W2 AM Chesapeake Bay Restoration (Part 1)
Wednesday, 16 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in Ballroom 2

(BEL-1122-408754) The Chesapeake Watershed Past, Present, and Future (part 2).

Bell, W.¹, ¹ Center for the Environment and Society, Washington College

ABSTRACT- A review of historic land use on the 64,000 sq mi Chesapeake Bay watershed reveals a working landscape with human activity as an integral component of the system. This working landscape perspective, with special regard for changing agricultural practices from the time of pre-colonial contact to the present day, provides important insights into the forces that are working to change the region's predominantly rural communities and their resource-based economies. Communities that take advantage of these forces, as opposed to simply resisting or accommodating them, suggest a promising approach not only to their respective futures, but also to addressing such recalcitrant problems as non-point pollution and a more sustainable quality of life. This presentation will use the history of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to develop the working landscape perspective, identify some of the forces for change that are affecting present-day land use, and show through examples how local leadership-based community visioning can serve as a pro-active rather than reactive approach to a more sustainable future for the region.

Key words: Chesapeake Bay, watershed, landscape