MEDIA ADVISORY: Clean Water Advocates to Seek Continued Commitment for Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Honor Congressional Leaders
WHAT: Nearly 100 members of the Choose Clean Water Coalition and members of Congress will discuss their support for the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort and will honor Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) as "Chesapeake Champions," for their significant contributions to protecting and restoring clean water in the Chesapeake Bay region throughout their careers.
WHO: Members of Congress Confirmed to Date-
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Congressman Gerald Connolly (D-VA)
Congresswoman Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA)
Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-NY)
Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD)
Congressman David Trone (D-MD)
Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA)
Additional speakers include Kristin Reilly, Director, Choose Clean Water Coalition; Nikki Ghorpade, Government Affairs Manager, Ducks Unlimited; and Pam Goddard, Mid-Atlantic Region Senior Program Director, National Parks Conservation Association.
WHERE: 2044 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 12:00–1:30 p.m.
WHY: The Coalition is advocating for:
$93 million in funding for the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program for FY25 and $100 million for FY26 and beyond.
$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
Full funding and implementation of the conservation programs under the new Farm Bill to ensure that well-run, responsible farms in the Chesapeake region remain economically viable.
The creation of a Chesapeake National Recreation Area, which would establish a new unit of the National Park Service to increase public access to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
The Choose Clean Water Coalition is an organization that harnesses the collective power of more than 290 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