Aerial view of a large wetland area
A view of the Nanticoke River looking southwest shows wetlands north of Nanticoke Wildlife Management Area in Wicomico County, Md. (Photo by Matt Rath/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Upcoming Meetings

Scope and Purpose

The Wetland workgroup facilitates the implementation of projects that protect, restore, and enhance tidal and non-tidal wetlands across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Restoration efforts are focused on projects that benefit species requiring high-quality wetland habitats (including American black duck) and incorporate water quality benefits where possible. Additionally, the workgroup coordinates the collection and organization of wetland restoration data reported by the Chesapeake Bay Program.

Projects and Resources

Wetland Workgroup Statement: Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency

On May 25, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court determined in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency that the jurisdiction of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) “extends only to those wetlands with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are waters of the United States in their own right, such that they are indistinguishable from those waters.” As a result, this ruling could reduce the number of wetland acres protected under the CWA.

Please see below for the Wetland Workgroup's response to this Supreme Court ruling.

2022 Restoring the Wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Workshop

The purpose of this workshop was to bring together key stakeholders to discuss restoration, review barriers, develop strategies and ultimately produce an action plan for accelerating progress towards the Wetlands Outcome identified in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The final action plan contains plans from jurisdictions, federal agencies, and non-government organizations, and was presented to the CBP Management Board at the December 2022 Management Board meeting.

The Wetland Workgroup, Habitat Goal Implementation Team (GIT 2), and other CBP working groups will be implementing and prioritizing actions from this plan moving forward. Additional resources will be uploaded here as projects are completed.

GIT-Funded Marsh Data Synthesis Project

The goal of this project was to 1) compile existing datasets and information related to marsh migration under sea level rise-driven inundation due to forecasted climate change, topography of bay shorelines, shoreline condition (e.g., erosion rates, hardening, existing natural resources), existing wetland area and potential migration corridors, and other relevant data from around the Chesapeake Bay and 2) develop a methodology that synthesizes the information in a format that can be used to assist with marsh conservation and restoration decisions under multiple sea level rise scenarios.

This report, titled "Scope of Work 8: Synthesis of Shoreline, Sea Level Rise, and Marsh Migration Data for Wetland Restoration Targeting Final Report" can be found below.

Wetland Co-Benefits Factsheet For Virginia Planners

This factsheet provides resource managers and state planners in Virginia with information on how wetland and living shorelines support the Commonwealth's existing programs and policies. Desicion makers can review the resource to see how wetland protection, restoration and enhance supports plans and initiatives meant for economic development, public health and safety, infrastructure maintainance, and natural benefits.

Publications

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Watershed Agreement

Vital Habitats Goal

Members

Pam Mason (Chair), Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
Address:
1375 Greate Road
P.O. Box 1346
Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062

Email:  mason@vims.edu
Phone:  (804) 684-7158
Nancy Schumm (Vice Chair), City of Gaithersburg (MD)
Tess Danielson (Vice Chair), District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
Address:


Email:  tess.danielson@dc.gov
Hadijah (Dede) Lawal (Staffer), Habitat Goal Implementation Team Staffer, Chesapeake Research Consortium
Address:
1750 Forest Drive Suite 130
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  lawalh@chesapeake.org
Phone:  (410) 267-5724
Mark Biddle, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Address:
820 Silver Lake Boulevard, Suite 220
Dover, Delaware 19904

Email:  mark.biddle@state.de.us
Phone:  (302) 739-9939
Alison Rogerson, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Address:
820 Silver Lake Boulevard
Suite 220
Dover, Delaware 19904

Email:  Alison.Rogerson@state.de.us
Steve Strano, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Address:
PO Box 269
LaPlata, Maryland 20646

Email:  steve.strano@md.usda.gov
Phone:  (443) 482-2928
Denise Clearwater, Maryland Department of the Environment
Address:
Montgomery Park Business Center
Baltimore, Maryland 21230

Email:  dclearwater@mde.state.md.us
Phone:  (410) 537-3000
Melissa Yearick, Upper Susquehanna Coalition
Address:
129 West 11th Street
Elmira Heights, New York 14903

Email:  melissa@u-s-c.org
Phone:  (607) 734-1915
Jeff Jones, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Address:
1606 Santa Rosa Rd
Richmond, Virginia 23229

Email:  Jeffray.Jones@va.usda.gov
Michelle Henicheck, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Address:
629 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219

Email:  michelle.henicheck@deq.virginia.gov
Phone:  (804) 698-4007
Anne Wakeford, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Address:
324 Fourth Ave
South Charleston, West Virginia 25303

Email:  anne.m.wakeford@wv.gov
Amy Jacobs, The Nature Conservancy
Address:
114 S. Washington St.
Easton, Maryland 21601

Email:  ajacobs@tnc.org
Phone:  (443) 521-3034
Joe Berg, Biohabitats
Address:
2081 Clipper Park Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21211

Email:  jberg@biohabitats.com
Phone:  410.554.0156
Mark Gallagher
Address:
1108 Old York Road
P.O. Box 720
Ringoes, New Jersey 08551

Email:  mgallagher@princetonhydro.com
Alicia Berlin, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Address:
12100 Beech Forest Road
Laurel, Maryland 20708

Email:  aberlin@usgs.gov
Phone:  (301) 497-5730
Greg Noe, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Address:
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr
Reston, Virginia 20192

Email:  gnoe@usgs.gov
Chris Spaur, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Address:
10 S Howard St
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Email:  christopher.c.spaur@usace.army.mil
Neely Law, Fairfax County (VA)
Address:
12000 Government Center Parkway
Suite 449
Fairfax, Virginia 22035

Email:  Neely.Law@fairfaxcounty.gov
Phone:  (410) 461-8323
Mark Hoffman, Chesapeake Bay Commission
Address:
60 West Street
Suite 406
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  mhoffman@chesbay.us
Phone:  (410) 263-3420
Jen Dietzen, District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
Address:
1200 First St. NW
Washington, District of Columbia 2002

Email:  jennifer.dietzen@dc.gov
Kevin DuBois, U.S. Department of the Navy
Address:
1510 Gilbert Street
Bldg N26, Room 3300
Norfolk, Virginia 23511

Email:  kevin.dubois@navy.mil
Phone:  (757) 341-0424
Dave Norris, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Address:
7870 Villa Park Drive
Suite 400 (Villa Park 3)
Henrico, Virginia 23228

Email:  david.norris@dgif.virginia.gov
Jim Feaga, Ducks Unlimited
Address:
310 Fort Cherry Rd
McDonald, Pennsylvania 15057

Email:  jfeaga@ducks.org
Jeff Hartranft, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Address:
PA DEP
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101

Email:  jhartranft@pa.gov
Greg Podniesinski, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR)
Address:
400 Market Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105

Email:  gpodniesin@pa.gov
Jessica Martinsen, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3
Address:
1650 Arch St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Email:  martinsen.jessica@epa.gov
Joel Carr, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Address:
12100 Beech Forest Rd
Laurel, Maryland 20708

Email:  jcarr@usgs.gov
Seth Keller, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Address:
2 Hopkins Plaza
Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Email:  seth.d.keller@usace.army.mil
Jenna Mitchell, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Address:
501 6th St
Annapolis, Maryland 21403

Email:  jmitchell@allianceforthebay.org
Sarah Hilderbrand, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Address:
580 Taylor Ave., E-2
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  sarah.hilderbrand@maryland.gov
Ben Sagara, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Address:


Email:  ben.sagara@dwr.virginia.gov
Alison Santoro, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Address:
580 Taylor Ave.
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  alisona.santoro@maryland.gov
Leah Franzluebbers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Address:
177 Admiral Cochrane Dr
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  leah_franzluebbers@fws.gov
Michelle Campbell, District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
Address:
1200 First Street NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20002

Email:  michelle.campbell@dc.gov
Dave Goerman, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Address:
PO Box 8775
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105

Email:  dgoerma@state.pa.us
Phone:  (717) 772-5971
Rachael Peabody, Virginia Marine Resources Commission
Address:
380 Fenwick Rd
Hampton, Virginia 23651

Email:  rachael.peabody@mrc.virginia.gov
Phone:  (757) 247-2269