The Federal Leadership Committee for the Chesapeake Bay issued its Fiscal Year 2012 Progress Report, highlighting extensive efforts undertaken last year by seven federal agencies charged with helping to protect and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay. 

The Fiscal Year 2012 Progress Report, required by Executive Order 13508, Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay, demonstrates the Federal agencies’ commitment to working together with state partners and others to restore clean water, recover habitat, sustain fish and wildlife, and conserve land and increase public access throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The committee’s actions were also focused on supporting strategies of the Executive Order to expand citizen stewardship, develop environmental markets, respond to climate change, and strengthen science.

“EPA and our other federal partners are pleased to report the tangible progress we’ve made over the past year, which will inform, guide and accelerate our collective actions going forward,” said Nick DiPasquale, Chesapeake Bay Program Director.  “The federal agencies and our partner jurisdictions are accountable to the citizens living near the local rivers and streams that also stand to benefit from this critical restoration work.  Through our commitments, the prospects for increased momentum and improvements to the Bay’s health should be encouraging to everyone.”

The federal partners continue to use the best science available that supports the Bay jurisdictions’ and local communities’ efforts to meet their commitments. 

The FY 2012 Progress Reports includes numerous achievements undertaken by federal agencies, including:

  • Released the Chesapeake Forest Restoration Strategy focused on targeted areas throughout the watershed.

  • Expanded water-quality monitoring and analysis by adding new non-tidal monitoring stations, maintaining existing tidal observation platforms, and updating water-quality trends.

  • Released Landscope Chesapeake in collaboration with NatureServe, a decision tool to help identify priority areas for land conservation.

  • Completed Phase II Watershed Implementation Plans and two-year milestones outlining the clean water blueprint for Bay jurisdictions and federal agencies in support of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load.

  • Released the Mid-Atlantic Elementary and Secondary Environmenta