WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today released the following statement welcoming the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement that Dr. Kandis Boyd will direct the agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program.
“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and the selection of Dr. Kandis Boyd as Director of the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program makes clear that the agency understands the many challenges that are facing our home watershed, including those stemming from the increasingly dramatic impacts of climate change,” said the senators. “As we seek to identify ways to build the Chesapeake Bay’s resilience and economic vitality, Dr. Boyd’s impressive experience at multiple federal agencies will no doubt aid the expansion of the partnerships that underpin and empower the critical Bay restoration effort. Similarly, as we continue to find ways to make strategic federal investments in programs that diversify the workforce in the STEM fields, Dr. Boyd’s past work in support of the exact same objectives signals that her priorities fundamentally align with Maryland’s. We look forward to the opportunity to meet with Dr. Boyd as soon as possible to discuss the critical role the Chesapeake Bay plays in our state and region. We appreciate the administration’s selection of a candidate so solidly prepared to deal with challenges the Bay faces and the realities of a rapidly changing climate.”
The senators have been consistent champions of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Recently, the senators joined EPA leaders and local officials in announcing that Maryland is receiving $40 million in federal funding watershed-wide from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for efforts to restore the Bay, advance environmental justice, and counter climate change. This $40 million is part of $238 million targeted for the Chesapeake Bay region over five years under the infrastructure law, which the senators worked to secure. Additionally, they sent a letter this week to Senate leaders calling for the Chesapeake Bay Program to be funded at $91 million in the fiscal year 2023 appropriations bill.
