* [Host] The Chesapeake Bay, an ecological treasure, A complex network of more than streams,and creeks merging, and The 64,000 square mile out six states from New York to Once, the world's most the bay supplied the world with It was home to thousands of seafood industry.

Maryland blue crabs were Record harvests of rockfish, made the bay a fisherman's-- That was then.

No longer the most productive, the world's most studied Chesapeake oyster stocks have of historic levels.

Runoff pollution from nutrients feed huge dead zones in the Marine life.

There is polluted storm water sediment from farm fields, household chemicals.

Eighteen million people now live more are on the way.

Pollution has taken a terrible More than 15 billion dollars trying to clean it up.

There's been some success, For centuries, we've modified drying out wetlands, paving with abandon.

Today, water moves faster than it once did.

Rain and snowmelt rush toward carrying pollution and sediment.

There's a growing understanding the water down and that we'll see a cleaner bay, There is great diversity among and cultures of the bay Six states and 1,800 local each with its own policies It will take partnerships and and bring this national treasure That calls for a different And that's why we're at Maryland Public Television's Good evening, and welcome to 2022 Chesapeake Bay Summit.

I'm your host, Frank Sesno.

This year marks the 50th piece of federal legislation, Shortly after it was passed, the first estuary in the nation and protection.

Five decades later, to restore the bay, but we still The people joining us tonight They understand the complexity and policy, and they care deeply and its rivers.

Our first guest is a Professor and Vice President at the University of for Environmental Science.

His work includes the annual We'll hear more about that Hye Yeong Kwon is Executive for Watershed Protection, dedicated to advancing and healthy ecosystems through and water management.

Mark Conway is Executive for the Chesapeake Conservancy.

In his role, of the Conservation which focuses on data driven He's also, Joining us remotely from is Su Fanok.

She's Director of for the Pennsylvania of The Nature Conservancy.

And back here at MPT, who grew up on Maryland's and has spent the last the Chesapeake Bay.

He's also part of the filmmaking new documentary, Water's Way: It addresses the very issues here tonight.

And speaking of the Bay Journal, in this initiative, thank you And in just a few minutes, the bay watershed and its but first I'd like to ask what they think the most urgent regarding land use in the And Tom, since you've been at that says experience, [Tom Horton] Well, I'm gonna be and say, we urgently need to, beavers, whose species dominated of that watershed for until our species began to [Frank] But what does that mean?

[Tom] Uh, on their watch, On our watch, not so much.

Beavers slowed the water, beavers filtered the water Beavers impounded the water polluting nitrogen back into [Frank] Bill Dennison, [Bill Denison] Well, agriculture needs to be so that we can still have the but do it in a responsible way fertilizer that run off into the that eventually makes it into [Frank] Your top priority is [Bill] Correct?

[Frank] Su Fanok, how about you?

[Su Fanok] I'd have to echo that human based land use in the bay.

It provides the food we eat.

We have some of the most fertile in Pennsylvania for farming.

It's a huge economic revenue And it's also part of I think, the challenge is for clean water, agricultural economy.

[Frank] Interesting balance.

Mark, you have more of so what is your top priority?

[Mark Conway] Yeah, I would say probably our understanding the problem and more up to date data towards being more precise to land use changes.

[Frank] So, where would that What are you talking about?

Just across the board or [Mark] It'd be across the board I think one of the things that in the last 10 years to look at land cover.

Land cover is great.

It tells us, versus a forested area, but That grassy knoll may have and it has a completely on the bay watershed, so.

[Frank] Hye Yeong, [Hye Yeong Kwon] So, I don't I'd agree with everything I think it's important for us think about agriculture and all I agree those are big issues, is there's probably not one to figure out how to restore we want it to be.

That certainly figuring out is important.

I think non-point source in stewardship and you know, and engagement in the So, I'd say, it's a variety of to restore the bay.

[Frank] And when you talk when we use that word, Should that be the objective a lot better and cleaner [Hye Yeong] I'd say the latter.

I think, we can make it I think there are some goals and attain them.

You know...nitrogen, phosphorus Trash is another one.

I think all those are really but I don't think we get to (chuckles) I think it's going ongoing effort to restore [Frank] Surely, especially such a large area... [Hye Yeong] Right.

[Frank] ...such a diverse So, we've got a lot to but before we go much further, how the watershed works.

Picture the watershed with the Chesapeake Bay Water that falls anywhere within whether it's Cooperstown, Virginia's Shenandoah National or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, by gravity seeking the As the water makes its way it either seeps into the ground creeks, rivers, How fast the water move depends and land cover.

Runoff moves rapidly over hitting a forest or a wetland In any watershed, impacts the water quality, in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Here, the land to water the largest of any coastal water In the 1600s, 95 percent of was forested.

That landscape served as together with wetlands and trap nutrients, pollution, It stayed that way for Now, in the 21st century, of the watershed is still wetlands, and forest.

Agriculture is the largest and sediment pollution entering but the right farming practices and even improve water quality.

Things like forested and alongside streams, cover crops that help keep soil, during the off season, from row crops to These things can all bring but these practices can be to agree.

While, scientists have learned there is still much more relationship between the land Each year, the University of a watershed report card We mentioned that earlier.

Bill, you have What are you seeing?

How are we doing?

[Bill] Well, we're The bay itself is improving when we started monitoring Seven out of the 15 reporting improving.

So that's the good news.

The bad news is we're not making in which we need to, that we have in 2025 for the [Frank] So, where are the areas in terms of the rate of [Bill] Most of the improvements the Clean Water Act that was In 1972, we started improving So, anything coming out of and that pipe could either be or the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the catalytic converters, All those inputs have been And we're seeing measurable as a result of that.

Where we're not seeing are the diffuse sources, as we mentioned earlier, [Frank] So, the urban expansion, in the piece just now.

Pictures, make it pretty clear Um, are these changes And maybe we can kick that and Hye Yeong, you want to [Hye Yeong] Yes.

So, are they reversible?

I think to some extent, yes.

Um, you know, studies have some smart growth practices Um, you know, pervious pavers, practices that actually weren't that were starting to put into I do think you can have Can it have-can it, you know, to pre-development, No, probably not.

[Frank] That's not reversible.

[Hye Yeong] Right.

(laughs) [Frank] We can't make cities [Hye Yeong] Right, right, right.

But I do think that there and we could be doing better I think there's practices, that we could do that could help [Frank] So, what kind of, [Hye Yeong] So, the problem with trying to solve that problem is know political boundaries, but the way that we achieve political boundaries.

So, I think one thing would be with the many jurisdictions to restore the Chesapeake Bay.

I think we're at different we've achieved within each um, those types of things.

So that's just one example, [Frank] So Mark, you're in in this great line of work.

Can this be reversed and how do [Mark] Um, I do believe, that it can be partially Um, Of course, the pre-colonial days, that's not going to happen, much smarter about uh, Of course, including how we think about Um, Reducing some of the a lot of that development, where appropriate um, and for increasing population.

Um, you know, I think the there are non-point concerns and of course, Um, being more strategic there, thinking about our parking lots, and how we can strategically opportunity in urban areas.

[Frank] I want to ask you just so we're sure everybody the term impervious surface.

What is it?

[Mark] Impervious surface is penetrate the ground.

These are often our These are our built [Frank] Su, how about from your [Su] Well, I agree with so far.

I mean, thinking about our so they can actually store but I'll also pivot a little stream restoration in that for us to also talk about and how that can be used both as well as the agricultural Um, the legacy of impacts from dredging, channelization, and damning our streams is to really come to better And we're using that to help us is in terms of stream streams for the future, a number of benefits from to places that we can fish [Frank] Tom, what can actually be done?

[Tom] You know, agriculture, from me included, uh, has When I was a kid in the '50s, not just the bay, plowed.

They plowed deeply.

We thought that was Now, everybody knows the They call it no-till, In Maryland, on top of that putting winter Pastured ag operations, that is consistently very [Frank] I just want to put next to this Tom, because with farming or don't they may not appreciate just When you talk about plowing, and you'd see this deep dark turned over.

[Tom] Looks great.

The seagulls are following I love it, yeah.

[Frank] And you're thinking, and that's so great."

But it's- [Tom] Well, here's the deal.

It's putting more carbon so climate change gets worse.

It's releasing more nitrogen, and sediment to the Bay, If you do not disturb you take care of all those.

You build up carbon... [Frank] So, how much progress [Tom] You know, if you look at which has paid farmers to put that's a winter crop, not fertilized, keeps the soil does a lot of no-till, Uh, some of the other not so much.

And you got to- [Bill] Maryland's got the in the country.

[Tom] Yeah.

[Frank] So Su, to that since you're [Su] I think that there are that we don't necessarily have but we're working on it.

I think that the state has to find local solutions that of communities that we have, including that farming So, we're looking at a breadth from manual practices, to also the timing and the place Um, those plans that were are now being implemented throughout Pennsylvania.

So, I hear you, [Frank] Okay.

(chuckles) Hye Yeong and Mark, I want to something that you referenced Eighteen-hundred jurisdictions wonderful region.

How important is it to put How difficult is that?

Are the resources in place to you need to do some of these [Hye Yeong] I don't know that we to put into the effort of I think that's one of a couple Um, I mean, um, each jurisdiction kind of Planning in a development all of that is done by It's not... [Frank] That's within a state, [Hye Yeong] Right, right.

And you look at places like it's township level.

So, there's got to be And uh, my thought is that it's not just at the it's got to be at the local regulation and enforcement too.

And I think that may be part of in the you know, the solution of [Mark] Yeah, I think absolutely, with so many and otherwise governments as um, we have to coordinate, It is near impossible for one on the Bay without thinking I think Baltimore is an Every stream that comes through every river that comes through Baltimore County first.

And likewise for Maryland, into Maryland is coming through So, we need to of course, coordinate more broadly.

I think we have a number of that play a party in that.

But we've got to begin to see it and as a solution that we're all [Frank] Bill, is there any around this?

Is this an area, if you were that we're making the kind of is kind of cooperation among [Bill] I don't think we're there I think we've got a general adjacent to the bay, those places that aren't I don't think the average or Pennsylvania is going to be and the crabs that we have And I think we've got to to make stream restoration in those localities important for their children and and then we'll be the [Frank] Su, let me come back here and thinking about as watershed friendly as How's that being done?

How is that culture being [Su] Farm by farm, We have 33,000 farms in everything from grains to fruit, from dairy, to hogs, to poultry.

So, it's diverse.

Our farmers are as diverse but there is a real focus on not only to improve that can improve local streams, but to provide them economic so they can continue to farm and [Frank] Tom, have you seen this watershed mentality [Tom] Sure.

You see success stories, and it's not happening It's really important to we've got a couple big headwinds One is the world, the nation, isn't doing enough about climate which is going to have a lot of more bad ones than good ones.

The other thing is we have no to stabilize population, when I was a kid and the bay and it's headed toward triple.

So I think, of my youth is a given.

That's...we're not going to do Climate change is looking more So, we don't have a whole lot of because we've got these two [Frank] Hye Yeong, that Tom just was talking about, that are farther flung farther How do we get the buy-in of those communities?

[Hye Yeong] What's that saying?

You do better with honey I don't know what the saying is, [Frank] Make it sweet.

[Hye Yeong] Right, I do think that some of the key in agriculture, making it to do so is probably some I do think that urban with regulations and meeting currently isn't.

And I do think that also we'll if we're really serious about [Frank] So Mark, how about and getting that buy-in?

[Mark] I think you kind of got Um, and I think historically, saving the Bay from the top down to folks at the ground level.

If we want that buy-in from the beginning and start in the communities to understand the greater goals for the [Frank] And that involves of very big communities.

[Mark] Absolutely.

And with diverse needs And so, I think that takes a lot we're still now beginning to do.

And I think the... [Frank] Su, invoked here a few times.

When you think of challenges and how those get addressed, [Su] I would say what rises are just the scale of and the diversity of those The Susquehanna provides the fresh water flows and 90 percent of the flows and with that comes to that we bring as well.

We have 33,000 farmers, both what they produce and the We also have 37,000 miles one third of which are impaired.

However, I think that challenge And that's something that of in Pennsylvania and through watershed implementation plans, we're seeing that community And like I said, local communities to come up that work for us.

And we're really working in to make that happen.

And I think that's what's And the one part of that I don't is really talking about how and fairly then to those local be that communities, But that's a key part of it.

[Frank] And those and those resources are now [Su] That's aspirational, I think that the spirit And I think that in we're just finishing up our we're working towards So, I think that the plans are and take action.

[Frank] Okay, great.

That sounds like something next year's summit.

I mentioned that our wonderful worked on the Bay Journal's Water's Way: It touches on many of the topics One of them is So let's watch a clip from the our conversation.

[Tom Horton] I often take of the Nanticoke River to the human approach versus The river, one of the wildest begins as a manmade ditch one vital duty, off the flat corn and bean We are just now leaving the the single purpose, reassert itself.

But where ditch maintenance the universal tendency of to curve and loop quickly You see how those branches and that'll form a little jut to start to bend and start to Here, the meandering complex just promotes life in all Nature comes back pretty Not far off on the there's been another encouraging This impressive restoration by along with state and federal to reconnect the river with of flood plain wetlands, spreading the water out, letting [Mike Dryden] So, the goal is to which is back here so that when we get the the water has the opportunity filter in there during So, the breaches act as an inlet It was channelized in the for agriculture purposes, could drain their ag fields but we're allowing it to kind of once 70 years ago.

You know, we're permanently we're increasing habitat, so everything that had the to the Bay before now has the before it gets into our system and then outlets into the [Frank] Water's Way: great film.

It really takes you there.

More than 215 miles of streams permitted for restoration more than 750 separate projects.

So, what role should large scale play in watershed management?

Bill, you want to [Bill] A couple things.

Large scale restoration is an solution, but we've got to The money's always better development and degradation Restoration's very expensive.

[Frank] And define [Bill] Large scale is when you that go into retrofitting bulldozers and backhoes to move And it's necessary, like in the um, you know, when you have you've got to do major to get that stream to reconnect But the other thing I want to of the restoration dollars have We need more equity in where We need more equity and in how we approach the It's historically not been [Frank] Anybody want to and where that should go?

[Mark] Yeah, I'll talk from at the city level.

I mean, making sure that we're to get a lot of work done in And I'm talking more from at the Baltimore Tree Trust, for tree planting in a city is You're thinking about removing as you referred to before, That's expensive.

It's very easy to plant trees further up the watershed, but difficult, which creates [Frank] Sure.

[Mark] Yeah.

[Frank] You've heard a couple times here, (laughs) They've been reintroduced in but not everyone would be on their property.

So, how should they be managed?

Su you want to get us started you got a beaver problem in the [Su] (laughs) I thought you may Tom, I love your comments I think that when the first we had 400 million beaver in At the turn of the century, and they've rebounded.

We're not back to those original I don't think we'll ever but we have now a healthy beaver I think there are really They help to build resilience As Tom has mentioned, they help to settle out They are essential, but I also to work with them and I think success stories.

Um, I have a colleague recently rural area and beavers have in their neighborhood.

And what was shared with me is they're frustrated, to find solutions where both as well as the human community and is not at risk in terms of do in terms of clogging [Frank] So, to be neighbors... [Su] So, I that's an exciting Learning how to live with nature case in points.

[Frank] So, yes or no, Su.

You agree with Tom that like beavers?

[Su] (laughs) Tom, I've been thinking So, from my own perspective, [Frank] Let's look at which is also really, We don't think like them, but we Some stream restorations, and suburban settings require established trees.

So, how do we measure the and how do we determine, any ecological downsides?

Um...Bill, [Bill] Well, We need more trees to have shady and other species can survive.

We need more streams, so we have to avoid the heat stress.

We have a heat vulnerability report card and it's very real but trees also provide They filter the water.

They're really the magic bullet [Frank] And how about trees I'm going to come to the here because you have several impervious surfaces, and equity, after study shows that the tree cooler in wealthier communities, left out of this.

[Mark] Yeah, that's an issue for some time and I think our emphasis on exactly We've been working really hard in Baltimore city.

But of course there are with planting the trees We have very small sidewalks and often, and then a limited number This is not a grassy knoll in but then also competing with throughout the city and making at our limited forests around So... [Frank] Hye Yeong let me on the trees here in terms of removing trees for stream that balance.

[Hye Yeong] Yeah, you certainly If you look at the data on and the benefits of removing especially from urban areas, it's got to be in that toolbox to really help restore the At the same token, And I know some communities some of the stream restoration, the benefits and it is sort I would say one more thing about which I mentioned when you talk We absolutely need more of them.

In urban areas, so it doesn't take up the leaves forest floor.

So in urban areas, you're also which contribute to So, those are things that It's not one tool in the I think it's many.

[Frank] One more complexity.

As our population continues we're going to face more driven by more and more people.

So, let's turn our focus to of the watershed, now.

There are 18 million people in a number that's expected to within the decade.

And as the population increases, Forests and farm fields becoming More pavement means from storm water runoff.

In fact, a typical city block the runoff as a forested area According to the bay program's 17 percent of the total nitrogen nine percent of the sediment in One metric scientist use to of impervious surfaces like in a given area.

When a watershed is 10 percent about three houses per acre, by erosion, sedimentation, By 25 percent impervious, One example is the Severn River In 1955, it was home to a The surrounding landscape about five percent impervious.

By the early 2000s, had changed drastically.

Impervious cover was up to water quality was poor, and the In Ellicott City, a historic a degraded watershed led to in 2016 that killed two people in damage.

In 2018, another heavy storm causing more damage.

Built before modern storm about 21 percent of by impervious surface.

As with many urban and suburban even centuries ago, developed landscapes with modern techniques is costly And climate change brings as we see more intense storms One solution is more trees.

At the moment, but there are efforts Some counties have strengthened And in Pennsylvania, 10 million trees by 2025.

Maryland aims to plant an across the state in the next Half a million trees has been earmarked for planting in urban areas, and underserved communities.

Other types of green and other community green space, And it seems more is better.

A 20 year study of a Montgomery found that many stormwater a neighborhood often control better than a few large So, what can be done storm water in places where Tom, I know this is something [Tom] Well, in my hometown I recently officiated at the parking lot for a local church, of bucks for that little And it was a great project and I and others lost a fight just of our local river.

The Wicomico to keep a mature clear cut for condos.

It's easier to get a million storm water retrofit, as cheap storm water retrofit Here, you get a million bucks then to get a hundred thousand that work now better than any in place.

And that kind of funding [Frank] Hye Yeong, at the Nature Conservancy?

[Hye Yeong] You mean at the Yeah, yeah.

I mean, I agree with Tom.

I think, you know, across you know, different land There's no, you know, Protecting is so much more Um, I think there's a couple of Most of the populations are So...um, you know, The activity and some of the is going to be most impactful standpoint from the urban areas.

So again, I just go back to what which is, I don't think I think you're going to have to I think protection should Um, I also think stewardship and is also key.

I mean, you look at the every individual could have So, that's what I would say.

[Frank] Su let me come over the storm water runoff and what can be most [Su] I agree with what there's not a Flooding takes many depending upon the community, depending on the degree of However, I think one of the is allowing our streams, room to move so that we get The water can overflow, be stored in wetlands So, it stores water, actually takes sediment but giving those streams room to expand, and swell, another tool in that toolbox of flooding.

[Frank] Mark, the City Councilman part, I live in a city.

When I put in my driveway, a driveway that would let not just run off of it.

What are the big things that besides planting trees, to It's a much bigger problem of storm water runoff.

And if I could, I mean, The trash pick gets picked up a bucket of paint and that ends your oil leaks from your washed down to the river, and on it goes.

[Mark] Excellent question, I think there's a couple of Um, cities were designed to get as quickly as possible we're dealing with that What's more is that is incredibly old.

Baltimore is many hundreds of the design of the city lends that problem.

Um, storms are worse now because and will continue to be worse, how we can spread out water to pushing it out of our streets is really our way to do that.

That's through rooftops, that's through flooding-- our parks.

They're doing this all over the of that here.

[Frank] And how do you and elsewhere that the entire from these initiatives?

Because in the past it's been whiter communities that have of these initiatives, or communities of color.

[Mark] Yeah, I think we should tells us to start and often that have historically been as quickly as possible.

[Frank] So, are you doing in Baltimore specifically?

[Mark] That's an excellent It's a softball.

Yes, I'm working on that exactly at a number of opportunities, and green roofs that can help with the urban heat island in urban areas.

We're beginning to look into to figure out what we can do to in Baltimore City.

[Frank] Tom, for a long time about limiting development, In some places that works and it doesn't.

Has that dynamic of that Is that reflecting the urgency [Tom] You know, since the 1980s, smart growth, which is where it's already sewered The people are already there, areas, great concept.

It's made some progress.

It could go a lot further.

Uh, it's more difficult, than in Maryland where the land fractured and split a lot But yeah, smart growth has in it if we applied ourselves, I mean, that's the thing.

You know Su, we're working on some good stuff Good for them.

I've been covering this stuff I heard that in 1979, [Frank] Bill, What do you make of this dynamic conversation?

Is that one even that we should And if so, how?

[Bill] I think we have because of the urgency of and Mark referred to it earlier, We're seeing dry periods, and recent science has shown 28 percent more nutrients amount of rainfall distributed So, it isn't just the amount but it's how it's delivered into the bay.

[Frank] I just want to say, we had one of those in the which is where I live.

Four and a half inches or I came home and a bunch of those and my sump pump had not been I was not insured for that.

I mean, people are going of a new reality.

[Bill] So, I think resilience than managing for condition.

We need to manage for resilience to extreme events, And I think that's a really [Mark] And I'll add to that I think what you're experiencing are experiencing in urban areas.

Our cities are not built for and so often you're having overflowing sewage in people's It's a big, big issue here but I think across the country dramatically change the type of [Frank] We would be remiss if we didn't pause to put of environmental justice.

We've talked about this in bits but I'd like each of you to more on how this can be actually that are being taken engagements real progress with respect, but overall health of this Um, Hye Yeong, [Hye Yeong] So actually about it earlier and I would He just mentioned that we really on this issue of engagement Um, you know, the environmental business um, and it hasn't been Um, I would love to see I think we're not going to This country... you know, around the Chesapeake Bay are and I think we need to take an Um, I do think one other thing stream restoration, are going through a resurgence I think that is the time for smarter growth in urban areas have done, so.

[Frank] Tom, as you look and this is what you've are you seeing more diverse in a meaningful way?

[Tom] Sure, I see it in the at Salisbury University.

It's beginning.

You know, environmental studies attracted people of color but it is more and more.

Younger professors are trained you know, environmental justice.

So, we're beginning to see it, it's still in its early stages.

[Frank] Mark?

[Mark] I think Hye referred back and I think I still stand Um, we need to start with the the concerns of folks that at the table.

Um, I think what's more is, to look at or organizations, and otherwise, in diversifying those tables Um, you know, I think that's for the future of the We know that our country and is going to continue to change And if we don't work hard to that have not historically been of the conversation, from the beginning, a big opportunity to ensure the work that we do today [Frank] Su what is your on this discussion of the bay, and inclusion?

[Su] I think we often think really being focused in our opportunity there for that, has occurred throughout And so, we are really trying to with a more deliberate of how we think about equity Um, I think it's a great space I will just share that I have Um, we are working with We are following We are listening, what the challenges are that to get equitable resources But, we have a lot of learning and we look forward to doing it.

[Frank] Tom, um, you know, about bringing more people into but the conversation these days in this country is so divided, Everything comes back to these or battlefields.

Do you sense that this That there's something because of younger people, climate change, are having with extreme weather?

[Tom] Well, yeah, is certainly worse than I didn't really think through the '80s, of environment as a red state, Democrat, Republican, did more than Democrats to kick I don't see that improving.

I think there is some common to climate change.

People in Ellicott City, a particular political party So, yeah, there's common ground One thing BIPOC people in there's a huge demand to get They need access to land.

Most of them don't own land, but it's a large demand Who knows how that shakes out but it's a good thing [Frank] Build to Tom's point, the Nixon administration, Agency was launched.

That was, last I checked, [Bill] And the Clean Water Act [Frank] Administration.

So, to this report card that if you are grading how 1,800 jurisdictions coming creating consensus, [Bill] Well, the watershed.

We've talked about grading but now we're working towards and the watershed grade includes We're looking at access One of the key elements in One thing we learned from COVID, It's part of... [Frank] COVID and green space?

What's that connection?

[Bill] Well, we need to get out and we need to walk.

We need to walk in a safe place And people are rediscovering by getting outside, to green space.

We need... And proximity to hazards is communities typically are or the sewage treatment plant, in how we cite those kind We need to make sure our funding towards restoration.

[Frank] We are just about but I want to ask everyone here urgent priorities that we've Some of these issues that we've to this conversation and what's it actually tangible things done, Su, let me let you kick [Su] Yeah, from my perspective, and sustainable commitment.

And I would focus on the science Um, I think that we've seen and in local water quality I think we need to do more and we're working on it.

I think the science I think at the very beginning we talked about some of the look at our landscapes, to zoom into fields so that of targeting.

And we can also help farmers to to put down, and where should we put it?

That's critical in helping us that have great benefits.

[Frank] That's great- [Su] I think our partnerships We're talking about partnerships in terms of nonprofits, local communities, following our guidance of people and places is what we're going to [Frank] Well, that's a great way So, let me ask each of you your priorities to get things [Tom] As everyone said, but I'm going with beavers.

[laughter] Look, they will your water quality no matter who And they are relentless, [Frank] I think you've got of followers here, Tom.

Something's going on.

[Hye Yeong] That's awesome.

[Mark] I would lean back at the very beginning of We have made leaps and bounds and the access of data.

I think we should be leveraging So, doing that is super [Frank] Hye Yeong?

[Hye Yeong] So, I love the beavers.

Um, you know, the two things may have not been mentioned I do think we need more of it.

I also think we need which was mentioned many times, I think we need a lot more [Frank] Lot more research or across the board?

[Hye Yeong] Oh, agriculture.

[Frank] [Hye Yeong] Yep.

[Frank] Bill, how about you?

[Bill] I think picking up on we've researched the decline We need to research the so we need to change our focus.

But I also want to point out The Clean Water Act and in improving nitrogen, and we're seeing resurgence we've got dolphins These are positive signs.

It's not all bleak.

We can change the trajectory, We need persistence, and we need some perspiration.

We need to work at this [Frank] And I'll throw one I think we need, And some of that energy, we put in our tank.

I mean, some of that too, from young people who understand this is their future.

Wow, what a great conversation, I want to thank everyone, as we've seen and learned Tonight, we heard about facing the Chesapeake Bay and how restoring natural might help us make progress for all of us to enjoy and is already being felt.

Thanks to all of our for all that they do, and that to our partners at and to you for watching from Maryland Public Television.

Goodnight.

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