Local Government Advisory Committee
The Local Government Advisory Committee advises the Executive Council on how to engage local governments by sharing the views and insights of local elected officials and enhancing the flow of information among local governments.
Upcoming Meetings
No upcoming meetings.
Scope and Purpose
The Chesapeake Bay Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) was created by the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council through the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement. The purpose of the LGAC is to advise the Executive Council on how to effectively implement projects and engage the support of local governments to achieve the goals of the Bay Agreement.
LGAC's mission is to share the views and insights of local elected officials with state and federal decision-makers and to enhance the flow of information among local governments about the health and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Subscribe to the Watershed Currents Newsletter: Resources for Local Governments
This bi-monthly newsletter features curated inspirational and informative resources and content for local governments within the Chesapeake Bay watershed region.
Projects and Resources
LGAC Annual Reports to the Chesapeake Executive Council
- 2022 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 686.163 KB)
- 2021 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 239.453 KB)
- 2020 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 613.323 KB)
- 2019 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 625.247 KB)
- 2018 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 787.709 KB)
- 2017 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 610.161 KB)
- 2016 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 52.787 KB)
- 2015 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 571.657 KB)
- 2014 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 671.677 KB)
- 2013 LGAC Recommendations to the Executive Council (pdf - 251.34 KB)
LGAC Local Government Forums
The Local Government Forum is a yearly problem solving meeting hosted by LGAC in collaboration with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Through facilitated group discussion, participants identify issues that hinder or help advance local implementation of watershed protection and restoration initiatives. Findings and recommendations, developed during the forum, are documented and next steps are identified.
- 2022 Local Government Forum Report: Integrating Resilience into Local Planning (pdf - 431.267 KB)
- 2022 Local Government Forum Appendices (pdf - 860.278 KB)
- 2022 Local Government Forum Fact Sheet (pdf - 584.387 KB)
- 2021 Local Government Forum Report: Developing Collaborative Watershed Partnerships (pdf - 228.653 KB)
- 2021 Local Government Forum Appendices (pdf - 5.367 MB)
- 2021 Local Government Forum Fact Sheet (pdf - 243.886 KB)
- 2020 Local Government Forum Report: Building Local Community Resilience Against Climate-Related Flooding (pdf - 481.28 KB)
- 2020 Local Government Forum Appendices (pdf - 14.067 MB)
- 2019 Local Government Forum Report: Stormwater & Green Infrastructure Workforce Development (pdf - 940.427 KB)
- 2019 Local Government Forum Appendices (pdf - 4.637 MB)
- 2018 Local Government Forum Report: Filling Gaps to Advance WIP Implementation (pdf - 513.397 KB)
- 2018 Local Government Forum Appendices (pdf - 415.313 KB)
- 2017 Local Government Forum Report (pdf - 16.293 MB)
- 2016 Local Government Forum Report: Streamlining Integrated Infrastructure Implementation, “Dig Once” Strategy Development Workshop (pdf - 871.958 KB)
- 2016 Local Government Forum "Dig-Once" Fact Sheet (pdf - 349.777 KB)
A Local Government Guide to the Chesapeake Bay
A Local Government Guide to the Chesapeake Bay is a module series created to support decision-making by local officials. Local leaders make decisions that set the course for their community and local government actions determine the health and vitality of their jurisdiction, as well as that of local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. Local officials can achieve mutually beneficial outcomes by prioritizing local economic development, infrastructure resiliency, public health, and education, while also protecting your environment.
Project Materials
Below are links to pdf versions of these materials. For access to editable versions of these files, please email lgac@allianceforthebay.org.
To offer feedback on these modules, please use this survey!
- Module Overview (pdf - 2.195 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Module Overview (pdf - 5.27 MB)
- Module 1: How Your Watershed Works (pdf - 131.035 MB)
- Fact Sheet: How Your Watershed Works (pdf - 2.634 MB)
- Module 2: Foundations of Clean Water (pdf - 29.971 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Foundations of Clean Water (pdf - 1.974 MB)
- Module 3: Clean Water for the Economy (pdf - 26.47 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Clean Water for the Economy (pdf - 1.802 MB)
- Module 4: Capitalizing on the Benefits of Trees (pdf - 17.967 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Capitalizing on the Benefits of Trees (pdf - 2.013 MB)
- Module 5: Preserving Local Character and Landscapes (pdf - 134.321 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Preserving Local Character and Landscapes (pdf - 2.161 MB)
- Module 6: Protecting Your Infrastructure Through Stormwater Resilience (pdf - 18.457 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Protecting Your Infrastructure Through Stormwater Resilience (pdf - 1.867 MB)
- Module 7: Building the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow (pdf - 40.276 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Building the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow (pdf - 1.925 MB)
- Module 8: Preparing Your Community for Water Extremes (pdf - 18.026 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Preparing Your Community for Water Extremes (pdf - 251.934 KB)
- Module 9: Understanding and Supporting Your Agricultural Allies (pdf - 15.975 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Understanding and Supporting Your Agricultural Allies (pdf - 244.76 KB)
- Module 10: Community Engagement (pdf - 11.441 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Community Engagement (pdf - 233.878 KB)
- Module 11: Your Health and the Environment (pdf - 14.986 MB)
- Fact Sheet: Your Health and the Environment (pdf - 227.592 KB)
Watershed Currents Newsletter: Resources for Local Governments
Watershed Currents is a bi-monthly curated newsletter that highlights local case studies and provides inspirational and informative resources for local governments and interested parties within the Chesapeake Bay watershed region. Each newsletter will be themed-focused and organized by local priorities impacting local government communities today. Please see below for past editions of the Newsletter:
May 2023: Technical Assistance
January 2023: Environmental Health
November 2022: Behaviour Change
September 2022: Hazard Mitigation
July 2022: Stream Restoration/Health
Pennsylvania Local Government Roundtables
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Delegation of LGAC, hosted Local Government Watershed Roundtables in Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed between June 2014 and December 2018. The primary goal of the Local Government Watershed Roundtables were to increase the number of elected officials who serve as leaders in watershed protection and more specifically in the Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration effort. This has been accomplished by holding roundtable discussions, exposing elected officials to existing leaders and facilitating peer-to-peer conversations. The roundtables were funded by Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Members
Daniel Chao (Chair), Former ANC Commissioner, Ward 6, District of Columbia
Jennifer Starr (Coordinator), Local Government Advisory Committee Coordinator, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
501 6th St
Annapolis, maryland 21403
Email: jstarr@allianceforthebay.org
Phone: (443) 949-0575
Kayli Ottomanelli (Staffer), Local Government Projects Associate, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
729 8th Street SE Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20003
Email: kottomanelli@allianceforthebay.org
Phone: 571-357-8124
Markus Batchelor, Former Councilmember, Ward 8, District of Columbia
441 4th Street NW Suite 530S
Washington, districtOfColumbia 20001
Email: markus.batchelor@dc.gov
Phone: (202) 741-0879
James Barnhart, Councilmember, Berkeley County (WV)
400 West Stephen Street, Suite 201
Martinsburg, westVirginia 25401
Email: jbarnhart@berkeleywv.org
Phone: (304) 264-1923
Richard Baugh, Councilmember, City of Harrisonburg (VA)
Coucilman, City of Harrisonburg
342 South Main Street
Harrisonburg, virginia 22801
Email: rbaugh@hooverpenrod.com
Phone: (540) 433-2444
Patty Bubar, Former Commissioner, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
6 St. Paul St., 16th Floor
Baltimore, maryland 21202
Email: patrice.bubar@maryland.gov
Phone: (240) 777-7786
Daniel Chao, Former ANC Commissioner, Ward 6, District of Columbia
Mark Dobbins, Chair, North East Maryland Planning Commission
151 Northeast Isle Drive
North East, maryland 21901
Email: marktdobbins@comcast.net
Phone: (443) 674-8312
Amy Dubois, Former Supervisor, Mathews County (VA)
P.O. Box 839
Mathews, virginia 23109
Email: adubois@mathewscountyva.gov
Phone: (804) 384-2079
Sheila Finlayson, Alderwoman, City of Annapolis (MD)
Penny Gross, Supervisor, Fairfax County (VA)
6507 Columbia Pike
Annandale, virginia 22003
Email: mason@fairfaxcounty.gov
Phone: (703) 256-7717
Michael Helfrich, Mayor, City of York (PA)
101 South George Street
York, pennsylvania 17401
Email: MHelfrich@yorkcity.org
Phone: (717) 849-2221
Donna Iannone, Commissioner, Sullivan County (PA)
PO Box 157
245 Muncy Street
Laporte, pennsylvania 18626
Email: diannone@sullivancounty-pa.us
Phone: (570) 946-5201
Leo Lutz, Mayor, Borough of Columbia (PA)
308 Locust Street
Columbia, pennsylvania 17512
Email: llutz@columbiapa.net
Phone: (717) 684-2467
Andria McClellan, Councilmember, City of Norfolk (VA)
810 Union Street, Suite 1006
Norfolk, virginia 23510
Email: andria.mcclellan@norfolk.gov
Phone: (757) 664-4268
Brianne Nadeau, Councilmember, Ward 1, District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 102, NW
Washington, districtOfColumbia 20004
Email: bnadeau@dccouncil.us
Phone: (202) 724-8181
Don Phillips, Former Councilmember, Town of Laurel (DE)
Kelly Porter, Mayor, City of Seat Pleasant (MD)
6301 Addison Rd.
Seat Pleasant, maryland 20743
Email: keportinc@yahoo.com
Phone: (301) 655-1725
Lisa Schaefer, Executive Director, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania
2789 Old Post Road
Harrisburg, pennsylvania 17110-3669
Email: lschaefer@pacounties.org
Phone: (717) 526-1010
John V. Thomas, Commissioner, Hampden Township (PA)
407 Pawnee Drive
Mechanicsburg, pennsylvania 17050
Email: jjthomas407@comcast.net
Phone: (717) 761-1576
James Wheeler, Environment Officer, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PA)
Joshua Hastings, Councilmember, Wicomico County (MD)
407 Monticello Avenue
Salisbury, maryland 21801
Email: Jhastings@wicomicocounty.org
Phone: (410) 974-2611