When it comes to clean water, diverse communities require diverse solutions. Spanning more than 64,000 square miles across six states and the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to roughly 1,800 local governments. At this vast scale, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving clean water.

Members of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) understand this well, as these 24 local elected officials represent counties, towns, cities, boroughs, and townships from across the watershed of different sizes, demographics, and ways of life. Appointed by the governors of the watershed states (or the District of Columbia’s mayor) to share their views, insights, and experiences with state and federal decision-makers, LGAC members are the voice of local governments.

 

Looking “Beyond 2025” for the Watershed

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique, state-federal partnership dedicated to restoring and protecting the Bay and improving water quality and living resources for its residents. In 2022, the Bay Program was charged with preparing recommendations that “prioritize and outline the next steps for meeting the goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement leading up to, and beyond 2025.” As the partnership maps out the future of the watershed restoration effort, the buy-in and support of local governments is critical for advancing restoration goals.

On July 1st, 2024, the Beyond 2025 Steering Committee released their draft report for public feedback. On Thursday, July 11th, LGAC convened seventy-three local officials and staff from around the watershed for the 2024 Local Government Forum to discuss the draft report and its possible implications for local governments. The Forum collected feedback to inform LGAC’s recommendations to Bay Program leadership for their consideration related to these future efforts.

To reach an even broader audience of elected officials, LGAC followed the Forum with a series of roundtable discussions. Hosted around the watershed, these roundtable discussions gathered more than 70 local officials to discuss community challenges, share success stories, and delve into how the future of the watershed restoration efforts may impact their regions.

 

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Roundtable (DC/MD/VA) – July 19th

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (MWCOG) Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Policy Committee took the first dive into discussing how the future of watershed cleanup will impact local governments. With Takoma Park Council Member and MD LGAC member Cindy Dyballa at the helm, representatives of local governments from MD, VA, and DC mulled over the lack of clarity and accessibility of the Beyond 2025 Steering Committee draft report, the challenges of translating broad recommendations into actionable steps, and the need to reconsider traditional approaches to land conservation/development. The key sentiment the group shared was how critical it is that diverse communities have a meaningful role in the decision-making within the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership and that an equity lens is applied to work across the watershed.

 

Lancaster Clean Water Partners Roundtable (PA) – July 24th

A group of people gathered around a table talking

Mayors, council members, and representatives in Pennsylvania discuss the positive strides made in the agricultural sector. Photo credit: Rick Mittler

Leo Lutz, Columbia Borough Mayor and PA LGAC member, led the second stop on this clean water roundtable tour of the watershed. In partnership with the Campbell Foundation and the Lancaster Clean Water Partners, local leaders gathered in West Hempfield Township to explore how efforts will impact the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mayors, council members, and township and borough representatives highlighted the positive strides Pennsylvania has made in the agricultural sector and emphasized the importance of storytelling to share this progress more widely.

A unique story shared was from East Cocalico Township where they have introduced an innovative program to reduce sediment runoff from agricultural lands. Farmers Saving Soil & Stopping Sediment (FS4) use financial incentives for farmers to utilize conservation tillage practices that protect the soil, reduce sediment runoff, and keep local waterways clean.

This case study, shared by Supervisor Jeffery Mitchell from East Cocalico Township, amplified a key interest in regulatory flexibility to drive innovation to address the needs of their community while meeting the clean water goals of the watershed.

 

Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Roundtable (VA) – July 30th

In partnership with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Andria McClellan and Sheila Noll, VA LGAC Members, took the podium to lead the next clean water discussion in Chesapeake, VA. Unique to earlier roundtables, this discussion also brought state partners to the table to share their perspectives with those in attendance. These state partners included Stefanie Taillon, VA Deputy Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, who provided great insight into the Beyond 2025 process as she served on the Steering Committee; and Kevin McLean, Chesapeake Bay Program Manager at the VA Department of Environmental Quality who shared state resources and support to aid local governments in their efforts to meet goals.

A person speaking behind a podium

Alliance Local Government Projects Coordinator, Rick Mittler, speaks to attendees at the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission roundtable. Photo credit: HRPDC

Attendees also had the opportunity to speak with state officials who shared their insight and hopes for the future while engaging with the local leaders to ensure the General Assembly remains sensitive to the needs of local governments.

 

Shenandoah Valley Roundtable (VA) – August 1st

Next, the roundtable tour headed west, to capture the distinct perspective of the Shenandoah Valley. Joined by council members, town managers, vice mayors, and board of supervisor members, LGAC member Richard Baugh led a vibrant discussion at City Hall in Harrisonburg, VA.

During the roundtable, Town Manager, Treasurer, and Clerk Libby Clark from Mt. Crawford, highlighted the importance of technical assistance for smaller towns. With less than 500 residents and a small staff, she shared how imperative it is that they have support accessing funding and technical assistance to implement any water resource projects. Other officials corroborated that sentiment regarding smaller or under-resourced local governments and there was excitement in the room around the opportunity for collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries to allow for resource sharing and a holistic approach to restoration and conservation throughout the valley.

 

Moving Forward

Although each community brought diverse perspectives to the table, there were common themes vocalized at every roundtable discussion. First and foremost, officials stressed the need for enhanced technical assistance and additional capacity to implement their work. Secondly, attendees felt a greater emphasis should be placed on celebrating their success stories and the significant progress that has already been made. Finally, there was significant interest in exploring sandboxing or regulatory flexibility at the local government level, to drive innovation and create space for new approaches to community goals.

Later this year, there will be a final roundtable discussion in the Delmarva Peninsula in partnership with the Delaware League of Local Governments.

Learn More About LGAC’s Work

By Kayli Ottomanelli, Local Government Projects Associate, and Rick Mittler, Local Government Projects Coordinator