Center Invited To Participate in Chesapeake Bay Discussion

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has invited the Center to participate in a conference call on the contents of the draft reports called for by President Obama’s Executive Order (EO) on the Chesapeake Bay. Chuck Fox, right, EPA’s Senior Policy Advisor for the Chesapeake Bay, along with representatives from the other federal agencies, will conduct the briefing.

Background: On May 12, 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13508 on Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration. The EO directs various Federal agencies to develop (7) separate reports on key challenges to protecting and restoring Chesapeake Bay. These (7) draft reports are due to be delivered to a Federal Leadership Committee,composed of cabinet-level officials, on September 9th. The Federal Leadership Committee will receive the 202(a) reports and devise a draft coordinated strategy that will be published for public review and comment on November 9, 2009, and will be finalized by May, 2010.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, above left, will hold a press conference call an hour before the Fox briefing to discuss the seven draft reports required by President Obama’s Executive Order on the Chesapeake Bay. She will be joined on the line by officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior and others. The reports will be posted at 12:30 p.m. Thursday on the Chesapeake Bay Executive Order website.