Push to Protect Iconic Chesapeake Bay Launched, Action by Congress Urged This Summer

Transplanted Natives, Outdoors Enthusiasts, Vacationers, Travelers and Others Urged to Speak Out at RestoringOurWaters.org

WASHINGTON, June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and streams – the cradle of American democracy, the nation's largest estuary, and one of the most popular travel destinations in the U.S. – is the focus of a major new online campaign, "Restoring our Waters" (www.restoringourwaters.org), that aims to ensure Congressional support comparable to that already in place for other major American bodies of water.

The new Web-based campaign targeting transplanted natives, outdoors enthusiasts, vacationers, travelers and others around the United States is being launched in advance of the U.S. Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee markup this month of S. 1816, the Chesapeake Clean Water Act.

"Restoring our Waters tells the story of how people around the country consider the Chesapeake a national treasure, worthy of protection," Hilary Falk, director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition (CCWC), which is organizing the national effort.  "Those who love the Chesapeake Bay know it deserves the national attention and iconic status of the Florida Everglades, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, or the Mighty Mississippi.  Having Americans who care about clean water and the great outdoors sign this petition and contact their legislators will demonstrate how important the Chesapeake is to our nation."

Peter Johnson, manager of the Restoring Our Waters campaign added:  "Thousands of gallons of oil a day are spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.  We are all astonished by this thought and the fact that we are largely helpless to stop it.  But nutrients have been pouring into the Chesapeake, its rivers and streams for decades now.  Its effects are more subtle than the startling images of oil-soaked birds and wildlife; yet nitrogen and other pollutants strangle the very life-blood out of the Chesapeake and the economy of the region. The federal government is finally starting to realize the devastating impact that decades of neglect and misuse have had on the waters of the Chesapeake."

Johnson said:  "Unlike a disaster situation, preventing more of this pollution from happening in the first place is a far better and more cost-effective solution.  The Chesapeake Clean Water Act (S.1816) introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland will provide the tools and resources to address the persistent pollution plaguing the Chesapeake Bay."

"What happens with this bill will show the concern Americans have for clean water in iconic places like the Chesapeake or the Gulf Coast.  Passage of this bill depends on the support of citizens across the country, and now is finally the time to demand clean water."

ABOUT CHOOSE CLEAN WATER COALITION AND RESTORING OUR WATERS CAMPAIGN

The Choose Clean Water coalition brings together people and more than 130 organizations from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, working together to help everyone in the region choose clean water.  www.choosecleanwater.org

The Restoring Our Waters campaign was launched in June 2010 to build the national case for support of the Chesapeake Bay as an Iconic American Waterway.  www.restoringourwaters.org

SOURCE Choose Clean Water Coalition, Annapolis, MD