By Hilary Harp Falk, President, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Several years ago, I had the privilege to address the graduating class at Virginia Wesleyan University.

I told them that, even when confronted with the enormity of the world’s problems, one of our greatest strengths is the ability to choose optimism.

To choose hope. To choose problem-solving.

It’s something I’ve tried hard to remember amid the current flurry of activity coming from the new administration in Washington, D.C..

We do not yet know all that will come from the changes. Our federal  team is evaluating the impacts of what we’re seeing.

Moves that destabilize restoration efforts that rely on grant funding and eliminate teams of people who work to represent communities most affected by pollution are worrisome and will not be tolerated.

The federal government is a critical partner on Chesapeake Bay restoration, providing science, accountability, and technical and financial resources.

They are vital to the cleanup effort’s success.

But it is important to remember that our work is so much bigger than the federal government.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation itself grew from a recognition that government action alone is insufficient to protect our waterways.

We are built for these moments.

First, the vast majority of our funding comes from our members, advocates, and supporters—you.

We cannot thank you enough for making it possible to do the work that needs doing, no matter the political landscape of the day.

It means we can relentlessly pursue our shared vision of a healthy and resilient Chesapeake Bay ecosystem where people, plants, and animals thrive together.

Second, there is a long and proud tradition of bipartisan support for the Bay at every level of government.

Our rivers, streams, and Chesapeake Bay are the heart of so many communities in our region, and our policymakers get it.

We will continue working with willing elected officials from both sides of the aisle, and at all levels of government, to reach our goals.

Third, state and local actions have enormous power to protect and restore our water.

Much of our work, particularly right now, is laser-focused on state legislative sessions in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Our scientists, policy experts, and volunteer advocates are working hard to advance legislation that will protect forests and wetlands, improve scientific understanding of key fisheries, and ensure world-class environmental education for our region’s students, to name just a few.

Many of us are rightly alarmed and frustrated when the environmental protections we’ve worked so hard to secure come under threat—as we fully expect they will in the coming months and years.

Yet we are not helpless.

Stay connected, stay engaged, and keep doing the work.

It can take many forms. Continued broad bi-partisan support for the Bay is crucial, so call or write to your representatives (here are some tips).

When you do, don’t feel like you need to fill their voicemails with disgust. Fill it with hope and your story about why you care about the Bay, which will inspire them to as well.

Remember: hope is more powerful than hate.

You can also keep an eye on our action center and events calendar to find advocacy and volunteer opportunities.

Perhaps most importantly, stay optimistic.

Our watershed provides so much joy. Watch the winter ducks diving for clams. Take a walk along your favorite creek. Slurp oysters with friends and family.

The effort to save the Bay has always been fueled by the people who love this place and know it will take all of us to stand up for it.

No administration can take that away with the stroke of a pen.

Click Here for the original post.

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 support their work.

Also visit the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to learn how you can help clean water grow on trees.

CBF has over 275,000 members in Bay Watershed.

How Clean Is Your Stream?

The draft 2024 report has an interactive report viewer that allows you to zoom in to your own address to see if the streams near you are impaired and why.

Click Here to check out your streams.  Click Here for a tutorial on using the viewer.

NewsClips - Freeze:

-- AP: Federal Appeals Court Won’t Halt Judge’s Order Requiring President To Unfreeze All Federal Cash

-- AP: White House Says Federal Judges Going Against President’s Actions Are Provoking A ‘Constitutional Crisis’

-- CNN: Billions In Federal Funding Remain Frozen Despite Federal Court Orders To Keep The Taps Open

-- NYT: EPA Still Has Grants Frozen Despite 2 Federal Court Orders To End The Freeze 

-- Grist: President’s Push For ‘Efficiency’ May Destroy The EPA; What Does That Mean For You?

-- Bloomberg: EPA Seeking To Claw Back $20 Billion In Awards From Federal Climate Law

-- The Hill: EPA Fires 388 Probationary Employees

-- EPA Places 171 DEIA And Environmental Justice Employees On Administrative Leave

-- Reuters: Sweeping US Dept. Of Energy Layoffs Of Up To 2,000 Hit Nuclear Weapons, Radiation Waste Sites, Funding Offices, Hydro Plants, National Labs

-- The Hill: Dept. Of The Interior Fires 2,300 Employees Who Were On Probationary Status

-- Politico: US Forest Service Fires 3,400 Probationary Employees After ‘Deferred Resignation’ Deadline Passes

-- Bloomberg: President’s Hiring Freeze Throws Wildfire Fighters Into Disarray

Related Articles:

-- Gov. Shapiro Files Lawsuit Challenging President's Unconstitutional Federal Funding Freeze In Order to Protect PA Interests; Mine Reclamation, Conventional Well Plugging, Many Other Funds At Risk  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive: Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday OKs Shapiro Lawsuit On Federal Funding Freeze

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Includes Energy Plan; Funding To Make-up Deficit In Oil & Gas Program; New State Park, Trail Initiative; Over $6.2 Billion In Federal Funding At Risk For DEP, DCNR, PennVEST  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Educators Urge Action In Response To New Federal Directives Impacting Environmental Education; Take National Survey Gathering Insights From Educators  [PaEN]

-- Appalachian Voices: Tell Congress To Preserve Federal Funding For Rural Communities  [PaEN]

-- Appalachian Voices: Abandoned Mine Cleanup Disrupted By Ongoing Freeze In Federal Funding [Defying Court Orders] [PaEN]

-- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: Continuing Federal Funding Freeze Hurting Farmers-- Honor Legal Obligations  [PaEN]

-- Natural Resources Defense Council: Federal Freeze On Solar For All Grant Leaves Pennsylvania In The Dark [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- LancasterOnline/WITF: President Freezes Rural Energy For America Grant Program Reimbursements, Farmers Hurt

-- WHYY: President’s Funding Freeze Could Leave Communities On Their Own As Climate Threats Grow

-- TribLive: Butler County Federal Storage Facility In An Old Mine In Spotlight After Musk Mention

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: President Takes Another Step To Stop Plan To Building Electric Vehicle Charging Sites

-- The Allegheny Front: What President’s Halt Of $5 Billion EV Charging Program Could Mean For PA

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: PA Climate Programs Hit By Federal Spending Freeze, Governor Says In Lawsuit vs. President

-- PennLive: Confusion Over President’s Plan To Cut Budget, Cull Federal Workers Spreads To Central PA

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Nonprofits, States Scramble As President Pauses Funding For Many Chesapeake Bay Restoration Programs

-- PublicNewsService.com: PA Replacing Lead Water Pipes To Ensure Safe Drinking Water  [Note: This funding is under review as a result of President’s Executive Order.]

-- Post-Gazette: Illinois Governor Delays $1.2 Billion Great Lakes Invasive Carp Project Over Concerns President Won’t Cover Federal Share 

[Posted: February 13, 2025]

2/17/2025