ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today joined regional leaders at the Chesapeake Executive Council gathered for their annual meeting at the headquarters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), touting the state’s progress on meeting its 2025 Bay cleanup goals.
“To protect our region’s greatest natural asset, the State of Maryland has made historic investments in Bay restoration activities, and we remain fully committed to our EPA-approved Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan, which gets us to our goals by 2025,” said Governor Hogan. “Through continued state leadership, federal support, and public-private partnerships, we can continue to address emerging challenges and make sure each jurisdiction is doing its part to meet this generational imperative. It has been a great honor to serve on the Chesapeake Executive Council, and I am proud of the progress we have made together to save this national treasure.”
Governor Hogan served for three years as chair of the Chesapeake Executive Council, from 2017-20. The council is responsible for guiding the policy agenda, conservation goals, and restoration goals for the Chesapeake Bay Program.
During his comments, Governor Hogan highlighted his administration’s record investments of over $8 billion in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts—including fully funding the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. He also noted the state’s efforts to preserve the historic Carr’s Beach waterfront property in Anne Arundel County, the establishment of an Office of Outdoor Recreation, and holding wastewater treatment plants accountable. Earlier this summer, the governor announced $18.8 million for 22 ecological restoration projects to 77 unique sites that will improve water quality and habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
At today’s meeting, the council discussed the target date of 2025 and outlined the necessary steps in order to meet the agreement’s projected outcomes under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which consists of 10 goals and 31 outcomes with the vision of fostering an environmentally and economically sustainable watershed. Last week, a report of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation affirmed that “Maryland remains on track to meet its overall 2025 pollution-reduction commitments.”
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