Senator Martin and I plan to introduce a resolution designating the week of June 2-8, 2024, as “Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week” in Pennsylvania.
 
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest and most productive bay in the United States, with a 64,000 square mile watershed spanning six states and the District of Columbia, including half of our Commonwealth. Its largest tributary, the Susquehanna River, provides 50 percent of the Bay’s fresh water. 
 
Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay provide an important source of drinking water and recreational fishing and boating for Pennsylvanians.  By promoting the water quality in Pennsylvania, the overall health of the Bay will continue to improve, and vice versa.
 
2024 begins the fifth decade of the Chesapeake Bay Program, a partnership between the watershed states, the federal government, and the Chesapeake Bay Commission that coordinates science and policy across jurisdictions.
 
All residents of Pennsylvania are encouraged to commemorate Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week with events and educational programs designed to increase the awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to Pennsylvania, the region, and the United States.
 
Please join us in recognizing this important national treasure.
 
Thank you for your consideration.