Public Access Workgroup

The Public Access Workgroup enhances physical access to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries in order to foster a sense of shared responsibility and encourage stewardship through outdoor experiences. Working with state partners, the workgroup aims to add 300 new access sites to waterways by 2025.

Meetings

About

The sense of place that evolves from outdoor experiences along the waters of the Bay region often leads to a feeling of shared responsibility for the resources. People who enjoy the outdoors are more likely to become active citizen stewards, engaged in the many conservation and stewardship efforts taking place throughout the region. Despite this, physical access to the Bay and its tributaries—the very resources that form the basis for the Chesapeake’s unique identity—is limited. This has real consequences for quality of life, for the economy, and for long-term conservation.

In 2010, the Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, issued in response to President Obama’s Executive Order 13508, calls for “expanding public access to the Bay and its tributaries through existing and new local, state and federal parks, refuges, reserves, trails and partner sites.” It includes a key outcome to increase public access to the Bay and its tributaries by adding 300 new public access sites by 2025.

In 2014, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement was signed. The Agreement reaffirmed and the public access goal and outcome contained in the Executive Order Strategy and included the identical goal and outcome commitment to increase public access by 300 sites by 2015.

The Public Access Planning Action Team supports the implementation of the Agreement and Executive Order public access goal and outcome. This team, coordinated by the National Park Service, includes representation from federal, state, local, and non-profit partners responsible for and committed to public access development.

Projects

Publications

2024 Public Access Outcome Review Summary

Publication date:

The Public Access Outcome Review Summary brings together reflections on the past two years, analysis of how new information will impact our efforts to achieve our outcome, and recommendations for changes. This document celebrates accomplishments, evaluates long- and short-term progress, illustrates the link between the factors and gaps that could affect our ability to achieve the outcome, and indicates whether our actions are having their intended effect.


View document [PDF, 102.0 KB] 2024 Public Access Outcome Review Summary

2024-2025 Public Access Work Plan

Publication date:

The Public Access Work Plan builds on lessons learned in the Outcome Review Summary to identify actions that the workgroup will take to respond to gaps as well as the anticipated impact of completing those actions. This document establishes an expected timeline, responsible parties, performance targets, plans for data collection and plans for the communication of results.

View document [PDF, 93.9 KB] 2024-2025 Public Access Work Plan

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan

Publication date:

The Chesapeake Bay and its major rivers are essential to the region's ecological and cultural heritage, yet access to these waters is limited, impacting residents' quality of life. Responding to this need, the Chesapeake Watershed Public Access Plan aims to add 300 new public access sites by 2025, guided by the Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and developed through a collaborative effort led by the National Park Service and watershed states.

View document [PDF, 10.9 MB] Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan

Our Watershed Agreement Goals & Outcomes

Public Access Goal

Our Members