RD352 - Annual Report on the Implementation of Virginia's Tributary Strategies


Executive Summary:
This report fulfills the requirements of § 2.2-220 whereby the Secretary of Natural Resources must prepare an annual report detailing the “progress made in the development of each [tributary strategy] plan.”

The cleanup goals and remediation plans for the Bay and tidal rivers have evolved greatly since the first Chesapeake Bay Agreement was signed in 1983. Our efforts to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution have become increasingly refined with the adoption of the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement, 1992 amendments and, ultimately, the landmark Chesapeake 2000 Agreement which details more than 100 specific commitments to restore the health of the Bay and rivers.

The original Tributary Strategies, finalized in the late 1990s should be viewed as dynamic plans that have evolved over time to accommodate our heightened understanding of the Bay system and the pollutants impacting its health. In 2007, Virginia’s clean-up strategies will become increasingly focused as a result of HB1150 – passed into law during the 2006 legislative session. The Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Waters Clean-up and Oversight Act requires the Secretary of Natural Resources to develop a comprehensive plan for the clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia waters designated as impaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The initial plan is due to the General Assembly by January 1, 2007 with implementation progress updates submitted semi-annually. The plan must address both point and nonpoint sources of pollution and include, at a minimum: 1) measurable and attainable objectives, 2) a description of implementation strategies, 3) timeframes for accomplishing objectives, 4) defined, prioritized and sufficiently funded programs of work, 5) an expenditure plan, 6) identification of problem areas, 7) risk mitigation strategies, 8) coordination between state and local government, 9) exploration of alternative funding mechanisms and 10) legislative recommendations.

At the time of the writing of this 2006 Tributary Strategy Annual Report, the Secretary of Natural Resources Office and numerous state agencies were compiling the first version of the HB1150 clean-up plan for submittal to the legislature. It is envisioned that future Tributary Strategy Annual Reports will be encompassed within the semiannual HB1150 Clean- up Plan Progress Reports.

The following pages detail the implementation actions that have occurred since the submittal of the 2005 Tributary Strategy Annual Report to further reduce the nutrient and sediment pollution entering the Bay and Tidal rivers from both point and nonpoint sources.