U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Jonathan Doherty National Park Service

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Jonathan DohertyJonathan DohertyNational Park Service

Chesapeake Treasured Chesapeake Treasured Landscape InitiativeLandscape Initiative

What are Chesapeake What are Chesapeake landscapes?landscapes?

Blackwater

Great Falls of the Potomac

Lancaster County Pennsylvania

Susquehanna Water Gap

Shenandoah Valley

Eastern Shore

Tidewater Virginia

Tangier Island

Why Treasured?Why Treasured?

Heritage

Tradition

History

Wildlife

Health

Recreation

Sense of Place

• 51 Units of the National Park System

• 4 National Trails

• 171 Chesapeake Bay Gateways

Why the National Park Service?Why the National Park Service?

Executive Order 13508 Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

• Protect an additional 2 million acresProtect an additional 2 million acres of lands of lands currently identified as high conservation priorities at the currently identified as high conservation priorities at the local, state or federal level by 2025, including 695,000 acres local, state or federal level by 2025, including 695,000 acres of forest land of highest value for maintaining water quality. of forest land of highest value for maintaining water quality. (Current condition: approximately 7.8 million acres (Current condition: approximately 7.8 million acres protected watershed-wide)protected watershed-wide)

• Increase public access to the Bay and its tributaries by Increase public access to the Bay and its tributaries by

adding adding 300 new public access sites300 new public access sites by 2025. by 2025. (Current condition: 754 public sites in DC, MD, PA, VA)(Current condition: 754 public sites in DC, MD, PA, VA)

Chesapeake Treasured Landscape InitiativeGoals

Chesapeake Treasured Landscape InitiativeAction Overview – Land Conservation & Public Access

• Launch Chesapeake Treasured Landscape Initiative.• Coordinate and target federal land conservation funding.• Identify culturally significant landscapes.• Establish watershed-wide GIS-based land conservation targeting system.• Conserve landscapes through National Park Service partnership areas.• Consider a new unit of the National Park System for Chesapeake.• Achieve conservation goals through Nat’l Wildlife Refuge partnerships.• Develop a Bay-wide strategy to reduce the loss of farms and forests.• Support creation and expansion of protected coastal and marine areas.• Provide community assistance for landscape conservation.• Develop integrated transportation, land use, housing and infrastructure plans.• Develop a plan to expand public access.• Prioritize funding for public access development.

• Focus partners’ land conservation fundingFocus partners’ land conservation funding

• Foster strategic coordinationFoster strategic coordination

• Incorporate all local, state and federal prioritiesIncorporate all local, state and federal priorities

• Build on existing work Build on existing work

Chesapeake Treasured Landscape InitiativeLand Conservation Targeting System

Coastal & Estuarine Land Conservation

Program

Wetlands Reserve & Farm & Ranch Lands Protection

Programs



States Counties Protected Lands Virginia Priorities (partial) Maryland Priorities (partial) Pennsylvania Priorities (partial) National Trail Landscapes Public Access Sites

Land Conservation Targeting System















PartnersPartners

EngagingEngaging


Documents

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Jonathan Doherty National Park Service