Healthier Waters for the Chesapeake Blue Crab

Good news for Chesapeake blue crab habitat! A recent court decision supports the historic plan to clean-up the Chesapeake Bay and protect wildlife.

Blue crab, Flickr photo by Jere7my Tho?rpe.
The blue crab or “savory beautiful swimmer” is vulnerable to water pollution and habitat loss. Photo by Jeremy Thorpe/flickr.
Recently, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the historic clean-up plan for the Chesapeake Bay. National Wildlife Federation has supported the Environmental Protection Agency in this lawsuit since it was filed in 2011.

As an angler and a father, I am thrilled that the court ruled in favor of restoring a vibrant Chesapeake Bay and watershed. This decision is a victory for clean water, fishable rivers and safe places for children to swim. —Collin O’Mara, National Wildlife President and CEO.

This win, along with the first anniversary of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement, make it a big month for wildlife like blue crabs that depend on healthy waters in the Chesapeake Bay.  We urged regional leaders – Delaware Governor Markell, Maryland Governor Hogan, Pennsylvania Governor Wolf, Virginia Governor McAuliffe, New York Governor Cuomo, West Virginia Governor Tomlin,  and DC Mayor Bowser – to attend this week’s critical Chesapeake Bay meeting and keep this important work for wildlife going strong.

While the news is good, we are still in need of more progress for wildlife and the Chesapeake Bay!

The National Wildlife Federation-hosted Choose Clean Water Coalition and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation recently released state-level report cards which highlight the places where Bay states are on-track, as well as off-track, on pollution reduction goals. Take a look to see how Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia are doing on planting trees, creating steamside buffers and keeping farm run-off from flowing into the Bay.

Let’s continue the great, collaborative work to protect the Chesapeake’s water and wildlife.