Sponsors (5)
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Christopher Van Hollen · Last progress April 10, 2025
The bill expands public access, preservation, and coordinated federal stewardship of Chesapeake Bay resources and creates advisory and planning structures, but at the cost of increased federal influence, potential restrictions on land transactions, and likely new expenses and administrative burdens for taxpayers, governments, and some private partners.
Residents and visitors in Maryland and Virginia gain expanded public access to and long‑term preservation of Chesapeake Bay natural, cultural, and recreational resources through the new National Recreation Area, land transfers, donations, and partnership agreements.
Federal coordination and transparency improve (clear boundary map on file, Federal Register notice, a federally prepared management plan), enabling more coherent stewardship among the NPS, Chesapeake Bay Program, and Chesapeake Gateways.
State and local partners, nonprofits, and communities gain increased capacity and potential federal support for site restoration, interpretation, education, and tourism—helping preserve sites and promote public use.
Taxpayers, federal employees, and state/local governments could face substantial new costs for land acquisition, site remediation and restoration, ongoing operations, staffing, and federally supported partnerships—especially given an open 'such sums as are necessary' authorization.
Restrictions on how lands may be acquired (donation-only within the boundary and prohibition on condemnation) and limits on selling land to NPS can constrain local revenue options and slow or block assembling parcels needed for effective park management.
Cross-references and formal ties to federal Bay and Gateways programs, plus public‑access requirements, could expand federal influence over local land and water uses and restrict private partners or nearby property owners.
Based on analysis of 9 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Chesapeake Bay National Recreation Area once sufficient land is acquired; sets acquisition rules, planning requirements, and an advisory commission, and makes Gateways funding permanently authorized.
Creates a new National Recreation Area covering parts of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in Maryland and Virginia once the Interior Secretary acquires enough land or interests and publishes notice. It sets rules for land acquisition (no eminent domain), coordinates park management with existing Chesapeake Bay programs, requires a management plan and transportation planning, makes permanent the grant authorization for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways program, and establishes a 19-member advisory commission to guide planning and property recommendations.