Chesapeake Bay Program Governance Document

Description

This document describes the organizational function and governance for the Chesapeake Bay Program in advancing Bay protection and restoration through the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement (the Agreement) signed in 2014. The term “Chesapeake Bay Program” refers to the collective partnership, representing the signatories of the Agreement (the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia, the State of Delaware, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of West Virginia, the State of New York, the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the federal government) as well as the broad range of stakeholders (including local governments, businesses, watershed organizations and other non-governmental organizations) who participate in the different levels of the organization and in the development and implementation of Management Strategies.

Section 117 of the Clean Water Act as amended in 2000 defines the Chesapeake Bay Program as “the program directed by the Chesapeake Executive Council in accordance with the Chesapeake Bay Agreement.” It further defines the Chesapeake Executive Council as the signatories to the Agreement, calls for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to maintain a Chesapeake Bay Program Office (EPA CBPO) and authorizes funding to be used for protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay. This governance document is and must remain consistent with all that is described and defined under Section 117 of the Clean Water Act as amended. 

As the Chesapeake Bay Program has embraced an “adaptive management” approach to respond to changing conditions and better information, the structure and governance of the program will change and evolve over time to better plan, align and assess partner activities and resources to meet Chesapeake Bay Program goals. This adaptive approach will be reflected in this document, and revisions to this document will be made periodically, or as needed.