Shaping the Future of the Chesapeake Bay: Your Chance to Weigh In

Pond Creek flows into the Elk River, top, in Cecil County, Maryland. (Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program with support from LightHawk)

Signed in 2014, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement set the course for restoring and protecting the Bay and its vast watershed. Now, with many of the Agreement’s original milestones approaching their December 2025 target dates, the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership has drafted a revised version to guide the next chapter of this critical work. The update aims to strengthen collaboration among states, local governments, and federal agencies—ensuring the Bay’s health for generations to come.

Your voice matters.

From July 1 through September 1, 2025, interested individuals and organizations can review the draft revised Watershed Agreement and share feedback by emailing comments@chesapeakebay.net. All feedback will be posted online and reviewed by a team of subject matter experts within the Partnership. The final revised Agreement will be presented to the Management Board in October 2025. [Read the FAQ on the public feedback process here.]

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What’s New in the Draft?

While the heart of the Agreement remains the same—a shared vision for “an environmentally and economically sustainable and resilient Chesapeake Bay watershed with clean water, abundant life, conserved and healthy working lands, a vibrant cultural heritage, and a wide range of engaged individuals whose communities enjoy access to the waters and natural landscapes of the region”—several updates stand out:

• Conservation Elevated Conservation is now a central theme, emphasizing that protecting land and making informed development decisions are essential to clean water goals. This update also acknowledges the pivotal role local governments play in shaping land use.

• Simplified Goals for Greater Impact The original ten goals have been streamlined into four broader, more actionable priorities:

  1. Thriving Habitat and Wildlife

  2. Clean Water

  3. Healthy Landscapes

  4. Engaged Communities

     
     

By focusing the Agreement’s goals, the Partnership aims to make the plan easier to understand, implement, and track—while keeping conservation at the forefront.

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The Chesapeake Bay is a shared treasure, and shaping its future is a shared responsibility. Whether you live along its shores, work its lands, or simply care about the health of this vital ecosystem, your feedback can help ensure the revised Agreement reflects the needs and values of the entire watershed community.