Department of Conservation and Recreation
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Department of Conservation and Recreation
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 21, 2017
Contact:
Ann Jennings, Virginia Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission, 804-786-4849 or AJennings@chesbay.us
Chesapeake Bay Commission and McAuliffe administration to host Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week and inaugural Back to the Bay signature event
Link to pictures and video clips from press conference - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B548v-YRK8LTS1VOdXRYekN6bWM?usp=sharing
Link to Facebook live video - https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaDCR/videos/430820793932612/
RICHMOND – In 2016, the General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution 31 to designate the second week of June as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. Legislation establishing the week was enacted in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The designation was championed by the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
“Virginia has made significant progress restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Signs of that good work include reduced areas of low dissolved oxygen, increased underwater grasses and cleaner waters. Yet a lot more work will be necessary to reach our 2025 goal of a restored Chesapeake Bay. Raising awareness and engaging the public will be critical to achieve success,” said Del L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Fauquier and Prince William counties, who chairs the Chesapeake Bay Commission Virginia Delegation.
Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week will include an annual, signature event called Back to the Bay. The event will be held at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton, Virginia, June 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This public event will include hands-on educational programs for all ages, outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking, local foods and beverages, and live entertainment.
“The Chesapeake Bay is both a shared treasure and a shared responsibility,” said Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward. “After years of work, our restoration efforts are finally yielding measurable results in terms of improved water quality, increased habitat, and growing animal abundance. These successes would never have happened without the countless dedicated stewards working throughout the Bay Watershed.”
Bay Awareness Week provides a way to reach a greater and more diverse audience of engaged citizens, private businesses and local governments. It will also showcase roles and partnerships of private businesses, tourism and other industries in Chesapeake Bay restoration and will be used to educate Virginians about actions they can take to restore the bay.
“The Chesapeake Bay is important to our quality of life. It is a rich part of our heritage as Virginians and a critical component of our future economic growth. The responsibility to restore the bay falls on us -- those who live in the bay watershed. One of these responsibilities is to reduce polluted stormwater runoff,” said Del. David L. Bulova, D-Fairfax. “Bay Awareness Week provides a way to educate all citizens about the challenges ahead and how each of us can play a meaningful role in restoring cleaner waters.”
More and more Virginia businesses are responding to their employees and customers’ calls for sustainability. Through Businesses for the Bay, a partnership of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the business community, businesses are encouraged to find measurable solutions to improve water quality.
“The Chamber of Commerce is excited to be a partner in Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. We are working alongside the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to encourage local businesses to get involved,” said Dennis Treacy, chairman of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and citizen representative to the Chesapeake Bay Commission Virginia Delegation. “Many businesses are already doing their part in restoring the bay. We hope Bay Awareness Week urges even more businesses to take action.”
Agriculture, Virginia’s largest industry with an annual economic impact of $52 billion and nearly 311,000 jobs, plays a substantial role in advancing restoration of the bay. Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week will showcase the work of farmers to reduce fertilizer use, improve soil health and buffer streams. Improved water quality and good management practices are important to agriculture and the shellfish industry.
“Virginia farmers have made great strides in reducing runoff and helping to improve the health of the bay. Their efforts benefit the tourism and seafood industries. Working with their representatives, we will showcase these industries at the Back to the Bay event. Our goal is to highlight local farms, tourism and Virginia seafood while raising awareness about their impact on the Virginia economy,” said Sen. Frank W. Wagner, R-Virginia Beach and Norfolk, who is vice chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission Virginia Delegation.
“As the Chesapeake Bay improves, so has Virginia's oyster industry, growing significantly over the last decade. This industry not only creates jobs and adds to our tax base; it also supports clean water. At Back to the Bay, we will have an opportunity to showcase the shellfish industry bringing the tools of the trade for display, from hatcheries to harvests,” said Del. Margaret B. Ransone, R-Westmoreland.
Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts by businesses, citizens, farmers and localities have resulted in an improved Chesapeake Bay but there is more work to be done.
“We are making tremendous progress in our efforts to reduce the excessive amounts of nutrients and sediment in the waters that flow to our rivers and the bay. The bay is a national treasure, and it is important that we maintain our progress to restore it to its former economic and recreational vitality. We encourage our partners to use Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week to spread the word,” said Sen. Emmett W. Hanger Jr., R-Augusta.
Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week and Back to the Bay were announced in a press conferencence on Feb. 21 during the General Assembly session. Speakers included members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission -- Del. Lingamfelter, Del. Bulova, Mr. Treacy and Secretary Ward, and Virginia Director of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Nissa Dean.
Local business owners who wish to showcase or enhance their connection to the bay can contact Nissa Dean, ndean@allianceforthebay.org. Educational and environmental groups interested in managing on-site activities should contact Christen Miller, Christen.Miller@dcr.virginia.gov. To have your event listed on the Bay Awareness Week event calendar, visit: https://docs.google.com/a/vcnva.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehAgbMJgKdQ-i41DAL5dAI3wAiqv_PwH2b8_UuD4DdIn6Lfw/viewform
For more information about Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week and Back to the Bay, visit http://www.vcnva.org/chesapeake-bay-awareness-week/ or visit the Back to the Bay event page on Facebook.
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