Press Center

The Chesapeake Bay Program, in collaboration with the Chesapeake Conservancy, U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Vermont, is pleased to announce the release of the Very High-Resolution Land Use/Land Cover and Change Data. These data update the 2013-14 High-Resolution Land Cover and Land Use Data Project, provide new land use and land cover data captured in 2017-18 and include a new data product that describes the changes in land use and land cover throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency entered into a six-year cooperative agreement with the Chesapeake Conservancy to produce land use, land cover and land change data for the watershed. This effort was intended to build upon the release of the initial one-meter data products in 2016 and 2017 that were the first and largest high-resolution land use/land cover datasets ever developed for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. When these products were released in 2016 and 2017, they provided more precise information showing small tracts of woods and individual trees in urban areas.

The new 2017-18 dataset includes a more detailed land use/land cover classification with enhanced technical and scientific information that was not previously available for the 2013-14 data products. Experts have now updated the 2013-14 datasets with this new information and are releasing a brand-new 2017-18 product. The new 2017-18 and revised 2013-14 datasets contain 54 land use/land cover classes that are grouped into a general 18 class schema. This new release includes 38 more land use/land cover classes than the original 2013-14 data product.

These data cover 99,000 square miles–an area comprising 206 counties that intersect or are adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. They will inform Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load planning efforts that will help watershed jurisdictions make progress toward meeting their pollutant reduction goals. In addition, the 1-meter data support the goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by helping partners of the Chesapeake Bay Program improve their ability to measure and focus environmental, community and economic benefits, such as determining improvements in air quality, reducing flooding risks, energy savings, carbon sequestration, advancements in environmental justice and enhancements in stormwater management.

To complement these updated and new datasets, change data are being offered for the very first time. This is the first such product to map change at this large scale. The change data will inform powerful insights about how our watershed is transforming. It will help guide actions and decisions to make progress toward meeting land management goals, including monitoring changes in tree canopy, determining how much carbon is stored in forests, and mapping wildlife habitat, ecologically sensitive lands and areas where environmental restoration can provide the most benefit. Additionally, these data can track how lands transition into being developed or used for agricultural production, as well as other changes that impact water quality and the environment as a whole.

The Very High-Resolution Land Use/Land Cover change data are currently limited to a 4–5-year span, as these novel data have only been developed for two time periods at this point (2013-14 and 2017-18) for each county in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Because one-by-one meter data has not been produced using imagery prior to 2013, moderate 30-by-30 meter resolution data, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, are used to assess land use/land cover prior to that time. These data will continue to be important in understanding long-term trends in human activities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

This is the largest amount of open data at this scale that has ever been made available and it’s free for anyone to use. The 2017-18 land cover and land use data, as well as the change data can be accessed at  https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/conservation-innovation-center/high-resolution-data/lulc-data-project-2022/. A webinar explaining how to access and use the data is available will be held on Tuesday, May 24 from 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Please visit this link to register for the webinar. The next iteration of land use/land cover and change data is expected in 2024, representing the 2021-22 timeframe.

Federal partners of the regional Chesapeake Bay Program unveiled an initial round of actions today that each plan to take to counter climate change impacts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  The actions respond to Directive 21-1 Collective Action for Climate Change (Directive) approved and signed by the Chesapeake Executive Council in October 2021. The Chesapeake Executive Council establishes the policy direction for the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and is made up of the governors of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, the mayor of the District of Columbia, the chair of the tri-state, legislative Chesapeake Bay Commission and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of the federal government.

Federal agencies partners of the Chesapeake Bay Program include the EPA, the Department of Interior (National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Agriculture.

Included among each agency’s actions are efforts to reduce flooding in communities, increase habitat resiliency with stream-side vegetation and shorelines protected by natural materials, and strengthen science and research to help target climate adaptation efforts.

The actions also highlight a commitment from each federal department and agency to advance environmental justice and commit to ongoing partnerships with tribes and underserved communities, to help build their climate adaptive capacity.

The actions are focused on the four major goals of the Directive: to address the threats of climate change in all aspects of the partnership’s work; prioritize communities, working lands (forests, ranches and farms) and most vulnerable habitats; apply the best scientific, modeling, monitoring and planning capabilities; and connect restoration outcomes with emerging opportunities.

A snapshot of some of the commitments include:

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct pilot studies in Cambridge, Maryland and Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as well as in two tribal communities to prioritize natural resources, wildlife habitats and public infrastructure needs in underserved communities at risk due to climate change.  These pilot studies are part of the partnership’s Targeted Outreach for Green Infrastructure project.
• The EPA will enhance their understanding through research as to how best management practices respond to the increased intensity, frequency and duration of storms caused by climate change. The agency will also target actions to support local government implementation of climate-adapted practices and build resilience against storms and stormwater using a recently completed web-based tool designed to estimate future precipitation for every county in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
• The National Park Service (NPS) will conduct climate vulnerability assessments of all coastal park sites in the Chesapeake Bay region to generate recommendations for climate resiliency.  The NPS has also started a dialogue with members of the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom about the impacts that sites face from climate change.
• The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will assess the potential effects of climate and land changes on freshwater streams and fish populations, as well as the vulnerability of coastal areas, to help agencies plan adaption activities.

The specific commitments for each federal agency can be found on the Chesapeake Bay Program’s website at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/documents/Climate_Directive_4.26.22.pdf.

The Chesapeake Bay Program, a regional partnership overseeing the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding watershed, announces the launch of Chesapeake Behavior Change, an online tool designed to assist organizations and individuals in promoting environmentally friendly stewardship behaviors.

“The partnership is thrilled to launch a groundbreaking social science tool designed to help local partners and communities develop strategies to inspire their residents toward voluntary stewardship actions,” said Michelle Price-Fay, acting director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office.  “The tool builds on pioneering efforts to incorporate the principals and science of behavior change to design, build and implement actions to protect our natural resources, local waters and the Chesapeake Bay.”

Chesapeake Behavior Change integrates the data and findings from the groundbreaking Stewardship Index, first published in 2017, into a platform that is easily accessible for organizations and individuals interested in using the data to build their own behavior change campaigns.

“In short, environmental problems are social problems,” said Kacey Wetzel, vice-president of programs for outreach and education at the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “We know our lands and waters will not be restored without the millions of residents in the watershed choosing to take civic action and adopt environmentally responsible practices in their everyday lives. Social science research has shown time and time again that people often need more than information to act. Regionally, thousands of community-based organizations, local governments and nonprofit groups seek to aid residents in taking environmentally responsible actions. Chesapeake Behavior Change is a tool rooted in social science that is designed not just to educate, but aid practitioners in designing participatory programming that centers people in their work.” 

The Stewardship Index is the first comprehensive survey of stewardship actions and attitudes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It reveals what actions residents across the Chesapeake Bay watershed are taking to protect clean water and restore environmental health, as well as how much of the region has volunteered or spoken out on behalf of the environment. Additionally, it forecasts future stewardship by measuring the willingness of watershed residents to engage in actions and measures attitudes that motivate environmentally responsible behaviors. A refresh of this survey and updated data is planned for late 2022.

Chesapeake Behavior Change features the following:

• About the Survey: Learn all about the Stewardship Index—how it was conducted, what it asked and the criteria used to select behaviors.
• Survey Trends: Explore the survey trends uncovered through the Stewardship Index.
• Survey Data: Review the survey results to help inform behavior change campaigns.
• Behavior Change: Learn more about behavior change, why it is important and how to plan and implement a public outreach campaign. This section of the website also includes helpful links and worksheets.
• Campaigns: View a database of completed behavior change campaigns to learn what has been successful, to connect with others and upload your own.

Behavior change is rooted in social science principles (e.g., behavioral economics, psychology), informed by insights into the attitudes and priorities of key audiences, and is focused on increasing the adoption of environmentally friendly behaviors, rather than simply raising awareness.

"Given the immediacy and gravity of the environmental challenges we face, we need to prioritize and freely share opportunities for catalytic change,” said Ashley Traut, co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Stewardship Workgroup and senior advisor for the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition. “Chesapeake Behavior Change is a perfect example of what is needed: a user-friendly, endlessly filterable, one-stop shop to learn about watershed residents' knowledge and motivations, with detailed descriptions of the campaigns that have inspired significant adoption of new stewardship behaviors. This is a game changer for anyone looking to really move the needle forward for community-level action."

Chesapeake Behavior Change was developed in coordination with the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Stewardship Workgroup, Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, Chesapeake Bay Trust, GreenFin Studios and OpinionWorks, LLC.

To access a webinar on how to use the website, please visit the Chesapeake Bay Program’s YouTube site to view, Inspire Local Stewardship with “Chesapeake Behavior Change”.

The Chesapeake Bay Program, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, is pleased to announce the completion of all projects funded under the “Equity and Environmental Education in the time of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) to Support Environmental Education Providers” grant program.

In fall 2020, non-profit organizations experienced in providing environmental education throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed were invited to apply for emergency funding to help offset the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for this grant program came from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office and was administrated by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. In total, the nine recipients received $159,400 for use toward the implementation of their programs by the end of 2021.

"These funds supported the environmental education community during a challenging and uncertain time," said Shannon Sprague, environmental literacy and partnerships manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chesapeake Bay Office and co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program Education Workgroup. "As opportunities to work with students in-person changed, our partners showed tremendous creativity and innovation to ensure that students in our region were still able to safely participate in engaging environmental education. Many of the products and innovations developed with this funding will continue to enhance our work after we return to pre-pandemic operations."

Grant recipients included:

• Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park received $20,000 to support the adaption and implementation of the Box of Rain and School in Nature programs.
• Blue Sky Fund used $20,000 to support the adaptation and implementation of the Explorers program for third, fourth and fifth graders at Richmond Public Schools.
• Boxerwood Education Association received $19,990 to support the NEST program for students in Rockbridge County, Virginia.
• ECO City Farms used $20,000 to support the transition of education offerings to a virtual format and provide at-home COVID testing kits to 3,000 Prince George’s County, Maryland students.
• Friends of Peirce Mill received $7,200 to support an online program for third graders in the District of Columbia that included live lessons and a virtual field trip.
• Friends of the National Arboretum used $19,985 to support the distribution of Grow-at-Home kits for 2,000 students and six safely-distanced Arboretum Family Days at the U.S. National Arboretum for high-needs school communities.
• Living Classroom Foundation received $19,998 to support the adaptation and implementation of a virtual School Leadership in Urban Runoff Reduction Project (SLURRP) program for fourth and fifth graders in South Baltimore, Maryland.
• Stroud Water Research Center used $14,442 to support the adaptation and implementation of virtual environmental education programs and created a Pennsylvania Watershed Literacy and Resources website.
• Ward Foundation received $17,785 to enable the Ward Museum to continue serving regional children and teachers through new socially-distant, virtual and hybrid programs.

The Annapolis Maritime Museum was one of these lucky recipients. Sarah Krizek, volunteer coordinator, thankfully noted that they were able to obtain their childcare license and offer a “School in Nature” opportunity for working families, which was sorely needed. She added, “children were offered a structured work environment to conduct their classes and an abundance of outdoor activities and adventures to counter all the screen time.”

“The Trust is proud to partner with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office to distribute resources for these projects that engage students and make a difference in our schools, communities and environment,” said Dr. Jana Davis, president of the Chesapeake Bay Trust.  “We know that meaningful environmental education lays the foundation for future restoration and protection of our local natural resources.  These innovative programs have been essential to furthering that education for students during the pandemic.”

About the Chesapeake Bay Program

The Chesapeake Bay Program (www.chesapeakebay.net) is a regional partnership that has coordinated and conducted the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since its formation in 1983. Partners include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government; the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tristate legislative body; and advisory groups of residents, scientists and local government officials.

About the Chesapeake Bay Trust

The Chesapeake Bay Trust (www.cbtrust.org) is a nonprofit, grant-making organization established by the Maryland General Assembly dedicated to improving the natural resources of Maryland and the Chesapeake region through environmental education, community engagement and local watershed education. The Trust’s grantees engage hundreds of thousands of individuals annually in projects that have a measurable impact on the waterways and other natural resources of the region. The Trust is supported by the sale of the Treasure the Chesapeake license plate; donations to the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund on the Maryland State income tax form; donations made by hunters, fishers and boaters in the Maryland online natural resource licensing system; donations from individuals and corporations; and partnerships with private foundations and federal, state and local governments. The Trust has received the highest rating from Charity Navigator for over two decades: On average, 90% of the Trust’s expenditures are directed to its restoration and education programs.

As 2021 draws to a close, members of the Chesapeake Executive Council gathered today in Richmond, Virginia to review the many successes of the Chesapeake Bay Program over the past year, while providing transparency about the challenges that lie ahead.

Established 38 years ago, the Chesapeake Executive Council is responsible for guiding the policy agenda and  conservation and restoration goals for the Chesapeake Bay Program, a regional watershed partnership. Members include the governors of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, the mayor of the District of Columbia, the chair of the tri-state legislative Chesapeake Bay Commission and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of the federal government.

At the meeting, Vernice Miller-Travis, executive vice-president of environment and sustainability with The Metropolitan Group, provided details on one of the partnership’s major accomplishments of the past year—the release of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Implementation Plan Strategy. This Implementation Plan is the direct result of the historic Statement in Support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice signed by the Executive Council at their August 2020 meeting. Immediately following the August 2020 meeting, an Action Team was formed to draft the Implementation Plan.  

Ms. Miller-Travis helped pen Restoration from the Inside Out: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay Program, which guided the development of the Implementation Plan. Following a formal public comment period in September, the Implementation Plan was finalized and is ready to be broadly implemented across the partnership. It outlines the tasks, actions, roles and resources that are critical to advancing DEIJ and addressing environmental justice within all areas of the Chesapeake Bay Program. It aims to increase racial and ethnic diversity among partnership staff and leadership, while providing the tools to help all partners continually assess progress toward their DEIJ goals, and help them develop into leaders that understand, respect and embrace cultural diversity.

"Just as the Directive has committed us to address diversity, equity, inclusion and justice across the partnership, members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission will continue to look for opportunities to address DEIJ in our laws and budgets,” said Chesapeake Bay Commission Chair David Bulova. “If we work to lift our most vulnerable communities, we can achieve clean water and air, abundant fish and wildlife, while providing the access needed to enjoy them. "

Providing leadership on not only the advancement of DEIJ, but also climate change, will be Governor Ralph Northam’s legacy for this partnership. He closed out his year of chairing the Executive Council by symbolically handing the reins to EPA Administrator Michael Regan.

"It has been an honor to serve as the Chair of the Executive Council, a partnership that plays a vital role in building the coalition necessary to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay," said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam." We have built a strong foundation to protect all people and the economies vital to the Bay, especially those who have been historically underrepresented and under-resourced."

Members and designees of the Executive Council also heard from Michelle Price-Fay, acting director of EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office. In her remarks, she noted a recent assessment completed by the partnership in assessing the attainability of each outcome in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. As 2025 looms near, Chesapeake Bay Program partners are taking an honest and critical look at whether the 31 outcomes of the Watershed Agreement are on track to meet their targets. This assessment is driving conversations across the partnership as to what outcomes should be prioritized and how challenges will be met. These outcome attainability templates provide the foundation for the partnership’s Bay Barometer: An Annual Report on the State of the Program and the Health of the Bay.

In June 2014, the Executive Council signed the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, with the vision of fostering an environmentally and economically sustainable watershed with clean water, abundant life, conserved lands and access to the water, a vibrant cultural heritage, and a diversity of engaged citizens and stakeholders. 

“EPA is honored to lead the partnership as we act together to close the gap in our restoration goals, build resilience to climate change and ensure that the benefits of our efforts are shared by all,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “With major infusions of federal funding coming soon, and with a greater resolve, we will work with our partners to help pick up the pace of progress and realize our collective commitments to a clean Bay and watershed.”