Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act
The Virginia General Assembly enacted the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act in 1988. The Act is a critical element of Virginia's multifaceted response to the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. The Bay Act established a cooperative relationship between the Commonwealth and local governments and is aimed at reducing and preventing nonpoint source pollution. The Bay Act, like many other environmental protection programs, is an extension of the public trust doctrine. The beds of Virginia's streams, rivers and estuaries and the waters above them are held and managed by the Commonwealth for the benefit of all Virginians.
Northampton County has adopted zoning overlay district known as the Chesapeake/Atlantic Preservation District (CAP) to incorporate into county zoning water quality protection measures consistent with the state's Bay Act Regulations. Because of Northampton's proximity to the fragile Atlantic Ocean marine marshlands, Bay Act protection regulations have been extended to the County's seaside area as well. The Regulations address non-point source pollution by identifying and protecting certain lands called Chesapeake/Atlantic Preservation Areas.
The lands that make up Chesapeake/Atlantic Preservation Areas are those that have the potential to impact water quality most directly. Generally, there are two types of land features: those that protect and benefit water quality directly (Resource Protection Areas, or RPAs) and those that, without proper management, have the potential to damage water quality (Resource Management Areas, or RMAs). By carefully managing land uses within these areas, Northampton County can help reduce the water quality impacts of nonpoint source pollution and improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and Seaside marshes.
Links:
Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act Code of Virginia
Link to Virginia Institute of Marine Science
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission