Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker Wednesday issued this statement after the U.S. House of Representatives approved funding in support of Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts for the remainder of the federal 2017 fiscal year.

The U.S. Senate is expected to approve the bill on Friday.

“We want to thank the bipartisan coalition of Senators and Representatives from the Chesapeake Bay watershed for their tireless efforts to preserve funds for Bay restoration in the omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal 2017.

“While much remains to be done, the federal-state partnership is now making real progress after decades of fits and starts.  The dead zone is getting smaller, female crab numbers are up, and we have seen record levels of Bay grasses in each of the last four years.  After so much effort by federal, state, and local governments and by the private sector as well, we must not stop now.

“Just as importantly, a healthy Bay supports tens of thousands of jobs – from commercial and recreational fishing, to vibrant travel and tourism across the watershed and the coast. CBF’s peer reviewed economic report found that implementing the practices necessary to restore the Bay would create $22 billion in economic benefits provided by nature annually.

”Congress will soon turn its attention to the 2018 fiscal year budget. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation urges Congress to stand strong and continue the investments in clean water that have  led to the success we have seen in recent years. Our health, our economy, and our legacy depend on it.”

The federal FY 2017 appropriations means $11.6 million in funding will come to Pennsylvania from EPA for Chesapeake Bay-related activities, including $7.3 million in grants to the state for implementation and monitoring and $4.3 million for small watershed and nutrient and sediment reduction grants, according to the Choose Clean Water Coalition.

In March, the Trump Administration issued its proposed budget blueprint for FY 2018 which includes elimination of funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program and drastic cuts to federal grants to states to implement federal programs.

For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage.  Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column).  Click Here to become a member.

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[Posted: May 3, 2017]

5/8/2017