State Sen. Gene Yaw elected to lead Chesapeake Bay Commission

by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
January 12, 2026

State Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) will lead the tri-state legislative body that advises lawmakers and Congress on government action needed to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Yaw was elected chairperson of the 21-member Chesapeake Bay Commission, which includes 15 state House and Senate lawmakers from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; a cabinet secretary selected by each state’s governor; and a citizen member from each state. He previously led the commission in 2020.

Yaw said in a news release that he intends to guide the commission in driving forward innovative policies that will support the revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which state and federal officials approved last month.

The Chesapeake Bay Commission, created in the 1980s through legislation in all three states, serves to identify and coordinate state legislative and policy action to reverse decades of pollution that degraded the estuary’s waters. The Susquehanna River, which collects water across a massive swath of Pennsylvania, is the bay’s largest tributary.

“With the entire partnership united behind a revised agreement and committed to success, now is the time for bold ideas that deliver healthy streams and a restored Chesapeake Bay,” Yaw said in a statement. “I’m proud that Pennsylvania is being recognized as a leader on clean water and a showcase for innovative projects that highlight local benefits. I am looking forward to scaling up our efforts over the coming year.”

Yaw replaces Maryland state Senator Sara Love (D-Montgomery). Yaw will also continue to serve as the chair of the Pennsylvania delegation, of which state Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster), Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre), Rep. Carol Hill-Evans (D-York) and Rep. Nikki Rivera (D-Lancaster) are members.

State Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley and G. Warren Elliott of Chambersburg also represent Pennsylvania.

In December, the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council voted to revise the watershed agreement, accepting recommendations from a steering committee that had been meeting for more than two years. Notably, the council voted to develop formal channels for tribal nations to participate.

The revisions include data collection and analysis methods and greater accountability for clean up efforts. Other changes include more emphasis on habitat restoration and exposure of climate impacts in the region.

The council, which consists of leaders from six states within the Bay watershed, also elected Gov. Josh Shapiro to serve as its chairperson this year. 

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