A group of Congressmembers representing the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Region is calling for a new agreement to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers and streams throughout its watershed.
On Thursday, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, along with 22 other bipartisan Members of Congress, pushed for a new Chesapeake Bay agreement that "sets ambitious, measurable, and achievable targets, especially for water quality improvement and pollution reduction, in order to restore and protect the Bay," according to a press release.
In a letter written to the Chesapeake Executive Council (CEC), lawmakers addressed the numerous problems the Bay faces, including:"While federal resources will continue to play an essential role in achieving our vision of a healthy Bay, we know that we cannot arrive at our many goals through such funding alone," the letter said. "A robust Watershed Agreement that sets measurable targets that are both ambitious and achievable is key to unlocking the full potential of federal support for the Bay and its watershed. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the PSC's work to update the agreement to meet current and future challenges."
- Falling populations of key fish and wildlife species
- Emerging pollutants of concern
- Agricultural land and forest depletion
- Shifting environmental dynamics
- And the prevalence of invasive species
A good start, but I suspect when they get in the back room to actually set the goals, every interest group will be pushing for more than is reasonable.
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