This bill reauthorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Office and updates its duties. It says the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office should be the Administration's main representative in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The bill sets requirements for a Director with Chesapeake Bay experience and lets the Director run the Office, hire staff, and carry out programs. It requires peer review for funded projects and consultation with the Chesapeake Executive Council. Authorized activities include: building an integrated coastal observations system; supporting the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System and related trail data; creating an education and training program with classroom materials, internships, and grants; and creating a coastal living resources management and habitat program for oysters, blue crabs, submerged aquatic vegetation, fish, and other living resources. The Director may enter into grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, use other agencies’ resources with consent, and must submit a biennial report with a two-year action plan.
If enacted, the Office would continue and expand NOAA work in the Chesapeake Bay area. Students and teachers could see more classroom materials, professional development, and internship opportunities. Coastal managers and scientists could get more monitoring data, habitat mapping, and technical help. Communities could benefit from programs aimed at oyster restoration, aquatic vegetation projects, and other living-resource efforts. The bill says these activities should be coordinated with the Chesapeake Executive Council and other federal, state, and local partners.
No publicly available information. The bill text does not specify funding amounts or detailed cost estimates.
The bill frames the reauthorization as a way to strengthen NOAA's role in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, improve scientific monitoring and data sharing, expand education and workforce training, and support coordinated habitat and living-resource restoration (including oysters, fish, and submerged aquatic vegetation). It emphasizes peer review, interagency coordination, and producing useful information for managers, educators, and the public.
No publicly available information.