The U.S. Senate could soon consider a bill establishing a Chesapeake National Recreation Area after the item received committee approval earlier this week.

The bill, introduced in July 2023 by Maryland lawmakers, would place an array of new and existing Chesapeake Bay sites under the National Park Service umbrella. After unanimously passing the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Nov. 19, the bill’s next step would be the Senate floor, where a vote has yet to be scheduled.

In a joint statement, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who introduced the legislation alongside Rep. John Sarbanes, said that he was “thrilled” about the committee vote.

“Designating a unified National Recreation Area will be an enormous step toward celebrating the regional stories that have shaped our nation’s history, advancing the conservation goals of existing Bay programs, driving economic growth and ensuring equitable access to the outdoors,” Sarbanes said.

The legislation would authorize the Park Service to acquire by voluntary sale or donationthe Burtis House, Whitehall and Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in Annapolis and the North Beach of Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. The bill’s introduction came after a public comment period on draft legislation.

Some modifications were made to the bill in its committee. One change would expedite future additions to the National Recreation Area, if the bill is passed, according to a news release from Van Hollen’s office.

It would allow the National Park Service to study new sites once they are identified by an Advisory Commission, rather than needing Congress to authorize study of potential new sites. Congress would still need to authorize the addition of new sites to the area.

An array of environmental advocacy groups cheered the passage of the bill in committee, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Choose Clean Water Coalition.

Joel Dunn, president and CEO of the Chesapeake Conservancy, said the CNRA would be a “great gift to future generations” after decades of work.

“This is a great day for the Chesapeake Bay, with another step forward in the four-decade effort to establish National Park Service recognition for the nation’s largest estuary,” Dunn said. “The Chesapeake Bay is as spectacular as Yellowstone or Yosemite, as great as the Great Smokies and as grand as the Grand Tetons.”

The National Parks Conservation Association, based in Washington, D.C., has also backed the bill.

“The natural beauty and significant history of the Chesapeake Bay should be protected for all to know, and for many more visitors to explore,” wrote its President and CEO Theresa Pierno. “The watershed has sustained Tribal nations for centuries, is home to thousands of plant and animal species, and is rooted in some of our most consequential American history.”

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