The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act, a bill to transfer portions of the Chesapeake Bay to the National Park Service to form a federally recognized recreation area.
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Representative John Sarbanes, both Democrats, announced the passage of the bill in a press release on Wednesday.
“The Bay is a treasure for Maryland and for the entire country. And with the passage of our Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act today, we are one step closer to recognizing its importance and the opportunities it presents on the national stage,” Van Hollen said in the news release.
“The CNRA will provide more resources for conversations, increase public access and support economic opportunities around the Bay. We will continue to work to get this legislation across the finish line.”
The bill, introduced in 2023, would place a number of new and existing Chesapeake Bay sites under the umbrella of the National Park Service.
The release states that the bill promises additional federal funding for the preservation of the bay, as well as historic and cultural preservation. Black and Indigenous history, the proud tradition of watermen and waterwomen, and the Bay’s impact on the region’s economy were all specified in the publication as areas of focus.
The bill received support from a wide range of stakeholders, the release says, including “local elected officials, environmental and historic preservation groups, economic development organizations, racial justice advocates, fishing and outdoor recreation businesses.”
The bill will next go to the U.S. House of Representatives before potentially heading to President Joe Biden’s desk.
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