ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY EPA GOAL IMPLEMENTATION TEAM GIT

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) GOAL IMPLEMENTATION TEAM (GIT) PROGRAM 1

OVERVIEW OF EPA GIT PROGRAM The Chesapeake Bay Trust has been designated to receive federal funds from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the Chesapeake Bay Program Goal Implementation Team (GIT) Project Initiative. The work funded by this initiative advances outcomes identified in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. 2

OVERVIEW OF EPA GIT PROGRAM In 2015, the Trust was awarded a 5 -yr cooperative agreement with the EPA: total estimated funding for five years was $3, 500, 000 to $4, 500, 000, with an estimated $700, 000 to $900, 000 per year In 2020, the Trust was awarded a NEW 5 -yr cooperative agreement: Same funding as 2015 Each year, certain outcomes are chosen by the Chesapeake Bay Program as top priorities to address This program funds contractors to provide technical assistance to support Chesapeake Bay Program goals and outcomes. The Trust provides support to complete the projects that address outcomes. 3

OVERVIEW OF EPA GIT PROGRAM Each year project scopes are formulated through the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program’s GITs, on which several Trust staff serve as collaborators. Each of the project scopes support one of the outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. A Request for Ideas (RFI) is released by EPA each Spring to the GITs to ask for new projects ideas. The ideas are internally vetted by EPA and the Trust and the best ideas get refined into detailed scopes. Scopes for each year are bundled into one Request for Proposals (RFP) released by the Trust each winter. Each year, between 9 and 16 different Scopes are included in the RFP. Applicants submit a proposal to the Trust for one or more of the Scopes in the RFP. We are currently developing new ideas for 2021 projects! 4

GOAL IMPLEMENTATION TEAMS (GITS) Sustainable Fisheries (GIT 1) Habitat (GIT 2) Water Quality (GIT 3) Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT 4) Fostering Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT 5) Enhance Partnering, Leadership and Management (GIT 6) Scientific, Technical Assessment and Reporting (STAR) 5

REVIEW OF AWARDED SCOPES BY GIT Total Number of Scopes (2014 -2020) 11 GIT Number Sustainable Fisheries (GIT 1) 14 Habitat (GIT 2) 10 Water Quality (GIT 3) 9 Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT 4 ) 16 Fostering Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT 5) Enhance Partnering, Leadership and Management (GIT 6) Scientific, Technical Assessment and Reporting (STAR) TOTAL 6 9 75 Total Contract Value of all Scopes (2014 -2020) $719, 021 $703, 882 $695, 823 $485, 075 $913, 614 $246, 890 $623, 105 $4, 387, 409 6

Number and Contract Value of Scopes by Goal Implementation Team (2014 -2020) 18 16 16 10 $900, 000 14 14 12 $1, 000 11 $800, 000 $700, 000 10 9 9 8 6 6 $600, 000 $500, 000 $400, 000 $300, 000 4 $200, 000 2 $100, 000 0 $0 Sustainable Habitat (GIT 2) Water Quality Fisheries (GIT 3) 1) Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT 4) Total Number of Scopes (2014 -2020) Fostering Enhance Scientific, Chesapeake Partnering, Technical Stewardship Leadership and Assessment (GIT 5) Management and Reporting (GIT 6) (STAR) Total Contract Value of all Scopes (2014 -2020) 7

GIT 1 – Sustainable Fisheries Outcome Blue Crab Abundance Outcome Blue Crab Management Outcome Forage Fish Outcome Oyster Restoration Outcome Fish Habitat Outcome Description Maintain a sustainable blue crab population based on the current 2012 target of 215 million adult females. Refine population targets through 2025 Manage for a stable and productive crab fishery including working with the industry, recreational crabbers and other stakeholders to improve commercial and recreational harvest accountability. Evaluate the establishment of a Bay-wide, management framework with annual levels set by the jurisdictions for the purpose of accounting for and adjusting harvest by each jurisdiction. Improve the partnership’s capacity to understand the role of forage fish populations in the Chesapeake Bay. By 2016, develop a strategy for assessing the forage fish base available as food for predatory species in the Chesapeake Bay. Increase finfish and shellfish habitat and water quality benefits from restored oyster populations. Restore native oyster habitat and populations in 10 tributaries by 2025 and ensure their protection. Improve effectiveness of fish habitat conservation and restoration efforts by identifying and characterizing critical spawning, nursery and forage areas within the Bay and use existing and new tools to integrate information and conduct assessments to inform restoration and conservation efforts. 8

GIT 1 – Sustainable Fisheries: AWARDED Year Scope Description 2014 -2015 Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC) Research Needs 2014 -2015 Forage fish indicator/metric development 2014 -2015 2016 Striped bass health indicator development Drivers of forage population trends and consumption patterns 2017 Shell/habitat dynamics in oyster restoration and fishery management 2017 Evaluation of environmental factors influencing blue crab populations 2018 Establishing a Shoreline Condition Metric or Threshold 2018 Development of a Long-Term Oyster Monitoring Plan 2019 An ecosystem approach to living shorelines project design 2019 Support for Inventory & Evaluation of Environmental and Biological Response Data for Fish Habitat Assessment 2019 Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass Nursery Habitat Assessment 9

GIT 2 – Habitat Outcomes Outcome Description Increase capacity of wetlands to provide water quality and habitat benefits. Create or reestablish 85, 000 acres of tidal and non-tidal wetlands and enhance Wetlands Outcome function of an additional 150, 000 acres of degraded wetlands by 2025. FOCUS: agricultural or natural landscapes. Restore, enhance and preserve wetland habitats that support a wintering Black Duck Outcome population of 100, 000 black ducks, a species representative of the health of tidal marshes across the watershed. Refine population target Improve stream health and function throughout the watershed. Improve health Stream Health Outcome and function of ten percent of stream Restore and sustain brook trout populations in Chesapeake headwater streams Brook Trout Outcome with an 8% percent increase in occupied habitat. Increase available habitat to support sustainable migratory fish populations in Chesapeake Bay freshwater rivers and streams. Restore historical fish migratory Fish Passage Outcome routes by opening 1, 000 additional stream miles, with focus on alewife, blueback herring, American shad, hickory shad, American eel and brook trout Sustain and increase the habitat benefits of SAV in the Bay. Achieve and sustain Submerged Aquatic the ultimate outcome of 185, 000 acres of SAV Bay-wide necessary for a Vegetation (SAV) Outcome restored Bay. 10

GIT 2 – Habitat: AWARDED Year 2014 -2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Scope Description Accelerate wetland restoration in support of WIPs / GIT integration Culvert Assessments for Fish Passage in Priority Watersheds Development of a decision support tool to inform black duck wintering habitat delivery goals taking current and future landscape conditions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed Watershed group and Citizen Monitoring of Fish Habitat/SAV Updates to the Chesapeake Fish Passage Tool Increasing landowner participation in wetland restoration programs – information access and program cross-training Assessing Multifunctional Riparian Forest Buffer Benefits Targeted Outreach for Wetland Protection and Restoration Review of Statutes and Regulations that Protect Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay Development of Citizen Scientist Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Protocol/Manual and Training/Certification Program Culvert Assessments for Fish Passage and Sediment in the Opequon Watershed of WV Targeted Local Outreach for Green Infrastructure in Vulnerable Areas Development of the "Maryland Stream Crossing Design Guidance: A Fish-Friendly Stream Crossing Design Handbook" Development of Technical Guidance Manual and Outreach Materials for Small-scale SAV Restoration in Chesapeake Bay and its Tidal Tributaries 11

GIT 3 – Water Quality Outcomes Outcome Forest Buffers Outcome Tree Canopy Outcome 2017 Watershed Implementation Plans Outcome 2025 Watershed Implementation Plans Outcome Water Quality Standards Attainment and Monitoring Outcome Description Increase capacity of forest buffers to provide water quality and habitat benefits throughout the watershed. Restore 900 miles per year of forest buffer and conserve existing buffers Increase urban tree canopy capacity to provide air quality, water quality and habitat benefits. Expand urban tree canopy by 2, 400 acres by 2025 By 2017, have practices and controls in place that are expected to achieve 60 percent of the nutrient and sediment pollution load reductions By 2025, have all practices and controls installed to achieve the Bay’s dissolved oxygen, water clarity/submerged aquatic vegetation and chlorophyll a standards Improve the capacity to monitor and assess the effects of management actions being undertaken to implement the Bay TMDL and improve water quality. Increase understanding of the impacts for toxic contaminants. Develop a research agenda and characterize the occurrence, concentrations, sources and effects of mercury, PCBs and other contaminants of emerging concern Reduce and prevent the effects of toxic contaminants below levels that harm Toxic Contaminants Policy aquatic systems and humans. Evaluate policies, programs and practices for other and Prevention Outcome contaminants that need to be further reduced or eliminated Toxic Contaminants Research Outcome 12

GIT 3 – Water Quality: AWARDED Year 2016 2018 Scope Description Quantify BMP Impact on each Management Strategy Targeted Outreach Tools for Fish Consumption Advisories in Diverse Chesapeake Bay Communities Assessing Benefits of Wastewater Treatment Plant Nutrient Control Upgrades on Toxic Contaminants Development of Chesapeake Bay Technology Assessment Protocol for Manufactured Stormwater Treatment Devices Feasibility Study for Voluntary Phase-Out of PCBs in Current Use Integrating monitoring, modeling and trends analyses to inform management decisions 2018 2019 Crafting Guidance for Enhanced Treatment by Roadside Ditch Management Practices Turf to Buffers Stewardship Campaign for Bay Counties 2019 Piloting the Development of Probabilistic Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) Curves for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed 2017 2019 Correctional Conservation Collaborative 13

GIT 4 – Maintain Healthy Watersheds Outcome Description Ensure 100% of state-identified currently healthy waters and watersheds remain healthy. Improve the knowledge of land conversion and the associated impacts Land Use Methods and throughout the watershed. Develop watershed-wide methodology and metrics Metrics Development for characterizing the rate of farmland, forest and wetland conversion. Launch Outcome a public awareness campaign to share this information with local governments, elected officials and stakeholders. Evaluate policy options, incentives and planning tools to reduce the rate of Land Use Options Evaluation conversion of agricultural lands, forests and wetlands. Strategies should be Outcome developed for supporting local governments’ and others’ efforts 14

GIT 4 – Maintain Healthy Watersheds: AWARDED Year 2014 -2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Scope Description Identification of additional healthy watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed portion of West Virginia Healthy Watersheds Forest/TMDL Project Phase II Evaluation of Land Use policy options, incentives and planning tools to reduce the rate of conversion of agricultural lands, forest and wetlands. Methodology for developing high-resolution stream and waterbody datasets for the Chesapeake Bay watershed RFP 3 Preliminary State-Identified Healthy Watersheds Vulnerability Assessments for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (RFP 1 and 2 - Back Creek Watershed Demo- Getting Water Off of the Road) Healthy Watersheds TMDL Forest/Conserved Lands Retention Study: Phase III Chesapeake Watershed Conservation Finance Intensive Workshop Scope 1: Improving Technical Service Delivery to Private Landowner Implementation of Chesapeake Healthy Watersheds Assessment in Maryland’s Tier II watersheds 15

GIT 5 – Fostering Stewardship Outcomes Outcome Description Identify minority stakeholder groups not currently represented in the Diversity Outcome leadership, decision making and implementation of conservation and restoration activities. Create meaningful opportunities and programs. Protect an additional two million acres of lands throughout the watershed Protected Lands Outcome —including 225, 000 acres of wetlands and 695, 000 acres of forest land of highest value for maintaining water quality. Develop an approach to environmental literacy for all students that Environmental Literacy includes policies, practices and voluntary metrics that support the Planning Outcome environmental literacy Goals and Outcomes of this Agreement. Public Access Site Add 300 new public access sites, with a strong emphasis on providing Development Outcome opportunities for boating, swimming and fishing, where feasible. Increase student understanding of the watershed through participation in Student Outcome teacher-supported, meaningful watershed educational experiences in elementary, middle and high school Sustainable Schools Increase the number of schools that reduce the impact of their buildings Outcome and grounds, including student-led protection and restoration projects. 16

GIT 5 – Fostering Stewardship: AWARDED Year 2014 -2015 2016 Scope Description Leveraging local lessons and development of a crowd sourced database to promote shared outreach and marketing case studies, results, and materials Development of baseline indicator of citizen stewardship Public Access Data Quality Assurance and Application Integration 2016 Development of Baseline Indicator of Citizen Stewardship 2017 2018 Environmental Justice Screen Phase III: Development of Baseline Indicator of Citizen Stewardship Promoting Meaningful Stormwater Mitigation on Urban/Suburban School Grounds MWEE Guide 2. 0 Implementation Support for Chesapeake Bay Program Cultural Competency, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Capacity Building, Training and Tools Development Interactive Online Tool for Citizen Stewardship Data Use and Analysis Behavior Change Training & Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Pilot Implementation Scenic Landscape Impact Assessment Methodology Development of methods for data collection of a Chesapeake Bay Protected Lands indicator Quantify and support BMP installation and restoration at schools to contribute directly to Bay restoration goals Developing a Regional Outdoor Learning Network to Support MWEE Implementation Increasing Diversity in the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership through Cultural Competency Training 2018 2019 2019 17

GIT 6 - Enhance Partnering, Leadership and Management Outcomes Outcome Description Increase knowledge and capacity of local officials on issues related to water Local Leadership Outcome resources and in the implementation of economic and policy incentives that will support local conservation actions. 18

GIT 6 - Enhance Partnering, Leadership and Management: AWARDED Year 2014 -2015 2016 2017 Scope Description Assessment of Local Leadership Development Programs Designing a Watershed Education Program for Local Elected Officials Implementation Support for Local Official Watershed Education and Capacity Building 2018 Strategy Review System (SRS) Finance Forum – Meeting Planning & Support 2018 2019 Strategy Review System (SRS) Finance Forum – Expert Consultants Cross-outcome Watershed Educational Materials for Local Governments 19

GIT Scientific, Technical Assessment and Reporting (STAR) Outcomes Outcome Climate Adaptation Outcome Climate Monitoring and Assessment Outcome Description Pursue, design, and construct restoration and protection projects to enhance the resiliency of Bay and aquatic ecosystems from the impacts of coastal erosion, coastal flooding, more intense and more frequent storms and sea-level rise. Monitor and assess the trends and likely impacts of changing climatic and sea level conditions on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, including the effectiveness of restoration and protection policies, programs and projects. 20

GIT STAR: AWARDED Year 2017 Scope Description Summarizing potential benefits of nutrient and sediment practices to reduce toxic contaminants Cross-Goal Climate Resiliency Analysis and Decision-Making Matrix and Implementation Methodology Development of Climate Change Indicators and Metrics for the Chesapeake Bay Program 2018 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Climate Data and Mapping Repository 2019 Pavement Sealant Protocol Development: Identifying New High-Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) Pollution Sources Quantification of the Value of Green Infrastructure Hazard Mitigation Related to Inland Coastal Flooding Pilot a cost effective, real-time DO vertical monitoring system for characterizing mainstem Chesapeake Bay hypoxia* Social Marketing to Improve Shoreline Management Building a Bay-Wide Scorecard to Track Climate Resilience for Watershed Communities 2014 -2015 2016 2019 21