New order targets Bay funds at measurable water gains

The order revokes Executive Order 13508 and changes how federal agencies prioritize support for Chesapeake Bay health.

• Federal support: Agencies must focus resources on on-the-ground projects that directly reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, using measurable results to guide funding.
• Stormwater fees: The EPA must coordinate with watershed jurisdictions to assess residents’ costs, explore approaches that do not increase those costs, and encourage repeal of stormwater fees. The order does not itself repeal local or state fees.
• Measures of progress: Agencies should document outcomes such as reductions in sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen loads and improvements in water quality.