Date and Time
Location
319 and 112 Walker Building
The Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary, with a 64,000 square mile watershed spanning parts of six states and the District of Columbia. Despite the natural, social, and political diversity across the region, efforts to restore the Chesapeake are a model of success. Nevertheless, additional progress must be made before water quality goals are achieved.
Established in 1980, the Chesapeake Bay Commission will celebrate its 40th Anniversary in 2020. The Commission is a tri-state legislative commission advising the General Assemblies of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia on matters of Bay-wide concern. As a signatory to the series of Chesapeake Bay Agreements and its four decades of work within the state legislatures and the U.S. Congress to craft “Policy for the Bay,” several lessons have emerged about how to successfully manage a large-scale watershed restoration effort.
Start with a scientific foundation.
Incorporate monitoring, modeling and analysis in decision-making.
Involve the highest levels of leadership.
Develop an institutional structure for consensus decision-making.
Involve and inform stakeholders and the general public.
Test approaches in a small scale.
Set clear goals.
Focus.
Prevention, Permits and Payment get results.
Provide adequate funding.
As the restoration continues under a new regulatory phase, these lessons must be further applied and modified.
About the speaker
Marel King is the Chesapeake Bay Commission’s Pennsylvania Director. Her responsibilities include policy development, legislative drafting, and communications support. Her focus areas have included the federal Farm Bill, and implementation of the Commonwealth’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan. She received her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University and her B.S. in Dairy and Animal Science with High Distinction and with Honors in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology from the Pennsylvania State University.