Tribal Lands Make Sense for the Bay

Yesterday, we were delighted to see the first fruits of Tribal Nations' labor projected on the screen of the Chesapeake Bay Program's Management Board meeting: the first time, ever, that tribal lands had explicitly been called out as a critical metric to track for the Program. Currently, the Chesapeake Bay Program is going through the process of revising the overall goals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and is at the stage right now where they are determining whether to update, remove, or merge goals that have been in place since 2014. Did we mention that the Chesapeake Bay Program currently includes zero signatories representing Tribal Nations or incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge? Yes, we're working on that, too:)

Currently the Chesapeake Bay Program is revisiting goals for the next version of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, included goals for protected lands. Tribal Nation members of the ICC voted in February 2025 to engage in this process to include a tribal lands metric for the first time in the program's history.

Why do we need to make a goal for tribal lands?

Quite simply, if you don't measure it, you don't resource it. With a lack of goals ANYWHERE in the Chesapeake Bay watershed for tribal lands, progress has been slow and piece meal. Presently, you can look no further than the Virginia Department of Conservation Resource's own data and find that tribal lands only represent 0.01% of land conserved to date. We have a long way to go. We also think increasing tribal lands is important because study after study shows that land can be managed most effectively and efficiently using Indigenous Knowledge to restore the health and wellness of communities and their lands and waters. Check out the Indigenous Leadership Initiative's toolkit to learn more about the benefits of Indigenous Guardians programs in other landscapes.

Investing in Indigenous conservation is a must-do in a rapidly world and critical for a healthy Bay and community well-being.

We need your help!

We are just beginning in this process and need your help to keep going! If you've ever wondered how you can meaningfully support Indigenous-led conservation, now is the time to weigh in. Please let the Chesapeake Bay Program know that you support updating the protected lands goal and including a Tribal Lands metric for the first time ever! Send your supportive comment to comments@chesapeakebay.net by March 19, 2025.