Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Chris Van Hollen
Introduced
Summary
Creates the Chesapeake National Recreation Area to protect, interpret, and provide public access to the Bay's natural, cultural, historic, and recreational resources. This bill would set a mapped boundary and let the Interior Secretary acquire lands and interests to form a manageable National Park System unit.
Show full summary
- Communities and visitors: Would give the public a new park focused on the Chesapeake Bay with a management plan required within 3 years after funds are first made available and possible visitor facilities in Annapolis and near Fort Monroe.
- State and local landowners: Allows land acquisition by donation, purchase from willing sellers, exchange, or interagency transfer, but state-owned land may only be accepted by donation and condemnation is prohibited.
- Federal sites and local input: Provides a process to transfer remediated Fort Monroe land from the Army to Interior for inclusion, and creates a 19-member advisory commission to advise on management and additions that sunsets 7 years after enactment.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Create Chesapeake Bay recreation area
This bill would create the Chesapeake National Recreation Area in Maryland and Virginia as a unit of the National Park System. It would not take effect until the Interior Secretary determines enough land or interests have been acquired and then publishes a Federal Register notice within 30 days. The park boundary would include lands the Secretary acquires that are shown on the official map, which would be on file and available for public inspection. The bill would also say it does not change navigation, fishing, shellfish aquaculture rules, or State authority over fish and wildlife.
Required Chesapeake park management plan
This bill would require the Secretary to prepare a management plan for the new park within three years after funds are first provided for the plan. The Secretary must consult the Chesapeake Executive Council and the Advisory Commission. The plan must consider visitor facilities in Annapolis and near Fort Monroe and work with state and local governments to try to reduce park‑related traffic impacts.
Land rules and Fort Monroe transfer
This bill would let the Secretary acquire land inside the proposed boundary by donation, purchase from a willing seller, exchange, or transfer from another federal agency. It would forbid condemnation and would allow State or local government land to be accepted only by donation. The Secretary could acquire up to 10 acres outside the boundary for administrative and visitor services. Land at Fort Monroe shown on the map would transfer from the Army to Interior only after the Secretary finds it remediated, with the Army administering it until that transfer.
New 19-member advisory commission
This bill would require the Secretary to create a 19‑member Advisory Commission within 180 days. The commission would include nine appointees from Maryland, nine from Virginia, and the Chesapeake Bay Commission director. Members would serve three‑year terms, receive travel expenses but no salary, and the commission would end seven years after enactment. The commission would advise on the management plan and properties to study for possible addition.
Permanent Chesapeake Gateways funding
This bill would amend the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act to authorize 'such sums as are necessary' for the Chesapeake Gateways program. The change would make the program permanently authorized for appropriations but it would not itself provide money. Any funding would still depend on future congressional appropriations and existing eligibility rules would not change.
Restoration agreements with public access
This bill would let the Secretary enter agreements with states, local governments, nonprofits, or individuals to restore and interpret nationally significant Bay sites. Any agreement would have to provide for reasonable public access to the restored resources. These partnerships would help preserve and open sites for visitors.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Chris Van Hollen
MD • D
Cosponsors
Angela Alsobrooks
MD • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Timothy Kaine
VA • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Mark Warner
VA • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
James Justice
WV • R
Sponsored 5/8/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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