The Chesapeake Treasured Landscape Initiative aims to conserve and provide public access to important landscapes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It coordinates federal funding to support state and local conservation efforts. Major elements include coordinating funding to protect over 2.3 million acres, identifying nationally significant landscapes for potential new national parks and refuges, providing incentives and assistance to landowners, and fostering citizen stewardship through a conservation corps and expanded education. The initiative is a collaborative effort between several federal agencies to implement the goals of expanding access and conserving ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

1. Chesapeake Treasured Landscape Initiative

2. What are Chesapeake landscapes?

3. Blackwater

4. Great Falls of the Potomac

5. Lancaster County Pennsylvania

6. Susquehanna Water Gap

7. Shenandoah Valley

8. Eastern Shore

9. Tidewater Virginia

10. Tangier Island

11. Why Treasured?

20. May 12, 2009 Executive Order 13058:Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration

21. Expand public access to waters and open spaces of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries Conserve landscapes and ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay watershed . . . that merit recognition for their historical, cultural, ecological, or scientific values

22. Bay States: Protect 2.3 million acres

23. Accessible: 2 % of Bay shoreline

24. U.S. Department of Interior National Park Service Federal Leadership Committee for the Chesapeake Bay

25. Chesapeake Treasured Landscape Initiative Coordinated by U.S. Department of the Interior, in collaboration with U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Department of Defense

26. Chesapeake Treasured Landscape Initiative Major Elements Coordinate funding to support state and local landscape conservation and public access Conserve nationally significant landscapes and explore new national parks and refuges Provide incentives and assistance for landscape conservation and public access Foster citizen stewardship

27. 1. Support state & local land conservation & public access Coordinate and target available funding Anticipated increases in LWCF Wetlands Reserve Program Farm & Ranch Lands Protection Program Coastal & Estuarine Land Conservation Program

28. 1. Support state & local land conservation & public access Identify and prioritize landscapes – land conservation database

29. 1. Support state & local land conservation & public access Identify and prioritize landscapes – Conduct Landscape Survey

30. 1. Support state & local land conservation & public access Identify and prioritize public access – regional needs assessment & plan

31. 2. Protect N.S. landscapes and explore new federal units Explore creating new national parks, trails, refuges, authorities A “next generation” Chesapeake Bay National Park? New national wildlife refuges? Chesapeake marine protected areas?

32. 2. Protect N.S. landscapes and explore new federal units Protect key resources and provide access at existing units

33. 3. Provide incentives and assistance Provide technical assistance and capacity building

34. 4. Foster citizen stewardship Explore creating a Chesapeake Conservation Corps

35. 4. Foster citizen stewardship Expand public education

36. 4. Foster citizen stewardship Enhance place-based stewardship interpretation

37. Chesapeake Treasured Landscape Initiative Draft Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Conservation & Public Access in the Chesapeake Region http://executiveorder.chesapeakebay.net/category/Reports-Documents.aspx