Virginia’s Final Chesapeake Bay Restoration Plan Released

Governor Ralph Northam last Friday, August 23, released the final restoration plan for Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers.

The clean-up plan, referred to as the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), will guide local, state, and federal actions through 2025 and is designed to meet the Commonwealth’s commitments to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution and restore the health of the Bay and its tributaries.

Virginia’s Phase III WIP lays out over 50 targeted state initiatives to support the efforts necessary to achieve the Commonwealth’s restoration goals by 2025, placing a strong emphasis on sustained funding and increased technical capacity across all sectors.

This strategy is intended to systematically close the outstanding gaps during the final phase of restoration and enable the Commonwealth to reach its pollution reduction targets.

Continuing that progress necessitates accelerated and more deliberate action by government, wastewater utilities, the agriculture industry, landowners and homeowners, lawn care companies, the general public, and many more.

The Phase III WIP serves as the blueprint to achieve Virginia’s restoration commitments by 2025.

Virginia’s final Chesapeake Bay restoration plan can be found here.