Peter Turcik
National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways program office (NPS Chesapeake Gateways) administers, manages, and participates in multiple Chesapeake partnerships and collaboratives. A hallmark program of NPS Chesapeake Gateways is the congressionally created Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network (Chesapeake Gateways) covering the 41 million acres of the Chesapeake watershed.
Chesapeake Gateways is both a network of special places in the watershed and an effort to provide technical and financial assistance across the watershed. It was originally authorized by Congress through the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998.
In 2021, the NPS Chesapeake issued an updated guiding document, Refreshing the Chesapeake Gateways Network: An Updated Framework. It provides an overview of the structure and themes of Chesapeake Gateways and serves as the foundation for planning and management decisions over the next 10-15 years.
Based on this new Framework, and with substantial partner involvement, the NPS Chesapeake office also developed and issued the Chesapeake Gateways Strategic Plan 2021-2026. The new Strategic Plan sets out specific priorities and actions for Chesapeake Gateways over the coming years with a focus on equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Last updated: July 11, 2023