Photo credit: NASA

Senators Warner and Webb have introduced legislation that would bring increased accountability measures and a more collaborative management approach to Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2011 requires the Office of Management and Budget to prepare a crosscut budget to better track the progress of Bay restoration efforts, comparing costs and the performance of restoration activities by the various federal agencies involved in the Bay preservation effort. A copy of the legislation is attached to the bottom of this post. 

The multi-state, multi-year initiative to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay involves at least 10 federal agencies, Virginia and five other states, the District of Columbia, and more than 1,000 local governments. 

“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure that is central to the culture and the economy of many coastal communities in Virginia and neighboring states. In order to be successful in our efforts to improve the health of the Bay, the different agencies and groups who share concerns about the Bay must do a better job of coordinating their efforts,”  Senator Warner said. “By applying new performance-based measures, this legislation will help us ensure that the federal dollars being spent on Bay restoration activities produce real results. We must continue to focus on ways to make government work smarter and use the best tools and technology to analyze outcomes.” 

Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA).  The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2009 passed the House in the fall of 2009.

When Senator Warner was elected Governor of Virginia, the state lagged behind its neighbors in the regional effort to protect the Chesapeake Bay. During Governor Warner's 2002-06 term, Virginia increased spending on natural resources by 34% and took a leadership role in protecting the Bay, including adoption of the most comprehensive nutrient reduction standards in the nation.

And he didn't simply impose new regulations without providing the funding to help make compliance a reality. Governor Warner’s final budget included $243 million for clean drinking water programs, and the Warner Administration funded the largest single investment in water quality in state history.