Chesapeake Bay Milestones

Overview

Rain Garden
Planting rain gardens is just one of many best management practices (BMPs) included in two-year milestones to restore the Chesapeake Bay.
 
EPA and the Bay jurisdictions have adopted extensive measures to ensure accountability for reducing pollution and meeting target dates for progress under the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Bay jurisdictions include Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. The TMDL is being implemented using an accountability that guides restoration efforts.

As part of this accountability framework, EPA and the Bay jurisdictions agreed to develop short-term goals, called milestones, to increase restoration work and ensure progress. The two-year milestones represent key check-in points on the way to having all pollution reduction measures in place by 2025 to restore the Bay and its tidal rivers. By 2017, controls should be in place that would achieve 60 percent of the necessary pollutant reductions.


In the past, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership had set one overall pollution reduction goal for cleaning up the Bay a decade or more in the future. The CBP partnership found these long term goals difficult to meet and decided to identify short term goals needed to make steady progress. Two-year milestones provide greater specificity of load reductions, more rigorous assurances that load reductions will be achieved, and more transparent reporting to the public.

In January 2012, the jurisdictions submitted their first set of two-year milestones as part of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL accountability framework.  These milestones covered the 2012-2013 timeframe.  The jurisdictions will develop subsequent milestones every two years.  The jurisdictions did develop milestones in 2009 prior to the issuance of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL.

In addition, federal agencies contribute to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed through implementation of the federal strategy called for in Executive Order 13508. Federal agencies, including EPA, set two-year milestones with the specific charge of taking actions that directly support the jurisdictions in restoring water quality.

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Guides

The following is a list of Chesapeake Bay Program partnership-approved documents to guide the development, evaluation, and the schedule and timing for two-year milestones.

2024-2025 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the draft 2024-2025 milestone commitments and final 2022-2023 reported progress for the Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions, Conowingo, and federal agencies. Jurisdictions, the Conowingo Steering Committee, and federal agenciesare expected to post milestone documents online by January 31, 2024. To view EPA's evaluation of the prior round of milestone commitments (2022-2023), go to the EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

2022-2023 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the draft 2022-2023 milestone goals and reported progress during the milestone period for the jurisdictions and federal agencies. Starting in 2022, milestones for the Conowingo WIP were submitted. Jurisdictions, the Conowingo Steering Committee, and federal agencies have until January 31, 2022 to post milestone documents online. To view EPA's evaluation of the 2020-2021 milestones, go to the EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

2020-2021 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the 2020-2021 milestone goals and reported progress during the milestone period for the jurisdictions and federal agencies. To view EPA's evaluation of the 2020-2021 milestones, go to the EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

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2018-2019 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the 2018-2019 milestone goals and reported progress during the milestone period for the jurisdictions and federal agencies. To view EPA's evaluation of the 2018-2019 milestones, go to theEPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

2016-2017 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the 2016-2017 milestone goals and reported progress during the milestone period for the jurisdictions and federal agencies. To view EPA's evaluation of the 2016-2017 milestones, go to the EPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

2014-2015 Milestones

Click on the links below to view the 2014-2015 milestone goals and reported progress during the milestone period for the jurisdictions and federal agencies. To view EPA's evaluation of the 2014-2015 milestones, go to theEPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

2012-2013 Milestones

Click the links below to view the 2012-2013 milestones for the jurisdictions and federal agencies.  To view EPA's evaluations of the 2012-2013 milestones, go to ourEPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.


2009-2011 Milestones

Click the link below to view the 2009-2011 milestones for the jurisdictions and federal agencies.  To view EPA's evaluations of the 2009-2011 milestones, go to ourEPA Oversight of Watershed Implementation Plans and Milestones page.

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Jurisdiction Contacts

Please contact one of the jurisdiction staff members below if you have any questions regarding the development of the Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs).

NameJurisdictionAffiliationEmail AddressPhone Number
Holly WalkerDelawareDelaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)Holly.Walker@delaware.gov302-739-9922
Chris BroschDelawareDelaware Department of Agriculturechris.brosch@state.de.us302-698-4555
George OnyulloDistrict of ColumbiaDepartment of Energy and Environment (DOEE)george.onyullo@dc.gov202-727-6529
Dinorah DalmasyMarylandMaryland Department of the Environment (MDE)dinorah.dalmasy@maryland.gov410-537-3699
Greg SandiMarylandMaryland Department of the Environment (MDE)gregorio.sandi@maryland.gov410-537-3742
Lauren TownleyNew YorkNew York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC)lauren.townley@dec.ny.gov518-402-8383
Jill WhitcombPennsylvaniaPennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)jiwhitcomb@pa.gov717-783-5205
Kristen WolfPennsylvaniaPennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)kwolf@state.pa.us717-772-1675

Megan Bascone

Kevin McLean

VirginiaVirginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ)

Megan.Bascone@deq.virginia.gov  


Kevin.McLean@deq.virginia.gov     

804-659-1381

804-664-2483
Scott SettleWest VirginiaWest Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP)dallas.s.settle@wv.gov304-575-2015 ext. 1020
Dave MontaliWest VirginiaTetra Tech/West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP)dave.montali@tetratech.com304-414-0054

Jill Whitcomb

Conowingo

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)

jiwhitcomb@pa.gov

717-783-5205

Matt Rowe

 Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)matthew.rowe@maryland.gov410-537-3578

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Last updated on January 6, 2025