THE ECONOMIC ARGUMENT FOR CLEANING UP THE BAY AND ITS RIVERS

Congress has recognized that the Chesapeake Bay is a "national treasure and resource of worldwide significance. "1 Respected economists have valued the Bay at over one trillion dollars related to fishing, tourism, property values, and shipping activities. 2,3 Hence, the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake is essential for a healthy and vibrant regional economy. Failure to "save the Bay" threatens this economic driver. In fact, economic losses have already occurred due to water-quality degradation throughout the watershed. Conversely, investing in clean-water technology creates jobs, generates economic activity, and saves money in the long run. Efforts to delay implementation of the Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) will only exacerbate the economic losses this region has already experienced due to poor water quality. Investment in clean-water technologies creates jobs and stimulates local economies. A recent study by the University of Virginia found that implementation of agricultural practices such as livestock stream exclusion, buffers, and cover crops would generate significant economic impacts.4Every $1 of state and/or federal funding invested in agricultural best management practices would generate $1.56 in economic activity in Virginia. Implementing agricultural practices in Virginia to the levels necessary to restore the Bay would create nearly 12,000 jobs of approximately one year's duration. A recent analysis of the value of investing in water and sewer infrastructure concluded that these investments typically yield greater returns than most other types of public infrastructure.5For example, $1 of water and sewer infrastructure investment increases private output (Gross Domestic Product) in the long-term by $6.35. Furthermore, adding a job in water and sewer creates 3.68 jobs to support that one. More specifically, upgrading sewage treatment plants across the watershed has created hundreds of construction jobs, and it will create perhaps thousands more as the program grows. Also, upgrading individual septic systems has employed installers, electricians, and others involved in the business. These upgrades have pumped millions of dollars into the region's economy. A real-life example is May er Brothers, Inc. , in Elkridge, Maryland.6This company staved off significant layoffs this year when it won a contract from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to help supply new septic technology throughout Maryland. On the flip side, cuts to funding programs for clean-water infrastructure will lead to job losses. Carter B. McCamy says he will probably have to lay off over 20 workers from his Arbutus company if the Maryland legislature cuts the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund.7The firm has received significant contracted work through the Trust Fund and employs 115 full-time workers and supports an additional 100 subcontractors who provide trucking materials, concrete, paving, and fencing required for stormwater mitigation projects.The Chesapeake Bay supports economically and ecologically important commercial and recreational fisheries. The Chesapeake's fisheries industry, including both shellfish and finfish, is a significant part of the region's local economy. The 2008 Fisheries Economics of the U. S. report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates that the commercial seafood industry in Maryland and Virginia contributed $2 billion in sales, $1 billion in income, and more than 41,000 jobs to the local economy.8 The economic benefits of saltwater recreational fishing are equally impressive, contributing $1.6 billion in sales that in turn contributed more than $800 million of additional economic activity and roughly 13,000 jobs.9The majority (90-98 percent) of the commercial and recreational saltwater landings in the Mid-Atlantic region come from the Chesapeake Bay. 10 Crabs Arguably no other creature exemplifies the Chesapeake Bay better than the blue crab, Callinectes sapid us . For more than a half century, the blue crab has been at the apex of the Bay's commercial fisheries. Over one-third of the nation's blue crab harvest comes from the Bay. The average annual commercial harvest in Maryland and Virginia between 1999 and 2008 was about 55 million pounds. 11 The dockside value of the blue crab harvest Bay-wide in 2008 was approximately $70 million. 12 The recreational crab fishery also provides a significant financial offset for Bay residents—the cost of catching crabs is far less than having to buy them. Oysters Another critical Bay species, commercially, recreationally, and ecologically is the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica . From the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, the commercial oyster industry employed thousands of people catching, selling, shucking, and shipping oysters to market. Hundreds of skipjacks—sail-powered dredge boats— plied the waters of the Bay in search of the delectable oyster. The industry generated millions of dollars a year for the Bay economy. Until the mid-1980s, oysters supported the leading commercial fishery in the Bay. Like the blue crab, Chesapeake oysters spawned a rich cultural heritage. In addition to their commercial and recreational value, oysters improve water quality because they are filter feeders. An individual oyster pumps over 50 gallons of water a day through its gills, which strain out food and pollutants: chemicals, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. In addition, oyster reefs provide valuable habitat for countless Bay creatures—most notably finfish—and serve as popular fishing areas,download