The Chesapeake Bay has long been a treasured recreation center for those in the Mid-Atlantic region. That’s why the coalition United for a Chesapeake National Recreation Area is rallying support to designate the state parks and wildlife areas around the Chesapeake Bay as a National Recreation Area (CNRA). Waterkeepers Chesapeake is happy to be a member of the coalition.
A designation of this sort means that the area would be eligible for national funding which would improve the visitor experience, increase public access to the Bay, protect the natural environment, and build awareness of all the beauty that the Chesapeake Bay region has to offer.
This increase in visibility and support would help to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The Chesapeake Bay has been on the national agenda since 1984 when President Ronald Reagan ran his environmental campaign on improving the health of the Bay. There has been a long road of support from state and federal politicians from 1984 to 2020 when then-Governors Larry Hogan and Ralph Northam called for legislation to establish the CRNA.
In November 2022, Senator Van Hollen and Representative Sarbanes released draft legislation to designate an official Chesapeake Bay National Recreation Area through the National Park Service.
According to Senator Van Hollen:
“The Chesapeake National Recreation Area would utilize a collection of partnerships with states, localities, and private entities with the intent of highlighting the diverse landscape and national significance of the Chesapeake Bay. This would deliver more federal resources to the watershed region, celebrate its diverse cultural and economic history, conserve the Bay’s environment, and foster public access to this national treasure while also spurring economic growth.”
You can learn more about efforts to designate the Chesapeake Bay as a National Recreation Area here.
If you would like to make your voice heard on this issue, please consider submitting public comment by February 12, 2023, here.
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