,,iv  #aae? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,h4 ,,res4 #iab  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(     
,,repres5tatives  ,may #bd1 #bjah ,mr4  
,brat 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,mc,eachin1 ,mr4 
,goodlatte1 ,mr4 ,scott ( ,virg9ia1 ,mr4
 ,taylor1 ,mr4 ,wittman1 ,mr4 ,griffi?1 
,mr4 ,bey]1 ,mrs4 ,com/ock1 & ,mr4      
,g>rett7 submitt$ ! foll[+ resolution2  
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,natural
 ,res\rces  ,,resolution  ,recogniz+ !  
importance ( ! ,*esapeake ,bay &        
support+ ! ef=ts & goals ( ! ,clean !   
,bay ,day4  ,:]eas ! ^w ,*esepiooc is an
 ,algonquian ^w ref]r+ to a village at a
 big riv]2 ,:]eas !re 7 _m diff]5t      
tribes 9 ! region be=e ,europeans       
arriv$1 b ! dom9ant gr\p 7 ,algonqu9    
speak]s kn[n collectively z ! ,p[hatan  
tribes2 ,:]eas1 9 #aebd1 ,italian       
,capta9 ,giovanni da ,v]razano became ! 
fir/ record$ ,european to ent] !        
,*esapeake ,bay2 ,:]eas1 9 #afjh1       
,capta9 ,john ,smi? set (f on two       
voyages :]e he *>t$ ! l& & wat]ways1 &  
lat] drew an elaborate & rem>kably      

accurate map ( ! ,*esapeake ,bay2 ,:]eas
 ! ,*esapeake ,bay is ! ,nation's l>ge/ 
e/u>y2 ,:]eas ! ,*esapeake ,bay is !    
?ird l>ge/ e/u>y 9 ! _w2 ,:]eas ! area (
 ! ,*esapeake ,bay wat]%$ is ab\t       
#fd1jjj squ>e miles & includes p>ts (   
,new ,york1 ,p5nsylvania1 ,delaw>e1     
,m>yl&1 ,we/ ,virg9ia1 ,virg9ia1 &      
,wa%+ton1 ,,dc2 ,:]eas ! ,bay itself is 
ab\t #bjj miles long1 /ret*+ f ,havre de
 ,grace1 ,m>yl&1 to ,virg9ia ,bea*1     
,virg9ia2 ,:]eas ! surface area ( ! ,bay
 & its tidal tribut>ies is approximately
 #d1dhj squ>e miles2 ,:]eas ! ,bay & its
 tidal tribut>ies h #aa1fhd miles (     
%orel9e1 m ?an ! entire we/ coa/ ( !    
,unit$ ,/ates2 ,:]eas ! av]age dep? ( ! 
,bay is #ba feet2 ,:]eas ! deepe/ "p ( !
 ,bay1 locat$ s\!a/ ( ,annapolis ne>    
,bloody ,po9t1 is call$ ,! ,hole & is   
#agd feet deep2 ,:]eas ! ,bay receives  
ab\t half ( its wat] volume f !         
,atlantic ,ocean 9 ! =m ( saltwat]1 & ! 
o!r half :i* is fre%wat] dra9s into !   
,bay f ! enorm\s wat]%$2 ,:]eas ! major 

tribut>ies ( ! ,*esapeake ,bay include !
 ,susquehanna1 ,gunp[d]1 ,sassafras1    
,*e/]1 ,sev]n1 ,s\?1 ,potomac1 ,*optank1
 ,patux5t1 ,nanticoke1 ,wicomico        
,potomac ,tribut>y1 ,wicomico ,ea/]n    
,%ore1 ,rappahannock1 ,pocomoke1        
,piankatank1 ,york1 ,james1 & ,elizabe? 
,riv]s2 ,:]eas ! ,bay supports m ?an    
#c1fjj species ( plants & animals1      
includ+ #cdh species ( f9fi%1 #agc      
species ( %ellfi%1 ov] #b1gjj plant     
species1 & m ?an #af species ( und]wat] 
grasses2 ,:]eas ! ,*esapeake region is  
home to at lea/ #bi species ( wat]f[l2  
,:]eas ne>ly #hj1jjj acres ( und]wat]   
grasses gr[ 9 ! %all[s ( ! ,*esapeake   
,bay & its tribut>ies2 ,:]eas "y & molt+
 blue crabs rely on und]wat] grass b$s =
 protection f pr$ators2 ,:]eas #gj to   
#ij p]c5t ( all /rip$ bass1 kn[n locally
 z rockfi%1 7 spawn$ 9 ! ,bay2 ,:]eas ! 
,bay wat]%$ is home to m ?an #ah million
 p1 & ab\t #aej1jjj new p move into !   
wat]%$ ea* ye>2 ,:]eas two ( ! ,unit$   
,/ates major ea/ coa/ ports1 ! ,port (  

,baltimore & ! ,port ( ,virg9ia1 are on 
! ,*esapeake ,bay2 ,:]eas !re are m ?an 
#gjj public access po9ts on ! ,bay & its
 tribut>ies2 ,:]eas ! ,bay produces ab\t
 #ejj million p\nds ( seafood p] ye>2   
,:]eas ! av]age annual blue crab        
comm]cial h>ve/ 9 ,m>yl& & ,virg9ia     
betwe5 #bjjj & #bjji 0 m ?an #ee million
 p\nds2 ,:]eas ! ,*esapeake ,bay        
provides half ( ! total blue crab h>ve/ 
9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates2 ,:]eas ! comm]cial   
seafood indu/ry 9 ,m>yl& & ,virg9ia     
comb9$ equals #c4ci billion 9 sales1    
#hij million 9 income1 & ne>ly #cd1jjj  
jobs to ! local economy p] ye>2 ,:]eas  
to re/ore & protect ?is national        
treasure1 ! ,*esapeake ,bay ,program    
p>tn]%ip 7! ,p>tn]%ip7 0 =m$ 9 #aihc2   
,:]eas = m ?an #cj ye>s1 ?is regional   
,p>tn]%ip has become recogniz$ z "o ( ! 
,nation's premi] e/u>9e re/oration      
ef=ts1 implem5t+ policies1 engag+ 9     
sci5tific inve/igation1 & coord9at+     
actions among ! ,/ates1 ! ,di/rict (    
,columbia1 & ! ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t2 ,:]eas 

?r\gh ! #bjad ,*esapeake ,bay ,wat]%$   
,agreem5t1 ! ,p>tn]%ip recommitt$ to !  
,bay wat]%$ re/oration ef=t bas$ 9 &    
guid$ by sci5ce & ! lessons le>n$ f     
exp]i5ces2 ,:]eas "o ( ! mo/ important  
lessons ! p>tn]s h le>n$ f ! pa/ ?ree   
decades is t al?\gh wat]%$-wide         
p>tn]%ips c help to coord9ate & catalyze
 progress1 implem5tation happ5s locally2
 ,:]eas individual citiz5s1 bus9esses1  
wat]%$ gr\ps1 & o!r nongov]nm5tal       
organizations are key p>tn]s2 ,:]eas #gj
 p]c5t ( wat]%$ resid5ts want to d m to 
help make _! local creeks1 riv]s1 &     
lakes heal?i]2 ,:]eas #hf p]c5t ( wat]%$
 resid5ts believe if p "w toge!r1 wat]  
pollution c be fix$2 ,:]eas ea* ye>1 on 
! fir/ ,saturday ( ,june1 ?\s&s (       
,virg9ians simultane\sly desc5d on !    
riv]s1 /reams1 & bea*es ( ! ,*esapeake  
,bay wat]%$ to remove h>mful litt] &    
debris = ! ,clean ! ,bay ,day2 ,:]eas z 
( #bjag1 ,clean ! ,bay ,day engag$ ov]  
#aeb1jjj volunte]s1 :o remov$           
approximately #f4d million p\nds (      

debris f ne>ly #g1cij miles ( %orel9e 9 
,virg9ia2 & ,:]eas ,saturday1 ,june #b1 
#bjah1 is ! #cj? ,annual ,clean ! ,bay  
,day1 a ,virg9ia tradition3 ,n[1 !re=e1 
be x  ,t ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives--    
7#a7 recognizes ! hi/orical1            
environm5tal1 cultural1 & economic      
importance ( ! ,*esapeake ,bay2 &  7#b7 
supports ! ef=ts & goals ( ! ,clean !   
,bay ,day4