The Network aligns and integrates the efforts of thousands of individuals working on the stormwater problem across the Bay, and focuses on improved stormwater manuals, permits, programs, training and technical assistance to meet its mission. The key functions of the Network include:
- Educate the Bay advocacy community about the stormwater problem and its solutions, and create a coalition to demand change at the local, state and federal level.
- Articulate a simple and unified approach to sustainable stormwater practices that can be understood and applied by all stormwater interests in the Bay
- Link the many stormwater interests in the Chesapeake Bay together into a single integrated network and provide them with the best research, engineering and land planning tools.
- Import the best stormwater solutions developed elsewhere in the world to communities in the Chesapeake Bay.
- Work at the State level to ensure stormwater laws, permits, regulations and design manuals are reformed to require that sustainable stormwater practices are applied at every development site.
- Ensure that each are backed up by stringent compliance and enforcement tools that provide real accountability that practices are fully protecting the Chesapeake Bay.
- Work at the local level with progressive early adopter communities to change the culture and codes that are currently impeding sustainable stormwater practices.
- Work directly with progressive early adopters and design consultants to finance, design, build and monitor the next generation of effective sustainable stormwater practices.
- Challenge hesitant communities to adopt sustainable stormwater practices through a combination of education, local legislation, MS4 permit enforcement and litigation, when needed.
- Work with partners to institute a Bay-wide training program for designers and plan reviewers to test and certify their ability to effectively implement sustainable stormwater practices on every development site.
- Advocate for an expanded Chesapeake Bay stormwater research program at the state and federal level to fill in key knowledge gaps that impede sustainable stormwater practices.
- Provide direct technical support to communities to restore streams, forests and wetlands damaged by past development, and work with them to invest in effective watershed restoration practices.
