WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and John Sarbanes (D-Md.) introduced a trio of bills to reauthorize federal conservation programs yesterday.
The three-bill House package would extend three federal programs from fiscal year 2025 through 2030 with the following funding increases:
Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program – $100 million annually, up from $92 million annually
Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Grants – $15 million annually, up from $8 million annually
National Park Service’s Chesapeake Gateways Program – $6 million annually, up from $3 million annually
Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Federal Director Keisha Sedlacek responded in the following statement:
“CBF is excited to see bipartisan momentum building to extend federal programs that improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and public access to the Bay and its tributaries. These bills are an important step toward ensuring our federal partners have the tools they need to meet the coming challenges.”
