The federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program is developing a comprehensive strategy for increasing diversity in its leadership, decision-making, in implementation of conservation and restoration activities and is creating meaningful opportunities to recruit and engage diverse stakeholders in the Bay Program efforts.

In English that means minority groups are woefully under represented in the Chesapeake Bay Program and the concerns, opinions and creative ideas of these communities is being overlooked.

To help rectify this oversight, the Program formed the Diversity Action Team shortly after the signing of the latest Chesapeake Bay Agreement in 2014 and charged it with developing a strategy for involving and recruiting minority participation.

The Action Team developed a 26-page draft Diversity Outcome Management Strategy for accomplishing this goal, but now needs real-world feedback on its suggested actions for 2016-17.

The Team has scheduled a February 25 public engagement webinar to help gather public comments on its strategy.  Through this webinar you can--

-- Learn about the Diversity Initiative and how you can be involved;

-- Learn about the Chesapeake Bay Program;

-- Hear about efforts to help communities improve their neighborhoods; and

-- Learn how the Program is addressing sustenance fishing issues in vulnerable communities.

Click Here for a summary of the approaches taken in the strategy.  Click Here for a summary of current efforts to increase diversity.

The webinar will be held from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and you can join by phone: 781-666-2350 (NOT a toll-free number), Access Code: 159-360-671# or online by Clicking Here.

For more information, visit the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Diversity Action Team and Diversity webpages.

2/22/2016