Van Hollen, Sarbanes Lead Bicameral Letter Urging House and Senate Conference Negotiators to Include Increased Funds for Chesapeake Bay Program

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (both D-Md.) led a letter to House and Senate leadership, urging conference negotiators to include significant increases in funding to the Chesapeake Bay Program within the final Fiscal Year 2020 funding bill. Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee, and his Bay colleagues fought to pass an increase of $5.28 million – for a total $78.28 million – in the Republican-led Senate’s funding legislation. But to fully invest in the health of the Bay, the Members urge conference negotiators to support the House-passed funding of $85 million.  

The Members write, “As the House and Senate negotiate the final Fiscal Year 2020 funding bill, we urge you to accept the funding level with the increased allocation according to the adopted report language from the House-passed Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill, which provides $85 million in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program.”

They continue, “The Chesapeake Bay is an economic driver for the entire region – including recreation, education, and commercial enterprises.  It is critical that the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort meet its 2025 pollution reduction goals. The Chesapeake Bay Program is a national model for clean water partnerships and an important bellwether for the success of other major body of water restoration efforts around the country.  We are within sight of delivering clean water.  For these reasons, we hope you will support funding the program at $85 million in the conference report.”

In addition to Senator Van Hollen and Representative Sarbanes, the letter was signed by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.), Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).

In the U.S. House of Representatives, the letter is signed by Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), Robert J. Wittman (R-Va.), Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), Abigail D. Spanberger (D-Va.), Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Anthony G. Brown (D-Md.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-Va.), Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Elaine G. Luria (D-Va.), A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), David Trone (D-Md.), Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), and Daniel P. Meuser (R-Pa.).

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Leahy, Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger:

As the House and Senate negotiate the final Fiscal Year 2020 funding bill, we urge you to accept the funding level with the increased allocation according to the adopted report language from the House-passed Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill, which provides $85 million in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program.

Since the states and EPA agreed to the Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration goals in 2010, much progress has been made towards improving the health of the watershed. Today, we are at a critical juncture in Chesapeake Bay restoration.  Positive signs of recovery have emerged in the Chesapeake Bay itself and in tributaries throughout the entire watershed, proving that the collaborative restoration effort is working.  We are more than half-way to achieving the shared goal of clean water by 2025.

But as the 2025 deadline approaches, it is clear that more resources are needed to continue the progress made.  New research pertaining to increased nutrient and sediment flows through the Conowingo Dam indicates that we must reduce over 6 million pounds of pollution beyond the original 2010 targets. To address this issue, in December 2017, the Chesapeake Bay Program Principals’ Staff Committee (PSC) agreed to work collaboratively on a separate Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP).

More broadly, although we now know what conservation practices provide the greatest return, we lack funding for implementation at the scale required.  Dollars are needed at three levels: 1) the small watershed and innovative practices grant programs; 2) local government technical assistance and implementation; and 3) state-based targeted and cost-effective implementation.

We appreciate the $5.28 million increase for a total of $78.28 million for the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program passed in the recent Senate minibus, but we think the resource needs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed demonstrate a need for an increase to $85 million. By increasing the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program funding level to $85 million, it would be possible to achieve significant measurable results in each of these areas, and each federal dollar leverages many more in State, local and private funding.

The Chesapeake Bay is an economic driver for the entire region – including recreation, education, and commercial enterprises.  It is critical that the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort meet its 2025 pollution reduction goals. The Chesapeake Bay Program is a national model for clean water partnerships and an important bellwether for the success of other major body of water restoration efforts around the country.  We are within sight of delivering clean water.  For these reasons, we hope you will support funding the program at $85 million in the conference report.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

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