There's a certain magic when individuals throughout the Coalition's membership meet in-person. While our work continued virtually throughout the pandemic, we were thrilled in 2023 to meet with members again throughout the watershed. There is simply no substitute for the powerful experience of launching and fostering relationships with peers who are engaged in the fight for clean water. Inevitably, discussions ensue on confronting similar challenges, lessons learned, and opportunities for collaboration. And our gatherings yield many other benefits in addition to the gains from networking.

Look no further than our Chesapeake Bay Day on Capitol Hill. Meeting in Washington, D.C. for the first time since March 2020, our members felt right back at home walking the halls of the Capitol. More than 100 individuals in the Coalition met with the offices of 38 members of Congress, asking legislators to maintain, and in some instances, increase funding for programs that are critical to attaining clean water.

Our next large gathering was our annual conference, which visited the Keystone State for the first time since 2018. Meeting in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the conference explored the theme "A Keystone Moment: Our Collective Future," and provided the platform to highlight the challenges, opportunities, and lessons headwater states have to inform us in our work for clean water. Like all our conferences, we hope the sharing of new tools, resources, and experiences—all while building and cultivating critical relationships—helped equip and inspire conference attendees to accelerate their work for clean water.

Following the conference, several of our state leads organized state meetings, gathering members for a day of policy debriefs, strategic planning, and networking.

The first in-person state meetings since the pandemic, these gatherings allowed members to focus on local issues and identify opportunities for collaboration. The fall featured more in-person gatherings, including retreats with our Steering Committee and state leads, tours of restoration projects with members of Congress, and several conferences hosted by partner organizations.

The resumption of in-person meetings was very timely. With the 2025 deadline rapidly approaching to have all pollution reduction practices in place as part of the Bay restoration effort, now is a critical time in the restoration effort of the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers and streams that feed it. Now more than ever, it is vital that we connect with colleagues and partners throughout the watershed, building and fostering relationships that are the foundation to our success in reaching our clean water goals.

We look forward to another year of in-person meetings and seeing the extraordinary benefits when we gather together.

Header photo by Carolyn Millard