HARRISBURG – The state Senate recently approved a resolution designating the week of June 2 through June 8 as “Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week” in Pennsylvania, according to Senator Gene Yaw (R-23), sponsor of the measure and Chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Commission (CBC) Pennsylvania delegation.
“During Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week, we have the opportunity to celebrate and educate Pennsylvania’s success in reducing nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution into the Chesapeake Bay,” Sen. Yaw said. “We can also promote opportunities where citizens can take action and help restore the Bay themselves. It’s also an opportunity to call attention to the challenges facing the Bay.”
The designation is meant to encourage all Pennsylvanians “to commemorate Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week with events, activities, and educational programs designed to raise awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the Commonwealth, the region, and the United States.”
“Even though we’re talking about the Bay, it’s really about local water quality in the watershed,” said Marel King, Pennsylvania Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission. “The Susquehanna River provides 50 percent of the Bay’s fresh water, so every positive action we take here in Pennsylvania has an even more direct benefit to local water quality.”
Legislators from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia worked collaboratively in seeking passage of resolutions designating the week-long recognition of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest and most productive estuary in the United States, spanning six states and the District of Columbia. It is fed by 50 major tributaries, including the Susquehanna River, which is the largest tributary into the bay. The Susquehanna River contributes about half of the Bay’s fresh water.
The state House of Representatives adopted a similar measure sponsored by Rep. Keith Gillespie (R-York), also a member of the Pennsylvania CBC delegation.
To learn more about the Chesapeake Bay, click here.
For more state-related news and information visit Senator Yaw’s website at www.SenatorGeneYaw.com or on Facebook and Twitter @SenatorGeneYaw.
CONTACT:
Nick Troutman
(717) 787-3280