Engaged Communities

Goal

Engage and grow a community of local stewards and leaders through education, recreation and professional opportunities to ensure the long-term success of restoration and conservation efforts.

Importance

The long-term success of the Chesapeake Bay restoration and conservation effort depends on individuals and communities throughout the watershed understanding their connection to the local environment and making choices that support its health in the face of changing environmental conditions. Stewardship begins with facilitating meaningful engagement, increasing access to outdoor recreation, providing learning opportunities to students, adults and job seekers, and empowering local decision-makers to support conservation actions.

Outcomes

Local Government Leadership

While watershed-wide partnerships help coordinate and catalyze conservation efforts, the implementation of these efforts happens at the local level. By engaging and empowering local government officials, our partnership can leverage more resources and ensure better outcomes in the implementation of incentives to support local conservation.

Outcome:: Increase knowledge and support the capacity of local government leaders in decision-making, such as land-use planning, to implement local actions that advance the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.
Engage directly (e.g., roundtable discussions) with at least 400 local government leaders annually.
Engage indirectly (e.g., newsletters) with at least 4,000 local government leaders annually.

Public Access

Public access to open space and waterways can improve public health and quality of life, strengthen family bonds, nurture active, creative children, and help people build personal connections with the environment. Access to waterways can also boost tourism, economic development and stewardship.

Outcome:: Create new and enhance existing public access sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed through a combination of actions aimed at improving recreational opportunities and accessibility while addressing barriers to access by increasing the number, quality and geographic distribution of sites.
By 2040, add at least 100 new sites providing access to natural lands and waters with a strong emphasis on providing opportunities for recreation where feasible.
By 2040, improve at least 100 of the 1,451 existing public water access sites by upgrading or maintaining site grounds and structures and expanding the range of active and passive recreation opportunities such as paddling, boating, trails, courts, piers, wildlife viewing and picnic areas.
By 2040, improve at least 40 of the existing public water access sites by adding Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) accessible features.
Increase access to existing urban and community greenspaces identified in the protected lands dataset.

School District Environmental Literacy Planning

A concerted effort toward environmental literacy and education will form the foundation of an informed and active population that can understand and respond to complex environmental problems.

Outcome:: Increase the number of school districts that have policies and practices in place that support environmental education and sustainable schools.
By 2040, reach all jurisdictional targets for the number of public school districts that are well prepared to deliver a comprehensive and system-wide approach to environmental literacy.

Stewardship

The long-term success of our work to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay will depend on the support of the people who call this watershed home. As more individuals and organizations direct their time, talents and resources toward reducing pollution, restoring streams and protecting the environment, we will build a larger, broader and more diverse community of stewards to support our conservation goals.

Outcome:: Increase the public’s participation in stewardship actions that contribute positively to lands, waters, wildlife, fisheries and communities throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Through 2040, build the capacity of leaders in the community and environmental professionals with the social science data, technical assistance and support needed to develop, improve and carry out individual- and community-level stewardship programs, including those that will help advance Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Goals and Outcomes.

Student Environmental Literacy Experiences

Creating a scientifically informed public requires our support of rigorous, inquiry-based instruction and Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences. These experiences encourage students to investigate local environmental issues through hands-on, outdoor investigations, leading to informed action and increased environmental literacy.

Outcome:: Increase the number of students who participate in inquiry-based environmental literacy instruction with the aim of each student receiving at least one Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience, or MWEE, in elementary, middle and high school.
By 2040, reach state targets to result in at least 75% of public school students being enrolled in a school district that offers a MWEE for all students.

Workforce

Outcome:: Increase the ability of all job seekers in the watershed to understand, participate in and succeed in career pathways that positively support the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
By 2040, inform and grow implementation of strategies that help students, educators and job seekers become aware of and understand environmental careers and the in-demand skills and pathways to access these opportunities.
By 2040, increase the number of postsecondary institutions and training providers offering industry-recognized credentials that support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Goals and Outcomes.
By 2040, engage employers to support greater hiring and retention of workers trained in fields necessary to support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Goals and Outcomes.