Bay Leaders Charge Chesapeake Bay Program to Formally Engage Tribal Nations in the World's Largest Restoration Initiative

[Our work] would not be complete...without making sure that our tribal lands and our tribal peoples are deeply ingrained with any future vision that we have.”-Gov. Wes Moore, December 2, 2025, Executive Council Meeting

Chief Anne Richardson (Rappahannock), Chief Frank Adams (Upper Mattaponi), Second Assistant Chief Reggie Stewart (Chickahominy), and Tribal Councilwoman Barbara Orf (Nansemond) in a picture with the Executive Council marking the exchange of gifts and the beginning of a true partnership between Tribal Nations, the federal government, states, and Bay leadership in a private ceremony.

A truly meaningful ceremonial exchange of gifts, including Manoomin harvested from the Leech Lake Reservation, sage, and tobacco, between tribal leaders and the leadership across the watershed kicked off a great conference and the meeting of long-term leadership it will take to fully heal the Bay. We envision a world where Tribal Nations and their Indigenous Knowledge works together with western science supports tribal communities in once again eating and sharing the wild rice grown in the Chesapeake that is free of chemicals and pollutants. Check out all the pictures of the event here.

Yesterday's charge signaled that leaders across the watershed agree. The opportunity to infuse Indigenous Knowledge into the Bay movement is exactly why Mission Blue included the Chesapeake Bay as one of its new global Hope Spots this year. 

Sec. Josh Kurtz (Maryland Department of Natural Resources), joins the ICC Board leadership and staff in holding the Mission Blue Hope Spot flag that The Explorer's Club member Kayle Krieg (Ojibwe) brought to celebrate the announcement at the Executive Council meeting as part of the growing momentum happening in the new Chesapeake Bay Hope Spot (Photo credit: Sabine Bailey)

Thank to you Governor Moore for his leadership of the Executive Council, a special big note of gratitude to Sec. Josh Kurtz and his team for all the hard work to get to a revised Agreement and this charge, and thank you to Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his team for starting the ball rolling. We appreciated hearing all the kind words from Bay leadership to say loud and clear how important it is for Tribal Nations to become formal Chesapeake Bay Program Partners. We look forward to sitting down to kick off the next six month process to get real about what this looks like including signatory status, funding, and respect for Indigenous Knowledge. And a warm welcome to Governor Josh Shapiro as the new Chair of the Executive Council!

READ the press release here: https://lnkd.in/e4TEd88b

The meeting in pictures: https://lnkd.in/es5N7ZPw

News stories:

Maryland Matters: https://lnkd.in/ewkSs2Wv

Chesapeake Bay Magazine: https://lnkd.in/eWVspdbk

CBS News: https://lnkd.in/edfdvftC