The Chesapeake Bay is a vital resource to the citizens and economy of Virginia.  In order to succeed in our efforts to improve the health of the Bay, we must provide farmers and developers in the watershed with the resources necessary to plan and implement the best conservation practices.

In 2008, I led a successful bipartisan effort with the Virginia and Maryland Congressional delegations to urge the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to grant federal disaster assistance for Chesapeake Bay watermen.  The declaration has helped alleviate the economic impact caused by regulations to address declining numbers of blue crabs.  Funds were ultimately secured in the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009, resulting in the approval of $10 million for the relief of Virginia blue crab watermen affected by the catch restrictions.

Along with a coalition of Senators, I introduced the Chesapeake’s Healthy and Environmentally Sound Stewardship of Energy and Agriculture Act (CHESSEA) in 2007, which dedicated federal funding for agricultural conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  The 2008 Farm Bill incorporated key provisions of CHESSEA, including a $188 million new program that is tailored specifically to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  In total, the recent Farm Bill includes $440 million in additional funding through a variety of agriculture conservation programs to help farmers in the Chesapeake watershed place a renewed emphasis on environmental stewardship and conservation efforts.


In addition to the Farm Bill, the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 included numerous provisions to help improve the Chesapeake Bay.  This law boosted authorized funding for the Chesapeake Bay Environmental and Restoration Program from $10 million to $40 million, authorized bay oyster restoration efforts at $50 million, and authorized $30 million for environmental infrastructure improvements for the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Facility.  Blue Plains is the single largest point source of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently working with Chesapeake Bay Watershed states to implement Watershed Improvement Plans, which are intended to address increasing amounts of waste-water and storm-water runoff.  I am monitoring the design and implementation of Virginia’s Watershed Improvement Plan with an eye towards fairness for all involved.