The Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act of 2025 strengthens conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay region through three main changes. First, it expands the Conservation Reserve Program through 2028 by making riparian buffers eligible for participation, doubling payment caps to $100,000, and allowing existing agreements to be updated with enhanced incentive options without full renegotiation. Second, it streamlines hiring for the Natural Resources Conservation Service by allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to directly appoint qualified technical assistance staff, bypassing standard federal civil service procedures. Third, it removes invasive blue catfish and flathead catfish from USDA inspection authority and transfers oversight to the FDA, with requirements for the agencies to coordinate within 90 days and eliminate duplicative inspections within 180 days. Together, these provisions aim to accelerate conservation practices and improve agricultural and environmental management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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