Chesapeake Conservancy Applauds Conservation Outcomes in FY21 Federal Appropriations

安纳波利斯, MD -星期一, 12月21日, 2020, Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. The annual federal spending package supports several programs important to conservation in 切萨皮克湾 watershed. Notably, the bill increased funding for 切萨皮克湾 Program by $2.500万年. The Chesapeake Bay Program is a regional partnership of federal agencies, 州, 地方政府, 大学, and non-governmental organizations that work together to restore and to protect 切萨皮克湾.

The bill also fully funds the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network program at $3 million. The Gateways Program provides financial and technical support to communities and organizations throughout 切萨皮克湾 watershed for public access, educational programming, and interpretation of the Bay’s natural, 文化, and historical resources.

This year’s federal appropriations bill also marks an important change in the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is now considered a mandatory appropriation and is fully funded each year at $900 million after the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act into law this past August. The FY21 funding bill reflects this change and will result in an 81% increase for LWCF over FY20, which will support increased land protection for national parks, 国家森林, and other public lands, as well as state and local parks.

Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn applauded the FY21 omnibus spending bill’s outcomes for 切萨皮克湾 watershed.

“I applaud Congress’s strong support for 切萨皮克湾 in the FY21 federal appropriations. The health of 切萨皮克湾 directly impacts the health of the Bay’s local economies and is a big part of our region’s economic resilience. The increase in funding for the most important partnership driving the restoration of the Bay – 切萨皮克湾 Program – is absolutely critical for the future of the Bay, 它的人民, 还有那里的野生动物.

“The Chesapeake Bay region has seen an enormous increase in park visitation and outdoor recreation in the past year. This is great news for conservation: it means that we must provide more space for outdoor recreation and also for nature. Full funding for 切萨皮克湾 Gateways program enables the National Park Service to support public access and connect people with our region’s greatest asset and a national treasure, 切萨皮克湾.

“Full and permanent funding of LWCF, secured through this year’s historic victory of the Great American Outdoors Act, will help to ensure that we can provide more places for people to recreate in and enjoy, protect more habitat for wildlife and nature to thrive in, and help us to conserve 30% of 切萨皮克湾 watershed by 2030.”

“Thank you to our Chesapeake Bay watershed congressional delegation for their bipartisan and strong support for conservation and for 切萨皮克湾.”

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