Healthy Landscapes

Goal

Conserve, protect, restore and enhance landscapes of ecological, economic, recreational and cultural value to improve water quality, provide habitat for wildlife and increase resilience.

Importance

The well-being of the Chesapeake Bay depends on the health of the lands that make up its watershed. As communities within the region continue to grow, the demand for land and resources can put our waters and habitats at risk. Encouraging sound land use management and conservation of areas with ecological, historic and cultural value can reduce or prevent pollution, maintain healthy ecosystems and ensure the health of forests, farms and open spaces, all while supporting growing economies and sustainable food production. These cost-effective strategies will help communities adapt to changing environmental conditions and ensure clean water for future generations.

Outcomes

Adapting to Changing Environmental Conditions

Changing environmental conditions will impact the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, and should be considered in the pursuit, design, implementation and long-term maintenance of environmental restoration and protection practices.

Outcome:: Increase the capacity for pursuing solutions, including those that are nature-based, to improve planning and responses to changing conditions while balancing long-term resiliency of watershed communities, economies and ecosystems.
By 2040, support at least seven sub-watershed areas with knowledge-sharing and technical assistance to identify adaptation options with a preference for nature-based solutions. These solutions include restoration and protection projects that will help address risks to people, infrastructure and habitats from changes in temperature, precipitation and landscapes.
By 2040, inform and lead to an increase in the implementation of the identified adaptation options that prioritize and integrate nature-based solutions in the above sub-watershed areas.

Healthy Forests & Trees

Almost two-thirds of the Chesapeake Bay watershed is covered by trees and forests. Protecting and planting new community trees, streamside buffers and forests is a cost-effective way of reducing pollution and cleaning our air and water.

Outcome:: Conserve, manage and restore forests and tree cover to maximize benefits for water quality, habitat and people throughout the watershed, with a particular focus on riparian areas and communities.
Conserve tree canopy within communities by reducing the rate of loss of existing canopy and planting and maintaining 45,000 acres of trees by 2040 to achieve a net gain in canopy over the long term.
Conserve riparian forest by reducing the rate of loss of existing buffers and planting and maintaining 7,500 acres of buffers annually to achieve no less than 71.5% riparian forest cover by 2040 and 75% riparian forest cover over the long term.
Achieve a net gain in forests over the long term by reducing the rate of forest conversion to other land uses by 33%, permanently protecting a total of 8.6 million acres of forested land (9 million acres by 2040) and planting, maintaining and managing 202,000 acres of new forests by 2040.

Land Use Planning & Decision Support

Land use change is a local issue with regional consequences. If not understood, mitigated or otherwise planned for, land use change can affect the success of environmental restoration and protection.

Outcome:: Develop and disseminate relevant and actionable land use information, in consultation with local governments, to organizations and communities involved in local and regional land use planning. This information should include past, present and future conditions, as well as the potential environmental and socioeconomic consequences of changing conditions.
Develop at least five use cases annually, informed by and provided at the county, watershed or municipal scale to inform land use planning and decisions and maintain the ecological integrity of watersheds supporting good stream health. Use cases can include watershed protection, aquatic connectivity, stormwater, tree canopy, agricultural preservation or redevelopment.
Highlight at least two widely applicable land use cases annually to showcase best practices and share this information with local governments and partners through diverse communications products.

Protected Lands

Development and land conversion are among the top stressors facing the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Permanently protecting lands from development is one way to combat the loss of forests, wetlands and other valuable wildlife habitat.

Outcome:: Permanently protect critical landscapes within the Chesapeake Bay watershed to protect water quality, enhance biodiversity, support sustainable livelihoods, bolster local economies, honor cultural heritage and protect the mission and resilience of military installations.
By 2040, permanently protect at least an additional 2 million acres of land above the 2025 baseline of 9.3 million acres. The 2 million acres will include specific targets for: riparian forests; wetlands (including migration corridors); natural areas supporting healthy streams; agricultural lands; tribal homelands; and urban and community greenspace.