Thank you for helping to identify public access opportunities in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

During the 30-day public comment period NPS received over 300 suggestions on places throughout the Bay for boat ramps, fishing piers, places to swim, and scenic spots to bird watch and enjoy the water through this website. In addition, over 100 suggestions were collected at 4 public workshops held in Harrisburg, Baltimore, Richmond and Washington, DC.

In 2010, the federal Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed set a goal to provide 300 additional public access sites in the Bay watershed by 2025. The public input collected through this site and the public workshops will help NPS and our partners create the “Chesapeake Bay Regional Public Access Plan” due in 2012 to support this commitment for new access. In late fall, a draft plan will be available for public review.

Existing public access sites in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries can be found at: http://www.chesapeakebay.net/takeaction/publicaccess.