Congress dashed hopes for a Chesapeake National Recreation Area to be created this year by leaving town without finalizing action on what’s long been a priority for Bay advocates.
Although the Senate unanimously approved the measure Dec. 18, the House did not act, pushing consideration into 2025 after the next Congress is seated.
While the bill did not come up for a vote in the House, it did have bi-partisan support and advocates expressed optimism that the measure had momentum to build upon. Now, though, the legislation will have to be re-introduced in both the House and Senate.
“We’re closer than ever to elevating the Chesapeake Bay to iconic American landscapes like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Tetons,” said Joel Dunn, president and CEO of the nonprofit Chesapeake Conservancy.
The recreation area would be managed by the National Park Service and unite a series of voluntary participating sites that would tell different parts of the Bay’s natural, cultural and historic stories.
“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure full of rich history and plays a crucial role in the region’s ecology and economy,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), one of the bill’s sponsors. He said the proposed recreation area would “honor that legacy and help foster responsible stewardship and economic growth in the watershed region.”
Supporters say the proposed recreation area would highlight stories that often go untold, including those of indigenous peoples; free and enslaved Blacks; the role the Bay played in the earliest days of the Maryland and Virginia colonies; and the key role the Bay has played and continues to play in the region’s environmental health and economy.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said the recreation area would “provide greater resources for conversation, increase public access and support economic opportunity around the Bay. We’ll continue working to get this legislation across the finish line.”
The recreation area could begin with up to four sites as its initial offerings. These include the Burtis House, an 1800s-era waterman’s house on the Annapolis waterfront; the historic Whitehall mansion on Maryland’s Broadneck Peninsula; the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, whose pilings rise just south of the Bay Bridge; and the North Beach of Virginia’s Fort Monroe.
Other parks throughout the coverage area could also voluntarily participate, giving them access to additional federal resources.
Bay advocates have wanted to expand the presence of the National Park Service in the Chesapeake region for decades. They hope it would attract more attention, build public engagement and increase support for Bay-related efforts.
The Park Service currently operates the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which runs through the Bay and up many of its tributaries. It also operates the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network, which helps more than 200 natural, historic and cultural sites tell Bay-related stories and improve public access to waterways.