EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office: Grant for Advisory and Leadership Support in Chesapeake Bay Restoration

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) is announcing a Request for Applications (RFA) for supporting Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) goals related to residents, communities, and local governments of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Support includes two separate activities to coordinate a total of three CBP groups that serve to increase representation, inclusion, and engagement of (1) watershed residents and (2) local governments in the CBP partnership’s restoration and conservation efforts.

(1) One group that represents and provides the perspectives of watershed residents:

A. Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)

(2) Two groups related to local governments:

B. Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC), which represents and provides the perspectives of local government leaders; and

C. Local Leadership Workgroup (LLWG), which serves to enhance the knowledge and capacity of local government leaders.

Citizens Advisory Committee

The CAC is charged with responsibility for representing residents and stakeholders of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in the restoration effort and advising the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership on all aspects of Chesapeake Bay restoration. Since 1984, the CAC has provided a non-governmental perspective on the Bay cleanup effort and on how CBP policies and programs affect residents who live and work in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Local Government Advisory Committee and Local Leadership Workgroup

The LGAC’s mission is to share the views and insights of local elected officials with state and federal decision-makers and to enhance the flow of information among local governments about the health and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The LGAC, which consists of local elected government officials, advises the Chesapeake Bay partnership as it relates to increasing local government involvement in the implementation of actions to restore and protect the

Chesapeake Bay and meet the outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

The LLWG was established in 2014 after the signing of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. This workgroup exists to accomplish the local leadership outcome in the Agreement. The outcome statement for local leadership reads: Continually increase the knowledge and capacity of local officials on issues related to water resources and in the implementation of economic and policy incentives that will support local conservation actions. The LLWG is responsible for developing and implementing the local leadership management strategy and logic and action plan.