Established in 1983 under the historic Chesapeake Bay Agreement, the Bay Program is the partnership among Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Executive Council includes the top executives from each jurisdiction, the chair of the Bay Commission and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The members of the 1999 Executive Council are Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening, chair; Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge; Virginia Governor James Gilmore III; District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams.; Pennsylvania Representative Arthur D. Hershey, chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission; and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol M. Browner.

As the governing body of the Bay Program, the Excutive Council established the policy direction for the restoration and protection of the Bay and its living resources. The Executive Council sets goals and policy through agreements, amendments and directives. This year the Chesapeake Executive Council released the first public draft of the new Chesapeake 2000 agreement for review by the citizens of the region. The renewed Chesapeake 2000 agreement will define the priority goals and commitments for the Bay effort to take place between 2000 to 2010. This draft is the third in a series signed since 1983. The first Bay Agreement established the Bay Program partnership. The second Chesapeake Bay Agreement, adopted in 1987 and amended in 1992, established the overall plan and framework for the restoration and protection of the Bay. In 1998, the Executive Council directed the Bay Program partners to renew the Bay Agreement since many of the original goals and commitments were indexed to the year 2000. Also, many of the original restoration milestones have been met.

Citizen's Guide to the Chesapeake Bay Program's 1999 Executive Council Meeting

  • Letter from the Executive Committee Chair - Parris Glendening (Governor of Maryland)
  • What's New Fact Sheets

News Release and Meeting Materials: