Regional governors and federal environmental officials to meet at Maymont

Governors around the region as well as members of federal environmental agencies will meet in Richmond to discuss past progress and future goals for the Chesapeake Bay. What will be accomplished?

July 11, 2011; 9:10 AM • by RVANews staff

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell will host the annual Chesapeake Bay Executive Council today in Richmond. Among the council members will be Washington D.C. mayor Vincent Gray, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson. The day-long meeting will take place at the Maymont Nature Center in Byrd Park, and will discuss their Bay restoration efforts and progress over the past two years and local efforts for addressing the Bay’s “pollution diet” goals.

Founded in 1983 through the Chesapeake Bay Agreement, the council’s objectives are to “assess and oversee the implementation of coordinated plans to improve and protect the water quality and living resources of the Chesapeake Bay estuarine systems.”

Between 1pm – 3pm today, council members will participate in an event open to the public called “Get Grounded In Your Watershed,” showcasing exhibits that focus on individual stewardship. At 2pm, there will be a press conference where the media and the public will be able to inquire as to what developments have been accomplished in the last year for the Chesapeake Bay estuary, as well as what the council has devised for the future.

A live webcast of the meeting will be made available for the public beginning at 11am.