Local Government Advisory Committee

Connecting Local, State and Federal Decision-Makers

Created by the Chesapeake Executive Council in 1987, the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) shares the views and insights of local elected officials with state and federal decision-makers and to enhance the flow of information among local governments about the health and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The Alliance coordinates the work of the LGAC, which advises the Chesapeake Executive Council on how to effectively implement projects and engage the support of local governments to achieve the goals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

LGAC members consist of local elected officials from across the Watershed who have been appointed by their respective Governors or Mayor (in the case of the District of Columbia).

Local Government Forums

The Local Government Forum is a yearly problem-solving meeting hosted by LGAC in collaboration with the Alliance and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Through facilitated group discussion, participants identify issues that hinder or help advance local implementation of watershed protection and restoration initiatives. Findings and recommendations, developed during the forum, are documented and next steps are identified.

Local Government Watershed Roundtables

The Alliance in cooperation with LGAC’s PA and VA delegations, has hosted Local Government Watershed Roundtables in their respective Watershed regions. The primary goal of the Local Government Watershed Roundtables is to increase elected officials’ knowledge about watershed protection and restoration and to increase local engagement in the development and implementation of reaching water quality goals.

Funding was provided by Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Virginia’s Environmental Endowment (VEE) respectively. These roundtables offered elected officials an opportunity to learn from each other and share common concerns and solutions.