Local Government Advisory Committee Projects and Resources

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.

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LGAC Annual Recommendations to the Chesapeake Executive Council

Each year, the Local Government Advisory Committee Chair presents the Committee’s recommendations and advice to the Executive Council at their annual meeting. LGAC's annual recommendations from the last five years can be found below.

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.

Protect Local Waterways Website

The Protect Local Waterways Website is an online resource hub 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.

The Protect Local Waterways website's extensive learning library, titled "A Local Government Guide to the Chesapeake Bay," contains 11 highly visual and succinct educational modules with companion fact sheets, infographics, and short videos.

Visit Protectlocalwaterways.org to learn more!

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:

July 2024: Navigating Extreme Heat

May 2024: How Are Local Governments Using New Federal Funding?

March 2024: Green Infrastructure Maintenance

January 2024: Prioritizing Green Growth

November 2023: Latest Chesapeake Bay Program Happenings

September 2023: Launching ProtectLocalWaterways.org

July 2023: Roads & Stormwater Runoff

May 2023: Technical Assistance

March 2023: Solar

January 2023: Environmental Health

November 2022: Behaviour Change

September 2022: Hazard Mitigation

July 2022: Stream Restoration/Health

Wandering Waterways Tour Series

Hosted by LGAC and tailored specially for elected officials at the local level, the Wandering Waterways tours provide hands-on opportunities for local leaders to learn about regional conservation efforts, and empower them to take on environmental challenges within their own communities. Since its pilot in 2019, the Wandering Waterways series has gathered elected officials in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, and New York to learn about topics including green infrastructure, innovative agricultural practices, clean water initiatives, and solutions to localized flooding. Tours have previously been funded by the Virginia Environmental Endowment, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Campbell Foundation.

Local Government Watershed Roundtables

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, in cooperation with LGAC members, has hosted a number of Local Government Watershed Roundtables around the watershed. The primary goal of these Roundtables is to increase elected officials’ knowledge about watershed protection and restoration, as well as to increase local engagement in the development and implementation of reaching water quality goals. Roundtables have previously been funded by the Campbell Foundation.