MEDIA ADVISORY: Clean Water Advocates to Push Congress for Continued Support in Chesapeake Bay Region
More than 100 members of the Choose Clean Water Coalition are meeting with Congressional offices from throughout the Chesapeake Bay region to discuss efforts to improve local water quality and request robust funding to protect and restore the rivers and streams that feed the Chesapeake Bay.
WHO:
Members of Congress Confirmed:
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA)
Congressman Gerald Connolly (D-VA)
Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA)
Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA)
Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA)
Congressman Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA)
Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA)
Members of the Choose Clean Water Coalition from all six states and the District of Columbia and Kristin Reilly, Director, Choose Clean Water Coalition. Additional speakers will include Anna Killius, Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission; and Kyla Hastie, Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
WHAT:
More than 100 members of the Choose Clean Water Coalition and members of Congress will meet to discuss the current state of the effort to restore the rivers and streams feeding the Chesapeake Bay and formally request continued support for the EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program and other critical programs. Press are invited to attend a lunch briefing where Members of Congress will address members of the Choose Clean Water Coalition. The James River Association, a Coalition member organization, will also award Senator Kaine a certificate for completing a "Full James River Rundown," which is a successful navigation of all passable sections of the mainstem of the James River.
WHERE:
2044 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
March 1, 2023, 12:00–1:30 p.m.
WHY:
With clean water integral to the health and prosperity of local communities, wildlife, and economies, advocates for the rivers and streams that feed the Chesapeake Bay are fighting to ensure Congress maintains its support for critical clean water programs. Given the history of strong bipartisan support for clean water and the Chesapeake Bay, it's critical for members of Congress to hear from their constituents about the importance of robust federal investments in Bay restoration. This is especially true in the face of threatened cuts to domestic discretionary spending.
These investments include but are not limited to:
$92 million in funding for the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program. More than two-thirds of the program's funds are passed through to the states and local communities for on-the-ground restoration work.
$15 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chesapeake WILD (Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense) program, which provides grants to local partners to implement on-the-ground habitat restoration and protection projects throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
At least $3 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This program is critical to any national initiative provides the lifeblood for 1,779 local governments throughout the Chesapeake region to secure their water infrastructure.
Fully fund and implement the conservation programs under the new Farm Bill to ensure that well-run, responsible farms in the Chesapeake region remain economically viable. These programs are essential for farmers to meet state clean water plans that address both farm health and water quality.
The Choose Clean Water Coalition is an organization that harnesses the collective power of more than 280 local, state, regional, and national groups to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake region.
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Media Contact:
Drew Robinson
443-927-8049
RobinsonAQ@nwf.org