Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) this week met with her office’s Chesapeake Bay Advisory Board to brief our region’s key stakeholders about her legislative efforts to protect and preserve the Chesapeake Bay.
She provided an update on the Chesapeake Bay Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1620), which she introduced in March. Last month, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed Congresswoman Luria’s legislation and recommended it for a vote in the full House of Representatives.
This bipartisan bill would fully fund the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program by authorizing an injection of $455 million into the Program over the next five years. The Chesapeake Bay Program coordinates data collection and distributes grants to states for local Bay restoration efforts.
Congresswoman Luria also discussed how she successfully advocated for the House passage of $110 million in funding for important environmental priorities. This funding included $85 million for the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, a $12 million increase over the last fiscal year.
“The Chesapeake Bay is an invaluable economic, environmental, and recreational resource that we must keep clean and thriving for future generations,” Congresswoman Elaine Luria said. “It was a pleasure to meet with members of our Chesapeake Bay Advisory Board to discuss how we can improve the health of our Bay. I will continue to lead bipartisan efforts that preserve and protect this national treasure.”
At the meeting, experts in agriculture, aquaculture, and conservation shared updates on topics including fisheries management and ongoing environmental restoration efforts. Congresswoman Luria also highlighted successes in her continued fight to protect Coastal Virginia waters from offshore drilling.
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