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Presidential Executive Order
After strong encouragement from members of the Choose Clean Water Coalition to better use existing authority to protect clean water in the region, President Obama announced Executive Order 13508 entitled Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration on May 12, 2009. We insisted on a strong implementation of this executive order at the one year deadline, which you can read here.
The President declared the Chesapeake Bay a “national treasure” and established a Federal Leadership Committee to oversee implementation of Chesapeake Bay restoration. The Executive Order also contained requirements for seven tracks important to renewing the federal government’s commitment to a restored ecosystem beginning in its upstream areas.
These seven tracks are:
• Define the next generation of tools and actions to restore water quality in the Bay and describe the changes to be made to regulations, programs and policies to implement these actions. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
• Target resources to better protect the Bay and its rivers, particularly in agricultural conservation practices. (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)
• Strengthen stormwater management practices for federal facilities and federal land within the Bay watershed and develop a best practices guide for reducing polluted runoff. (EPA, Dept of Defense)
• Assess the impacts of climate change on the Bay and develop a strategy for adapting programs and infrastructure to these impacts. (Dept. of Interior, Dept. of Commerce)
• Expand public access to the Bay and its rivers from federal lands and conserve landscapes of the watershed. (Dept. of Interior)
• Expand environmental research, monitoring and observation to strengthen scientific support for decision-making on Bay restoration issues. (Dept. of Interior, Dept of Commerce)
• Develop focused and coordinated habitat and research activities that protect and restore living resources and water quality. (Dept. of Interior, Dept. of Commerce)
In September seven draft reports were developed and released to the public. These draft reports outlined challenges to Bay restoration and contained numerous recommendations and next steps. On November 9, 2009, the administration released a Draft Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay which focused on the seven tracks, which was published in the Federal Register and solicited public comments.
Some highlights from the Draft Strategy include:
• Proposals by EPA to expand their regulatory authority over pollution from animal agriculture and urban/suburban stormwater runoff
• Targeting high priority areas by USDA
• Leading by example to improve stormwater management at all Federal facilities
• DOT will lead an effort to develop and promote methods for controlling polluted runoff from roadways
• The Department of the Interior will develop a Chesapeake Treasured Landscape Initiative
• Various agencies will expand and enhance work on both tidal and nontidal habitat restoration and protection efforts
• USGS and NOAA will coordinate climate change science and adaption throughout the Bay watershed
Choose Clean Water members continue to track development of the implementation plans to ensure that the Obama Administration provides the necessary pressure and funding to see this great promise become a reality.
Recent News:
2010 Coalition letter to Lisa Jackson
May 12, 2010 release of final strategy
Recent updates: