For decades, restoring the Chesapeake Bay has relied on resources and strong leadership from multiple federal agencies working in partnership with the six watershed states and Washington, D.C.
The President’s proposed fiscal year 2026 “skinny” budget—which he is expected to provide further details on in the coming weeks—would gut funding for key federal agencies involved in Chesapeake Bay restoration, and eliminate resources that support joint state and federal cleanup efforts, CBF said.
The proposed budget also targets cuts towards many programs focused on climate change research, environmental injustices, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
54.5% Cut To EPA
The budget would slash the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) funding by $5 billion, or 54.5 percent—reducing it from $9.1 billion this year to $4.2 billion in fiscal year 2026.
Roughly half of the cuts—about $2.46 billion—would cripple loan programs that help states upgrade water treatment infrastructure to reduce nitrogen and other pollutants harmful to the Bay and its rivers and streams.
An additional $1 billion in cuts would eliminate numerous state grant programs, including those that Bay states rely on to improve local water quality, reduce polluted runoff, and meet their Bay cleanup commitments.
The Trump Administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget would eliminate $1.3 billion in National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) grants and research, targeting climate and education programs.
These funds help NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office conduct work and research that restores and protects native species like oysters, blue crabs, and striped bass, and improve climate resilience in the region.
They also fund hands-on environmental education through the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Training (B-WET) program, helping to cultivate the next generation of Bay stewards.
Also slated for major cuts is funding for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget calls for slashing $564 million from USGS surveys, investigations, and research programs—eliminating climate-related work “to instead focus on achieving dominance in energy and critical minerals.”
The Bay states and the federal government rely on USGS’s data to meet water quality goals and inform strategies for protecting the Bay region’s lands, waterways, fish, and wildlife.
Cutting Help For Farmers
The budget also cuts technical assistance and personnel at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) who work with farmers to implement conservation practices.
Many USDA conservation programs have waitlists, as farmers seek to implement practices like planting trees along streams, rotating grazing land, and fencing livestock out of streams.
Cutting these programs would be detrimental to state and federal restoration efforts.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) President and CEO Hilary Harp Falk issued the following statement--
“The White House’s proposed budget would unravel decades of partnership and progress restoring the Bay and local waterways. The federal government must lead Bay cleanup efforts and support state restoration work—not undermine it.
“These proposed cuts would leave already-strapped states struggling to meet their clean water commitments and manage natural resources. The budget would choke off essential restoration funding—including efforts to rebuild oyster populations and help farmers reduce polluted runoff.
“It would also virtually eliminate cutting-edge research and data collection critical for restoring water quality and building climate resilience.
“It’s not too late to stop these draconian cuts. Everyone who loves the Bay should tell Congress to reject the dangerous rollbacks in the White House budget.
“The Bay, its waterways, and the nearly 19 million people living in the Chesapeake region deserve better.”
Click Here for the CBF announcement.
For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). Click Here to support their work.
Also visit the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to learn how you can help clean water grow on trees.
CBF has over 275,000 members in Bay Watershed.
How Clean Is Your Stream?
The draft 2024 report has an interactive report viewer that allows you to zoom in to your own address to see if the streams near you are impaired and why.
Click Here to check out your streams. Click Here for a tutorial on using the viewer.
Related Articles This Week:
-- Amazon Web Services Partners With Stroud Water Research Center To Achieve Shared Water Stewardship Goals [PaEN]
-- Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership: Trees Across PA Will Thrive With Grants To Nine Partner Groups [PaEN]
-- Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts May 27 Webinar On Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance Practices For Dirt & Gravel Roads [PaEN]
-- House Hearing: Local Communities Ask For State, Federal Help After Devastating Floods [PaEN]
-- Brandywine Conservancy, Partners Release Brandywine Flood Study Report [PaEN]
-- Keep PA Beautiful Seeking Volunteers To Become PA Waterway Stewards To Reduce Litter On Water Trails, Waterways [PaEN]
-- Pike & Wayne Conservation Districts, Trout Unlimited Chapter Host May 31 Stream Keepers Program For Youth Ages 11-14 [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Awards $6.1 Million To Support 17 Drought Resiliency Projects; 400+ Million Gallons Of Water Savings Expected Annually [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Update: Earth Week Highlights Watershed Restoration; Grant Opportunities; County Water Quality Improvement Projects
-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Jeremy Cox: Sediment Buildup Complicates Planned Dam Removal Along Chiques Creek In Lancaster County
-- Chester County Press: Octoraro Watershed Assn. Announces Photo Contest Winners
-- TribLive: Clearer Waters Expected At Burrell Lake Following Last Year’s Algal Bloom In Westmoreland
-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Sewage Sludge Fertilizer Resisted In Virginia, Maryland
-- Inside Climate News: USGS Water Data Centers May Soon Close, Threatening State’s Water Management
[Posted: May 2, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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