Rep. Peter Zug

This week the Chesapeake Bay Foundation honored Rep. Peter Zug (R-Lebanon) at an annual luncheon for Lebanon County teachers held in Myerstown.

Rep. Zug is being honored for his commitment to environmental education, and specifically his leadership on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education Program Act, drafted in partnership with the Department of Education and passed unanimously by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in December 2004.

The legislation establishes a program within the Department of Education that will provide grants to schools to promote the teaching of watershed education and afford students the opportunity to participate in meaningful bay or stream outdoor experiences.

In July 2005, this program appropriated at $300,000. The first round of these grants is due to be announced in January 2006.

“This program is not only a substantial stride toward meeting our state's obligations under the Chesapeake Bay 2000 agreement, but also demonstrates a commitment on behalf of the State to providing our students with authentic outdoor learning experiences and our teachers with professional development geared toward making them better stewards of our watersheds.” Comments Sally Clement, PA Susquehanna Watershed Education Program Manager.

The Chesapeake 2000 Agreement is a pledge made by regional government officials to remove the Chesapeake Bay from the Environmental Protection Agency's Impaired Waters list by 2010.

One of its key goals is to provide a meaningful Bay watershed experience for every student before high school graduation and to provide opportunities for students and teachers to participate in hands-on restoration and protection projects.

For more than 30 years, CBF's award-winning environmental education programs have been a cornerstone of CBF's efforts to improve water quality across the watershed and the ecological integrity of the Bay itself.

1/13/2006