Overview
- After a meeting in Baltimore, the Executive Council approved a revised Watershed Agreement that sets four goals and 21 outcomes to steer the next phase of restoration.
- Officials acknowledged missing 2025 nutrient and sediment reduction targets, setting a new requirement to meet pollution caps by 2040 with interim checkpoints.
- The Chesapeake Bay Program was directed to produce management strategies for each outcome, with targets such as restoring 3,000 acres of wetlands and maintaining blue crab abundance.
- The agreement initiates a process to include federally recognized tribes as enduring partners, with recommendations due in the first half of 2026.
- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was elected council chair, succeeding Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, as states recommitted to coordinated cleanup efforts.