Since 2010, 312 new public access sites have been added across the watershed.

Annapolis, Maryland—The Chesapeake Bay Program is pleased to announce that it has exceeded its goal of opening up 300 new docks, boat ramps, kayak launches and other sites that allow the public access to creeks, streams and rivers across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Included in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the partnership’s Public Access Site Development Outcome calls for 300 new public access sites to be added throughout the watershed by 2025, with a strong emphasis on providing opportunities for boating, swimming and fishing. In 2024, 27 new public access sites were added, bringing the total to 312 sites since 2010.

“In 2000, the idea of 300 new sites watershed-wide seemed daunting, so to see the goal achieved today is tremendously gratifying,” said Lisa Gutierrez, director of Public Access, Water Trails and Recreation Planning at Maryland Department of Natural Resources . “It is a good time to pause and think about all the people who worked toward this moment, the contributions they made and the years of planning, implementation and collaboration that is needed at every level. Achieving the goal of 300 new sites is tangible proof that, despite intense competition for funding and a host of other challenges, sustained commitment to the Bay Program and dedication to this shared goal resulted in expanded access to a national treasure for everyone.”

Economic and Social Impact

Providing access to the Bay and its tributaries has been a hallmark of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s work since it first appeared as a goal in the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement. A report from the American Sportfishing Association shows that in 2022, over 2,525,000 anglers spent over $1.5 billion recreating in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, supporting an estimated 15,500 jobs and generating an economic impact of over $2 billion. Outdoor recreation and tourism in general generated an annual income of $14.3 billion watershed-wide in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition to the economic impact, time spent outdoors has been shown to strengthen family bonds, nurture active, creative children and help people build personal connections with places in the region.

“The Hopewell Riverwalk became far more than a public amenity—it blossomed into a beloved landmark woven into the city’s identity,” said Jasmine Gore, former mayor of Hopewell, Virginia. “It unites neighborhoods and nurtures fellowship, health and joy. Families gather under gazebos by the waterfront, children chase fresh air through the park and anglers cast lines from the fishing pier, where photo sessions and memories oftentimes unfold. From its lush green spaces to its tranquil walkways, the Riverwalk stands as a symbol of connection—welcoming all walks of life to share, celebrate and thrive.”

Regional Distribution

Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania—which make up the bulk of the watershed and opportunities for new sites—have seen the biggest increases in access sites since 2010. Overall, there are 1,451 public access sites throughout the watershed: 652 in Maryland, 414 in Virginia, 230 in Pennsylvania, 77 in West Virginia, 40 in New York, 30 in the District of Columbia and eight in Delaware.

In addition to meeting the goal of 300 sites by 2025, Chesapeake Bay Program partners are working on improving the quality of new public access sites. Where feasible, partners are ensuring that there are ample parking spaces, amenities and multilingual signs to meet the needs of communities. Efforts will also be made to build upon existing access sites with new infrastructure.

Partnership Success

The establishment of the region’s public access sites demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships and recreation initiatives at all levels of government and with non-governmental organizations. For example, of the 27 new sites opened in 2024, three are owned by the federal government, nine are owned by states, 12 are owned by local governments and four are owned by non-governmental organizations or private businesses.

“Public access to water is a high priority for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission,” said Mark McLaughlin, chief of Waterways and Marina Management with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. “Participation in the Public Access Work Group of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Stewardship Goal Implementation Team has helped the Commonwealth increase the number of fishing and boating opportunities for residents and visitors, with nine new sites opening in 2023-2024. New access sites on the Susquehanna River and its tributaries serve as vital connections for local recreation and inspire people of all ages to connect to Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration efforts.”

Looking to the Future

Chesapeake Bay Program partners are now working to update and revise the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement to guide future restoration efforts. As increasing public access to open space and waterways creates a shared sense of responsibility to protect these important natural environments and engage communities, a revised Public Access Outcome is proposed to be included in the updated Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The draft updated outcome includes targets for improving ADA/ABA accessibility, expanding access to urban green spaces, and maintaining and expanding existing public access sites.

The draft revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement is now available on the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Beyond 2025 webpage. Members of the public are encouraged to provide feedback to comments@chesapeakebay.net until September 1.

This article was first published here. This press release has been republished with attribution to the Chesapeake Bay Program to support public access to waterways and marine conservation awareness.

Renowned for its vibrant coral reefs and lush mangroves, the Maldives spans 26 natural atolls and 1,200 coral islands, each boasting striking natural features. Among them, protected areas such as Sh. Farukolhu Island stand out as critical habitats and breeding grounds for threatened species. IUCN is supporting its State Member, the Government of Maldives, to turn this and 14 other “paper parks” within Boduthiladhunmathi atoll into effectively and equitably managed protected areas. The initiative is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which has already supported marine protected areas worldwide exceeding the size of Alaska.

Dotted with deep-blue lagoons bordered by verdant coastal scrub and framed by the cerulean sea, Shaviyani Farukolhu Island lies in the northern Maldives within the Boduthiladhunmathi atoll, the largest naturally formed coral atoll in the world. Its complex reef ecosystems are not only visually stunning but also serve as nurseries for a range of marine life, including foraging baby stingrays, eagle rays, Endangered hawksbill turtles, Vulnerable sicklefin lemon sharks and commercially important fish species. Likewise, the island’s mangroves and wetlands provide vital nesting grounds for numerous bird species.

This rich biodiversity earned Sh. Farukolhu official designation as a protected area under the Environment Act (4/93) in 2018 —a major victory for conservation, as the island was previously considered for the development of an airport, intended to boost tourism infrastructure in the atoll. Progress, however, has since stalled. Efforts to establish a management plan, enforce regulations and carry out monitoring activities have been constrained by limited resources and technical capacity, leaving Sh. Farukolhu protected more in name than in practice.

CATENATE: Breathing life into paper parks

Sh. Farukolhu’s situation is emblematic of many other protected areas in the Maldives, where 93 sites have been designated in recent years, but management efforts have not kept pace. A new GEF-funded initiative now aims to change that, ensuring that Sh. Farukolhu and 14 other protected areas of the same atoll are effectively managed to benefit both nature and local communities. The project, titled CATENATE, was officially launched in April with US$2 million in funding from the GEF and an additional US$7.5 million mobilised through co-funding from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment of the Maldives, Sh. Funadhoo Council and the previous project REGENERATE, funded by USAID.

“Paper parks are not always a bad thing, because declaring them as protected areas helps earmark and preserve them for future generations, rather than allocating them for other uses like industrial or tourism development. For me, Sh. Farukolhu is already a success story with the halt of airport development in the island”, said Muhusina Abdul Rahman, Director of Protected Areas at the Maldives Ministry of Tourism and Environment. “With that being said, we want to move from protection to active management as soon as possible. That will allow us to test new forms of governance with local participation, hire rangers to deter poaching and unsustainable sand mining and show local councils that conservation can bring socio-economic benefits, such as new job opportunities and non-destructive recreational activities”.

The plan for Sh. Farukolhu, intended as a model for other sites across Boduthiladhunmathi and the Maldives’ national protected area network, is to deepen understanding of the island’s ecological value while assessing the needs and aspirations of surrounding communities, many of whom depend on the atoll’s biodiversity for their livelihoods. It is estimated that at least 71% of national employment, 89% of GDP and 89% of exports in the Maldives are underpinned by biodiversity-rich ecosystems such as those found in the region.

“One option in Sh. Farukolhu is to integrate community-based and nature-based recreational opportunities to generate revenue, showcasing sustainable, local-led alternatives to large infrastructure projects such as building private resorts. We want to identify the threshold for introducing activities like canoeing, snorkelling, diving and stargazing without compromising the objective of a protected area”, said Rahman.

While the Ministry of Environment is in charge of executing the project with the involvement of national and local stakeholders, IUCN supports as an official GEF Project Agency, providing guidance and oversight to ensure smooth implementation.

Local voices, lasting impact

Expected results from the project include the development of diverse governance models for protected areas and the establishment of a sustainable financing mechanism for Sh. Farukolhu protected area. Once tested on the ground, CATENATE’s governance, financial and management models will be integrated into national protected area management, help build human resource capacity and provide proven methods to replicate successful practices across the country’s protected area network.

The project will also assess tourism, fisheries and agriculture practices near Sh. Farukolhu to propose sustainable alternatives, promoting livelihood diversification through start-up grants to support the development of eco-friendly products and services, such as those offered by farmers, tour operators and fisherfolk. By encouraging responsible economic activities, CATENATE aims to reduce pressure on protected areas while engaging the private sector in the long-term management of these sites. This decentralised approach will support an effectively managed protected area network at the atoll level, helping to reduce overfishing and land-based pollution and avoid exacerbating the impacts of climate change on already-vulnerable coral reefs.

A broader vision for island and ocean conservation

CATENATE is part of a broader suite of GEF-funded initiatives implemented by IUCN to ensure resilient marine ecosystems and representative protected areas across the world’s oceans. These also include the EREPA project, which is creating a network of 50,000 hectares of protected terrestrial and coastal land in the Solomon Islands, as well as the ECARE project, dedicated to expanding and strengthening conservation areas in Vanuatu while promoting collective management practices, among other projects.

To learn more about how IUCN and GEF are catalysing innovation and investments in ocean ecosystem conservation, explore the project pages below or visit the IUCN-GEF Project Agency page on our website.

• Conservation of atoll ecosystems through an effectively managed national protected area estate (CATENATE)
• Securing Kiribati’s natural heritage: Protected areas for community, atoll, and island climate resilience
• Natural capital values of coastal and marine ecosystems in Sri Lanka integrated into sustainable development planning
• Ensuring resilient ecosystems and representative protected areas in the Solomon Islands (EREPA)
• Expanding conservation areas reach and effectiveness in Vanuatu (ECARE)
• GEF blue and green islands integrated program– upcoming projects in the Federal States of Micronesia and Palau

This article was first published here. This article has been republished with attribution to IUCN to support marine conservation awareness and protected area management education. 

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