlantic Coast. But with populations struggling, the fish need many helping hands along the way. "All of this comes down to what a large and complex fishery this is,” says Allison Colden, CBF’s Maryland Executive Director and a fisheries expert. “You’re trying to manage tens of millions of people. Across fifteen states.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/ePZcSVji

CBF is hiring for several positions in Maryland! Take a look: https://lnkd.in/gGfc4FbH

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has announced grants that will provide more than $14 million for on-the-ground improvements and protections for Pennsylvania waters. “With these NFWF investments there will be more riparian buffers, urban tree plantings and farm restoration projects, and less polluted runoff going into local rivers and streams,” said Julia Krall, CBF Executive Director for Pennsylvania. https://lnkd.in/eCAy6cWX