How to help the environment: 1) push to increase funding for water infrastructure in the Chesapeake Bay and 2) dive into environmental initiatives and issues in Virginia. 

Hey Bay, (Chesapeake) Bay

Drainage ditches (like this one in Waipahu, Hawaii), storm drains, and outfalls are all water infrastructure projects that need to be updated over time to meet community and climate needs. Photo Credit: Emily Foppe

Water infrastructure includes water supply, flood management, proper sewage and drainage systems, and coastal restoration infrastructure. Investing in this infrastructure, according to Chesapeake Bay Foundation, would restore the environment, improve public health and create green jobs.  For these reasons and more, the American Rescue Plan has allocated approximately $4.3 billion to Virginia for legislators to determine how to use.

When it comes to spending federal funds in Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has powerful recommendations that would create vast, long-lasting benefits. Did you know, over half of Virginia resides in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (i.e., a drainage area that leads to a body of water)? This means initiatives that are good for the Bay are good for Virginia! So much so that the City of Fairfax has its own comprehensive Chesapeake Preservation Plan. This plan serves as a planning tool and also a reference for your local water resource (see figure A2; p.11 on PDF, p.159 on document). Investing in Chesapeake Bay infrastructure would consequently be an investment in our local water resources. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s recommendations center around 1) upgrades to storm and wastewater infrastructure to keep pollution out of the natural environment and 2) utilizing trees as green infrastructure to help reduce costly flooding, pollution transport and lower temperatures. Check out their recommendations in more detail with the above links and make sure you tell Congress where you think funding should go!

VA Got Issues (& Policy Solutions)

Virginia Conservation Network (VCN), a network of conservation partners from across the Commonwealth, recently released the annual Common Agenda for 2022. This agenda outlines conservation issues in Virginia and establishes state-specific policy solutions that are short and sweet. Each environmental issue is discussed in two pages, including an executive summary, presentation of challenges, solutions, and policy recommendations. Clean Fairfax is a Partner of VCN and has previously co-authored briefing book papers on plastic and litter pollution. The Common Agenda is quite the detailed resource (152 pages!), so take a quick read over a few of our favorite topics, including 1) Tackling Polluted Stormwater Runoff and Restoring Local Water Quality, 2) Reducing Single-Use Plastic (p. 5-6), Litter, and Marine Debris in Virginia (p. 11-12), and 3) Ensuring Accountability in the Chemical Conversion Industry (p. 109-110). Happy reading!