The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the only independent 501(c)(3) organization dedicated solely to restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers. Since its founding over 40 years ago, its goal has been to improve water quality by reducing pollution. The CBF motto, Save the Bay, has been the battle cry for that goal.

From the landmark EPA study of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s to the landmark multi-jurisdictional Chesapeake 2000 Agreement, CBF has been saving the Bay. Its vision is that the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers, broadly recognized as a national treasure, will be highly productive and in good health as measured by water clarity, lack of harmful levels of pollutants, and abundance of natural filters in the water and on the land.

CBF fights for strong and effective laws and regulations and works cooperatively with government, business, and citizens in partnerships to protect and restore the Bay. However, when necessary, it will use legal means to force governmental action and compliance with existing laws.  It also works to restore the Bay’s essential habitats and filtering mechanisms, such as forests, wetlands, underwater grasses, and oysters, through a variety of hands-on projects.

Finally, CBF’s environmental education program introduces residents to the wonders of the watershed and works to heighten sensitivity, increase knowledge, and empower citizens to take positive action toward the Bay’s restoration.

Here are their four key program areas:

Restore
CBF is fighting to return this fragile ecosystem to balance. In programs across the watershed, many of them conducted with CBF volunteers and partner organizations, CBF is restoring native oysters, planting underwater grasses, and planting trees, to restore the Bay’s natural filters. And CBF’s Clagett Farm is a working farm and a site for field experiences for students, teachers, and adults.

Advocate
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and its members, more than 216,000 strong, are the strongest and most effective voice that exists for protecting and restoring the Bay and its rivers and streams.

Educate
For more than 30 years, CBF’s award-winning environmental education program has been one of the cornerstones of our effort to reverse the Bay’s decline. Programs are supported and created in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the National Geographic Society.

Litigate
CBF’s Litigation Department strategically employs legal action as another tool for advancing the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers, lakes, and streams. Litigation is used to not only protect and enforce the current environmental laws but also to bring about environmentally friendly change within our legal system.

CBF Today
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper (Harborkeeper) announced on May 29 that it notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and the current and former owners of the Sparrows Point steel plant of its intention to sue. Check out the press release here.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a recognized non profit by the IRS and your contribution to them may be tax-deductible. To learn more about donating, click here. For their homepage, click here.

To learn how to help the CBF cause in ways other than donations, click here.