CHESAPEAKE BAY — A new bill aimed at designating the Chesapeake Bay as part of the National Parks System is gaining traction among state lawmakers.
The Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act (S.2620), if passed, would unify various public parks and lands along the bay, enhancing access and conservation efforts.
Annabelle Harvey, federal policy coordinator at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, emphasized the ecological and cultural importance of the bay.
"It's such a diverse estuary, the largest in the country, home to 3,600 species that live and migrate through here," she said.
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The proposed legislation aims to boost tourism while highlighting the area's cultural significance, particularly the stories of historically underrepresented groups, including Indigenous and African American communities.
Support for the Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act is growing, with bipartisan backing evident. The bill recently passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, with Virginia Senators Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner (D) as cosponsors.
Kaine stated the legislation would enhance marketing, educational efforts and tourism promotion, “encouraging people to care about its preservation, but also to visit.”
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Senator Warner echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the bay's significance to Virginia's heritage.
In a statement, he said, "I’m proud to have introduced legislation that highlights the importance of the Bay, celebrates its diverse cultural and economic history and helps deliver federal resources to assist with the restoration and conservation of its environment.”
Harvey expressed enthusiasm for the potential designation and the experiences it would provide.
"It's so important to so many of us...looking forward to more folks in the watershed and more visitors to get the chance to do that," he said.
The Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act is now headed to the Senate floor, with supporters hopeful for passage before the year's end.
