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1 1 (July 5, 2017)

handle is hein.crs/govcfux0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF. ' ,iE S .r, i , mppm qq\ p\w -- , gn'a', go I aS 11LIANJILiN, Updated July 5, 2017 Ecosystem Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. Its watershed comprises a 64,000 square-mile area and includes portions of the District of Columbia and the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia (see Figure 1). Freshwater enters the bay from several tributaries, including the Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean. The bay supports thousands of wildlife species, commercial and recreational fisheries, recreation activities, shipping, and other commercial activity. The health of the bay ecosystem has been a concern for Congress and stakeholders for many years. The decline of this ecosystem, first noticed decades ago, has been widely attributed to urban and agricultural development and to pollution from the bay's watershed. Figure I. Chesapeake Bay Watershed Source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Pollution from point sources, such as sewage treatment plants, and from nonpoint sources, such as agricultural runoff and animal waste, has contaminated the bay waters and ecosystem with excessive nutrients (e.g., phosphorous and nitrogen), toxic chemicals, and heavy metals. These substances have affected many plant and animal species and have led to the decline of fisheries, submerged aquatic vegetation, and dissolved oxygen levels. Increased commercial and urban development, loss of riparian and shore habitat, and overharvesting of fisheries have led to additional declines in the bay's ecological health. The economic importance of the bay and concern about the decline of its resources are major reasons driving bay restoration efforts. The federal government has made significant investments in restoration activities in the bay watershed for almost 25 years, although federal involvement in the bay has occurred over a much longer period of time. Current restoration activities follow the Chesapeake Bay Agreement (Agreement), which was signed in 1983 and last updated in 2014. Federal agencies have made substantial commitments to this effort (in addition to having long-standing programs and responsibilities that affect the bay). The Agreement is a pledge to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. From the Agreement's inception in 1983 and latest revision in 2014, the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council has led activities carried out pursuant to the Agreement and its amendments. The council and signatories to the Agreement consist of the governors of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; the mayor of the District of Columbia; the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator. The council establishes the policy direction for restoring and protecting the bay and its living resources. The council also is accountable to the public for progress made under the Agreement. chkeniapeak Bkg The Agreement established the Chesapeake Bay Program (Program), which is authorized under the Clean Water Act, as amended (CWA; 33 U.S.C. § 1267). The Program governs restoration activities in the bay and works with states and stakeholders through a committee structure to develop actions and strategies for restoration. The Program sets restoration objectives and indicators, and it implements and reports on restoration activities. The Program office is housed within EPA, which provides staff and funding to run the office. Primary funding for the Program comes from state governments. Federal funding was authorized under 33 U.S.C. §12670) at $40 million annually from FY2001 to FY2005 to fund environmental studies and grants that support restoration activities in the bay. Congress has appropriated funds for the Program after the authorization for appropriations expired in FY2005. Although multiple federal agencies participate in bay restoration, EPA is considered the lead agency. In 2009, the Federal Leadership Committee was established by Executive Order (E.O.) 13508. Members of this committee include senior representatives from the departments of Agriculture (USDA), Commerce (DOC), Defense (DOD), Homeland Security, the Interior (DOI), and Transportation, * K '.1 .O 'T

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