Environmental Conservation

As a scientist by profession and a lifelong conservationist, I believe environmental policy should be grounded in science, produce measurable results, and preserve our natural resources for future generations. Virginia is home to extraordinary rivers, wetlands, wildlife refuges, forests, and public lands. Protecting these places is both an environmental responsibility and an investment in our communities.

I earned my degree in biology from Virginia Tech, where I conducted research using Arctic ice cores to study climate data. Before serving in Congress, I spent 20 years as a shellfish sanitation specialist monitoring water quality and environmental health in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

As vice chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, I am committed to protecting our air, water, wildlife, wetlands, and public lands. Environmental stewardship and economic prosperity are not competing goals. Practical, science-based policies can conserve our natural resources while supporting farmers, watermen, businesses, outdoor recreation, and the communities whose livelihoods depend on a healthy environment.

The Chesapeake Bay is both an environmental treasure and an economic engine for our Commonwealth. Its health affects our seafood industry, agriculture, tourism, outdoor recreation, and quality of life throughout Virginia. As co-chair of the Congressional Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, I have worked across party lines to protect the Chesapeake Bay Program and ensure federal, state, and local restoration efforts are coordinated, accountable, and focused on results.

My Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act was signed into law to improve the coordination, transparency, and oversight of federal Bay restoration efforts. I also helped craft the original America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act, which became law in 2020, and introduced the House version of the America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act, which was signed into law in 2024 . These laws strengthen habitat restoration, wetlands conservation, fisheries management, public access, and Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts across the country.

The ACE legislation also reauthorized the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, which supports partnerships that restore wetlands, improve water quality, and protect wildlife habitat. It also continued support for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, which connects parks, wildlife refuges, maritime museums, historic sites, and water trails throughout the watershed. The legislation further strengthened locally led habitat restoration through the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense Act.

Conservation succeeds when local communities, sportsmen, watermen, landowners, farmers, scientists, and government work together. Whether Virginians enjoy fishing, boating, kayaking, birdwatching, hiking, or spending time with their families along our waterways, preserving access to these resources is an important part of protecting them for future generations.

Protecting the Bay also means confronting the specific challenges facing its ecosystem. I am leading bipartisan efforts to combat invasive blue catfish, address shark depredation, strengthen fisheries and water research, restore wildlife habitats, preserve working waterfronts, and support the watermen and seafood businesses that are part of Virginia’s culture and economy.

I am also serious about addressing the effects of a changing climate on the Chesapeake Bay and coastal Virginia. Recurrent flooding, rising waters, erosion, and land subsidence already affect communities and military installations throughout our region. We must invest in research, improve coordination, strengthen coastal resilience, and help communities prepare for these challenges without imposing policies that unnecessarily raise costs, increase red tape, or undermine economic growth.

Roughly 5 million Virginians live in coastal areas across the Commonwealth, and those communities face unique environmental challenges. That’s why I was proud to secure $1.6 million in Community Project Funding in Fiscal Year 2027 to support the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s development of a Center of Excellence for Environmental Forecasting. This center will study and forecast these uniquely coastal issues, such as sea-level rise, shoreline erosion, storm events and storm surge and compound flooding, and water quality associated with harmful algal blooms.

As an avid hunter and fisherman, I understand that conservation also depends on access and responsible stewardship. I will continue working across the aisle to conserve public lands and wetlands, improve water quality, preserve outdoor recreation, and ensure Americans can hunt, fish, work, and enjoy the outdoors for generations to come.

Legislative Work

• Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act — Authored this legislation, which was signed into law to improve coordination, transparency, and accountability across federal Chesapeake Bay restoration programs.
• America’s Conservation Enhancement Act and America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024 — Helped advance these laws to strengthen Chesapeake Bay restoration, wetlands conservation, fish and wildlife habitat, locally led conservation partnerships, and public access to the Bay watershed.
• Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2026 (H.R. 4294) — Co-led this bipartisan, House-passed legislation to expand markets for invasive blue catfish harvested from the Chesapeake Bay, supporting watermen while helping restore balance to the Bay’s ecosystem.
• Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act (H.R. 7889) — Introduced this bipartisan legislation to strengthen state water-research institutes and support research addressing water quality, flooding, drought, water supply, and other challenges facing communities across the country.
• SHARKED Act (H.R. 207) — Introduced this House-passed legislation to improve research and coordination addressing shark depredation, which occurs when sharks damage or consume fish caught by recreational and commercial fishermen.
• Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act (H.R. 2091) — Introduced this legislation to expand voluntary conservation practices on farms throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, improve soil health and water quality, strengthen the agricultural conservation workforce, and support efforts to control invasive catfish.
• Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act (H.R. 1808) — Co-led this bipartisan legislation to preserve working waterfronts, protect water-dependent jobs and businesses, strengthen coastal infrastructure, and maintain public access to America’s shores.
• Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R. 556) — Introduced this House-passed legislation to protect access to federal lands and waters by preventing broad federal restrictions on traditional ammunition and fishing tackle.