WASHINGTON – This week, more than 100 clean-water advocates traveled to Washington DC, urging lawmakers to increase funding for clean water in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
For the past two years, the Trump administration has either proposed cuts or zeroed-out funding the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program. This year, the Choose Clean Water Coalition, which has fought against those cutbacks, is aiming higher by asking Congress to fund the program at $90 million, instead of its usual request for $73 million.
Coalition Director Chanté Coleman says this is the first increase request since 2015.
"It's really, really critical this year that we get additional funding, because there are certain triggers happening with the Chesapeake Bay right now that are threatening to stall all the progress that we've been making,” says Coleman. “These are issues like climate change, which is causing flooding and more severe storms."
The coalition – made up of more than 230 nonprofit organizations – managed to convince a bipartisan group of lawmakers to maintain funding in last year's omnibus spending bill.
It's a two-step process for increasing what's considered the core part of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup effort. The funds would first have to be approved by a policy committee, and then the Appropriations Committee would take up the $90 million request.
Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen sits on both committees, but says the increase will still be a challenge because of a tight federal budget.
"We believe have some added urgency to increasing the number,” says Van Hollen. “And that's because of the situation where the Susquehanna River comes into the Chesapeake Bay, there's the Conowingo Dam, where more sediment, more nutrients are flowing over the dam."
Despite that setback, Coleman says the cleanup is showing significant progress including what she calls the largest resurgence of underwater grasses anywhere in the world, providing safe habitat for species like the blue crab.
"Because we're seeing the results of our efforts, the Bay is getting cleaner, water clarity is improving, water quality is improving,” says Coleman. “If we don't receive this funding, then the chances of it stalling the Bay cleanup are higher."
The coalition also asked for increased funding for the Bay's trails program, as well as conservation programs in the newest Farm Bill to support responsible farming practices to minimize farm runoff.
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This weekend, Virginians will participate with other birders around the world in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Thousands of birding enthusiasts count birds seen in their local areas, even within walking distance of their home or in sight of their bird feeders. People need to watch birds for 15 minutes in one location and submit their identified birds to e-bird, a database developed by the Cornell Ornithology Lab and the National Audubon Society.
Max Goldman, statewide access coordinator for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, said it is important to count birds during the winter months. Traditionally, he said, conservation efforts have only focused on breeding times in the spring.
"Wintering kind of fell by the wayside for a long time, even though, from a conservation perspective, you have to have areas for these birds to spend each part of their life cycle over a year," Goldman explained. "If one of those areas is threatened for whatever reason -- the resources are threatened or the area itself disappears -- then you've got a real problem with the survivability of those species."
In 2024, more than 200 countries participated in the count, identifying nearly 8,000 species of birds worldwide.
Nearly 650,000 people participated in last year's bird count, which is three times the number of people who took part a decade ago.
Goldman noted the count works well for those who are just getting started in their interest in birds.
"It's a really interesting way for people who are new birders to report the birds that are in their backyard or that are in the areas that they already go," Goldman pointed out. "Focus on birds during a time of year when they otherwise wouldn't and to contribute to a really robust, large and important data set."
From the 2023 to 2024 counts, 45% of countries saw a 100% increase in submissions.
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This weekend, birders across the world, including in Maryland, will participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Thousands of birding enthusiasts count birds seen in their local areas, even within walking distance of their home. People taking part watch birds for at least 15 minutes in one location and submit their identified birds to e-bird, a database developed by the Cornell Ornithology Lab and the National Audubon Society.
Gabriel Foley, executive director of the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership, said the count serves as a good way to understand local bird populations before the large springtime migrations.
"The fact that migration is not occurring during the timing of this makes a big difference," Foley explained. "It's pretty much just to be able to compare this little snapshot of population from year to year."
In 2024, more than 200 countries participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count, identifying nearly 8,000 species of birds worldwide.
Nearly 650,000 people participated in last year's bird count, three times the number of people who participated just a decade ago. Foley added the count is a great way to expand opportunities for less mobile communities to participate in bird conservation efforts.
"Anybody can be involved," Foley pointed out. "It doesn't matter how old you are. It's a great opportunity, especially because it tends to be centered around home, for young folks and older folks, who might have access issues, getting out into places where other bird counts happen."
From the 2023 to 2024 counts, 45% of countries saw a 100% increase in submissions.
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Grasslands are considered a vital component of South Dakota's landscape. But on the heels of new research, an expert suggests they might not fare as well if the rate of drought patterns keeps intensifying.
Scott Collins, a University of New Mexico biology professor, helped co-author a new study that compared grasslands in North America and China, and their ability to recover from a drought. He said the areas they looked at in the United States performed better, despite some being in drier climates.
However, Collins warned that research is still evolving, and said if a warming planet produces more droughts, this is something grassland-heavy regions need to pay close attention to.
"Grasslands are underappreciated. They store a lot of carbon, they harbor a lot of biodiversity," he said. "We really need to think about their future under the climate regimes we're anticipating."
Research authors have said these findings could have broad implications for land management practices under the threat of climate change. Collins said South Dakota's grasslands are more comparable to China's than to the southern Plains states they studied. That means their productivity might suffer more if future drought predictions are accurate.
Collins said the group of researchers who teamed up for this project looked at impacts based on just one drought cycle. No matter how sensitive a grassland is to these conditions, he said, prolonged stretches of no rain -- with few gaps in between -- will eventually overwhelm the vegetation.
"As that happens," he added, "then you'll see a dramatic decline in production, and probably substantial changes in the composition of those grasses. "
Grasslands also contribute to agriculture, especially for livestock grazing. Such groups as the South Dakota Grasslands Coalition are working with area farmers to prepare for these scenarios. That includes tips from experts on how to better manage cattle on drought-stricken lands.
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