HARRISBURG – Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), chair of the tri-state Chesapeake Bay Commission, highlighted Pennsylvania’s strong leadership in watershed restoration and the broader progress across its member states outlined in the Commission’s 2025 Annual Report.
“Our efforts are producing real results,” Yaw said. “Through bipartisan cooperation and smart investments, we are reducing pollution, supporting our farmers and local communities and strengthening the overall health of the Bay.”
2025 was a pivotal year as the Commission joined with the watershed’s six states, the District of Columbia and the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of the federal government to revise the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. Over 40 years after the first Bay Agreement was signed in 1983, the partnership recommitted to the health of the life, land, water and people across the 64,000 square mile watershed.
In Pennsylvania, sustained funding for the Clean Streams Fund remains the largest recurring state investment in nonpoint source pollution reduction, supporting agricultural best practices, mine drainage and stormwater management that protect local waters and reduce sediment and nutrients flowing into the Bay. Combined with expanded support for small wastewater and sewer projects and strengthened technical assistance through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, these efforts are accelerating implementation of watershed improvements and empowering local communities to deliver results.
Notably, Pennsylvania has also continued legislative efforts, sponsored by Yaw, to generate revenue for the Clean Streams Fund through the regulation of skill video games and to address the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting foam. PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in many products since the 1940s. The chemicals can build up in the environment and in the human body over time.
Maryland saw action to create a new recognition program for farmers who adopt conservation practices and laws to reduce the impact of single-use plastics. In Virginia, the Agricultural Cost-share Program received full funding for the third year in a row, and a new policy committee was established to accelerate wetland restoration. The Commission is also working with Congressional leaders to prioritize conservation workforce development in the federal Farm Bill and promote the control of invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay.
The report further outlines both ongoing challenges and new opportunities facing the watershed, including tackling legacy pollution from past industrial and agricultural practices and building stronger local partnerships to deliver results on the ground. It emphasizes the importance of diversified, sustainable funding streams to maintain long-term momentum and ensure continued progress toward shared restoration goals.
Yaw said while progress is evident, continued commitment, strategic investment and interstate cooperation remain essential to meeting long-term restoration benchmarks. Pennsylvania’s leadership plays a critical role in that success, ensuring improvements made upstream contribute meaningfully to water quality gains downstream and to the overall health of the Bay.
For more state-related news and information, constituents can visit Yaw’s website at www.SenatorGeneYaw.com or follow him on Facebook and X @SenatorGeneYaw.
CONTACT:
Elizabeth Weitzel
717-787-3280