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Environment and Resilience

Photo Credit: Michele Thompson

Environment and Resilience

— GREEN SPACE SURVEY —

Respondents were asked to select up to three images that best represent the green or open space they are most interested in protecting or creating in the City. The following three images were the top selections.

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Introduction

Chesapeake’s natural environment is a point of pride for residents and frequently listed as one of the primary reasons residents moved to and stay in the city.

In engagement for the comprehensive plan update, residents stated over and over the need to protect “green space” or “open space”. To get a better understanding of what this meant, staff prepared a survey on the topic. It is clear from the responses, and other community feedback, that most residents prioritize highly natural settings where there are forests, wetlands, and water. 92.0% of respondents also believe that green space should have either full or limited public access, indicating residents also value being able to be in natural settings.

This chapter focuses on protecting all the natural things that residents value, such as trees, wildlife, open space, and clean water, while also recognizing that natural hazards must be managed as well. Rivers and creeks that offer opportunities for kayaking and fishing may also flood nearby homes. Residents feel impacts from flooding, sea level rise, and other natural hazards that can be mitigated with appropriate action from the City and property owners.

ENV 1: Protect, maintain, and improve the quality of the natural environment and increase the opportunities for green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, while also protecting residents and structures from natural hazards.

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Wetlands and Riparian Buffers

Wetlands are perhaps the most important natural ecosystem in this part of the world, particularly in cities. They provide a myriad of ecosystem services. Wetlands provide a home to an incredible variety of plant and animal species. They protect and improve water quality (discussed further in the Water Quality section), and reduce soil and shoreline erosion. Wetlands even act as a carbon “sink,” holding carbon within the soil and plants, and preventing it from being released into the atmosphere, thus helping to mitigate climate change.

Many have tried to quantify in dollars the value of the work wetlands do. According to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coastal wetlands in the United States provide an estimated $23.2 billion just in storm protection. For these reasons, wetlands should be protected to the greatest extent possible.

Projects should start from the standpoint that wetlands will not be impacted, and if that is not possible, then project managers must provide sufficient reasoning why the impact is required, and how it will be minimized.

The City can also proactively work with environmental organizations to restore or protect wetlands in parts of the City where they are at risk or have been damaged.

Riparian vegetation, which grows along the edges of water bodies such as rivers and streams, is often part of the City’s wetlands (though not always), and plays a specific role in shoreline protection and stabilization. This is a particular concern for coastal communities.

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While there are many engineered solutions for shoreline protection, including riprap and bulkheads (also sometimes called "hardened shorelines"), these solutions can actually harm coastal vegetation. As sea levels rise, wetlands must be able to migrate to higher land and hardened shorelines can create barriers to that natural migration, effectively causing the wetlands to "drown."

The Commonwealth considers living shorelines to be the preferred approach for shoreline stabilization and has codified this position through legislation.

The City also manages some riparian vegetation through the Commonwealth's Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (Act). The City established a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA), which includes land close to bodies of water that drain into the Chesapeake Bay. In Chesapeake, this is land primarily along the Southern and Western Branches of the Elizabeth River. The City regulates the impervious surfaces (learn more in the Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure section) near wetlands or tidal water in the CBPA.

The Act also recognizes that some land has seen such concentrated development that little of the natural environment is left in

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Vegetation in an Intensely Developed Area is regulated differently than other CBPA areas.

place to protect; this land is called Intensely Developed Areas and is regulated differently. In Chesapeake, that is primarily land along the industrial waterfront of the Elizabeth River and at the Great Bridge Lock.

ENV 2: Protect wetlands in all future development to the maximum extent practicable; developers should provide information on the purpose and need of wetlands impacts, avoidance and minimization measures taken during design to avoid wetland impacts, and what wetland mitigation options are being considered to provide no net loss of wetlands function and value.

ENV 3: Living shorelines are the preferred method for stabilizing eroding shorelines and must be the first design alternative considered for shoreline projects. Project managers should refer to the Comprehensive Coastal Resource Management Guide prepared by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science for further direction on preferred shoreline design.

ENV 4: Protect riparian vegetation, particularly where continuous stretches can be maintained, and preserve natural topography, providing opportunities for vegetation to migrate and adapt landward as sea levels rise.

ENV 5: Partner with non-profit and academic organizations to identify sites where wetlands rehabilitation and restoration are possible.

Water Quality and Water Supply Protection

Providing clean water is one of the City’s most important responsibilities. The City receives water from several sources, including the Northwest River in Southern Chesapeake. While water is treated prior to dispersal to Chesapeake customers,

protecting the water at the source reduces the need for potentially more complex treatment, and is a more efficient way to provide clean water.

This is in addition to the many environmental benefits of having a clean river. Currently, much of the Northwest River is surrounded by a thick wetlands buffer, which is an excellent filtration system, slowing water to reduce erosion and removing pollutants and debris before it reaches the river. And much of that buffer is zoned for conservation, meaning little to no development can occur there (see map on following page).

Further, several large tracts of land are owned by The Nature Conservancy or the Commonwealth of Virginia for the explicit purpose of conserving that land. A water source protection plan is maintained by the Department of Public Utilities, and the City has adopted the Northwest River Watershed Protection District ordinance to regulate uses and activities that may cause contamination.

These actions put the City in an excellent position to protect source water, and all speak

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to the importance of protecting the Northwest River. These practices must be maintained and updated as necessary to continue protecting our water supply.

Another big concern, particularly for rural residents using well water, is the safety of Chesapeake’s groundwater. While the City operates two treatment plants that ensure water safety across other parts of the City, those on well water pay close attention to the level and quality of their drinking water, particularly as the City continues to develop. Development may change groundwater usage patterns and can limit the ability of runoff to filter into the soil and recharge the

— WHAT IS A SOURCE WATER? —

Source water is either surface or groundwater that provides water to a public water system for drinking and other purposes.

groundwater. Additionally, as sea levels rise, salt water intrusion has the potential to create negative impacts.

From a quality standpoint, we are constantly learning and understanding more about potential pollutants. In the past decade, contaminants that were not historically concerning or known to residents have become more widely recognized. For example, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been shown to have harmful effects on humans and are known to persist in the air, water, groundwater, soil, and more. As we learn about any new contaminants, the City must be proactive to inform residents and work with the Virginia Department of Health to address any future concerns.

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ENV 6: Protect water bodies that are sources of drinking water from potential contamination.

ENV 7: Establish and maintain an adequate vegetated buffer around all source waters.

ENV 8: Maintain a water source protection plan.

ENV 9: Avoid land uses that can potentially contaminate the City’s source waters. When necessary, these land uses should be placed away from bodies of water and have significant vegetated buffers and other protections.

ENV 10: Work with the Virginia Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Quality to proactively monitor groundwater and to develop strategies to address concerns.

Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure

Stormwater is generally defined as rainfall that flows across the ground, picking up dirt, debris, and pollutants, before it runs off into a body of water, or in many cases, a storm drain or ditch that also ultimately leads to a body of water. Many people do not realize that this water receives no treatment before it encounters a river, stream, etc. Water that runs across impervious surfaces (and is not easily absorbed) is more likely to flow quickly and pick up more pollutants than water that hits pervious surfaces (and is easily absorbed).

Fast-moving water can also erode land along water bodies, damaging the shoreline and destabilizing the ground around it. When water lands on pervious surfaces, it is absorbed into the ground where it can be filtered and cleaned of pollutants, or if there is too much stormwater to be absorbed, it is slowed and some pollutants are removed as it travels across the soil and vegetation. According to

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the Chesapeake Bay Program, stormwater is the fastest growing source of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.

Design Requirements

Regulations on stormwater have increased over the years. However, stormwater management is a complex process, and there are many factors that go into designing such facilities. Today, new developments must manage both the quantity (volume of water) and quality (amount of pollutants) of their stormwater, typically on site, using “best management practices” or BMPs. Requirements for removing certain amounts of pollutants are passed on to localities by the Commonwealth and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

However, many localities are seeing that rainfall today exceeds the expected amounts set in federal design standards.

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— STORMWATER DEFINITIONS —

• Impervious Surfaces: Surfaces that water cannot readily soak into, such as asphalt, concrete, roof shingles, and other pavements.
• Pervious Surfaces: Surfaces that absorb water quickly, such as wetlands, soil, and vegetated ground cover.

For example, stormwater management systems that were designed to accommodate 10-year storms (a storm producing an amount of water statistically seen every ten years) may now be strained as those 10-year storms are occurring every five or two years in some places. This means the stormwater system may not be successfully conveying water more frequently than in the past. Residents often complain that drainage systems are not working as intended, and this may be part of the cause.

Federal standards are typically slow to change given the bureaucracy required for adoption. While Chesapeake is participating in conversations with the region and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to update standards, like other localities Chesapeake should proactively update local design criteria to reflect the reality of storms we are seeing here today.

Reduce Impervious Surfaces

One of the easiest ways to manage stormwater is to reduce the amount of impervious surface in a development, and replace it with vegetation (or turf, at a minimum). Developers should consider exactly what surfaces are needed to make a project successful during the design process. Even with reduced impervious surfaces, there will always be some stormwater to be managed. Today most stormwater is handled in the form of large retention ponds. While these ponds meet the criteria for stormwater management, they often take up a lot of space and provide no benefits other than holding stormwater, providing water views, and occasionally adding a recreational walking path.

Environment and Resilience

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A bioswale that will catch and treat stormwater in a rain event.

Green Infrastructure

Today, "green infrastructure", a term often used to mean using natural systems to manage stormwater, is gaining in popularity. Green infrastructure, also sometimes called "nature-based solutions", includes treating stormwater with wetlands, rain gardens (plantings specifically engineered to capture stormwater and thrive in various conditions), tree canopy, permeable pavement (pavement which lets water through to the soil for absorption), green roofs, and more. While these methods treat stormwater, they also provide additional benefits, whether it be wildlife and pollinator habitat, cleaner air, or cooler buildings and paved surfaces (depending on the type of green infrastructure). "Treatment trains", where water moves through a system of various stormwater treatment mechanisms, (e.g., water falls onto a green roof, where it runs off in a rain garden, being treated twice) are a more complex, but effective way to manage stormwater, particularly in a smaller space or for more added benefits. It's important to note that green infrastructure and treatment trains can be more expensive and complicated to design and typically require additional maintenance, and all aspects of the system should be considered so that stormwater is effectively cleaned and conveyed.

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Regional BMPs

In addition to individual on-site stormwater management, many localities also support regional BMPs; these are facilities built with a large capacity to manage stormwater in a defined watershed, rather than requiring individual developments to manage their stormwater needs on site.

Regional BMPs are particularly beneficial in areas where the City promotes denser development and walkable, mixed-use areas, where there is no excess land to devote to BMPs

(although some green infrastructure measures, such as green roofs, may still be effective). This is a strategic decision the City can make, creating the circumstances for specific development patterns to occur.

ENV 11: Adopt and follow design standards for drainage facilities that reflect best available science and data, which indicate a need for more stringent requirements based on the impacts of storm events as they presently occur and are expected to occur in the future.

ENV 12: During the development review process, limit pavement and other impervious surface that does not serve a necessary purpose in the development.

ENV 13: Promote green infrastructure other than stormwater retention ponds as a means of managing stormwater. The larger and more complex a project, the more consideration should be given to treatment trains, wetlands bioretention, and other creative stormwater solutions.

ENV 14: Design stormwater management facilities to provide additional benefits beyond stormwater treatment and retention, such as wetlands ecosystems, wildlife habitat and recreation.

ENV 15: Encourage piped stormwater management over ditches when reasonable to reduce stormwater maintenance requirements for the City.

ENV 16: Identify locations where regional stormwater management facilities are necessary or beneficial and proactively construct those facilities in coordination with developers as feasible.

Environment and Resilience

Sea Level Rise and Flooding

The City must pay more attention to flooding and sea level rise. Partly due to its vast size, large portions of Chesapeake are located outside of the 100-year floodplain. However, for those who are in the floodplain (and even some who are not, but their daily commute or other activities are), flooding is a recurring nuisance and worry.

Flood risk can occur in many forms: tidal flooding, storm surge, excessive rainfall events, nor’easters, and hurricanes all can bring damaging amounts of water to roads, structures, and personal property. The City should incorporate the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission-recommended sea level rise scenarios for planning (see more about how this recommendation was made here). These scenarios use 1992 as the baseline year.

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— THE 100-YEAR FLOODPLAIN —

The area that will be inundated by a flood event having a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. It is also known as the Special Flood Hazard Area.

Climate change also causes more intense storms, meaning impacts may be greater (and more likely to occur outside of the floodplain). The three highest recorded water levels in the City also correlate to the most insurance claims (see graph on page 144).

Those not currently in the floodplain must also pay attention to future sea level rise. Sea level rise is a tidal impact, so any water that is tidally influenced (such as the Northwest and Elizabeth Rivers) will rise. The Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan projects that between 2020 and 2080 the number of Hampton Roads buildings exposed to high tide will go from approximately 450 to 24,300 – that is a 5,337% increase around the region.

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Sea Level Rise

Existing and predicted future sea level rise will impact riverine and low-lying properties. Strategies need to be in place to support residents and businesses in these vulnerable areas.

• 2018-2050 Sea Level Rise (+1.5 ft)
• 2050-2080 Sea Level Rise (+3 ft)
• 2080-2100 Sea Level Rise (+4.5 ft)
• Major Roads
• Great Dismal Swamp
• Water Bodies

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Environment and Resilience

FLOOD INSURANCE CLAIMS & MAXIMUM WATER LEVELS

Chesapeake, Virginia

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*NAVD stands for North American Vertical Datum. It provides a consistent basis for measuring elevations.

Specifically in Chesapeake, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation projects that while approximately 2,700 acres of land were in the 100-year floodplain in 2020, by 2080 that number will triple to 8,100 acres. As sea levels rise, the floodplain will naturally expand. Most flooding and sea level rise impacts will be along bodies of water: on the eastern side of Western Branch, in Southern Chesapeake near the Northwest River, and in South Norfolk, Great Bridge, and Rivercrest along the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River.

It’s important that the City take steps today to mitigate flooding and future sea level rise. The first and easiest step is to prevent new flood exposure by keeping development out of the 100-year floodplain, and to plan with future sea level rise in mind. Staff can consider the projected sea level rise and make decisions about future facilities based on the lifespan and use of the facility. For example, a warehouse that is expected to last twenty years may be safely built in an area where sea level rise is projected by 2050 as it will come to the end of its life cycle before sea level is expected to impact it; however, a hospital, which is critical to the City, that will last over one hundred years should likely stay away from any currently projected sea level rise. The City should be particularly conservative in locating critical infrastructure outside of existing and future floodplain based on projected sea level rise, unless the nature of the infrastructure requires water access or proximity.

The City does work around recurrent flooding today, particularly through the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). OEM offers education and assistance to help residents understand their flood risks and how to obtain flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The City, through OEM, also has put in a large amount of work to achieve a Community Rating System

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Class 7 designation, and is currently working towards an even higher rating. The Community Rating System is a tool used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reduce flood insurance premiums in a locality based on actions taken by the locality to reduce their flood risk. The programs considers the City's efforts for community engagement and education, regulations, reduction in actual damages, and flood warning and response among other things.

While the City can prevent new flooding problems, we also must mitigate issues in those communities that are already impacted by flooding and sea level rise today.

The Industrial Waterfront Study recommends the creation of Resilient Area Plans – small, neighborhood scale planning efforts that describe localized conditions; where, how, and why impacts occur; community engagement and involvement; and solutions. This should include helping homeowners make their homes more flood-resistant. It also includes participating in buyout programs. Properties purchased this way cannot be developed, but may serve as natural features and provide a place for wetlands to migrate as sea levels rise.

“No adverse impact” is a concept that will be critical going forward; that is, making sure that new projects and solutions don't create flooding problems for the property and rights of others. For example, raising a frequently-flooded road is good, but a raised road may create the functions of a levee, and send floodwaters towards homes that were previously not flood-prone. Projects require holistic thinking to make sure potential consequences are fully considered.

ENV 17: Plan for the following anticipated future sea level rise scenarios as recommended by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission:

• 1.5 feet of SLR for near-term planning, occurring by 2050

• 3.0 feet of SLR for medium-term planning, represented by the timeframe 2050–2080

• 4.5 feet of SLR for long-term planning relevant to timeframes beyond year 2080

ENV 18: Direct development towards higher ground to the greatest extent practicable while discouraging development in Special Flood Hazard Areas. No new critical infrastructure should be built where there is an anticipated sea level rise impact that would occur in the lifespan of the facility unless required by the nature of the infrastructure.

ENV 19: Consider flood risk when reviewing new developments and work with developers to minimize risk.

ENV 20: Achieve Class 5 in the Community Rating System (CRS), particularly through preserving open space in the floodplain, preserving wetlands, maintaining drainage systems and completing mitigation activities for buildings within the floodplains.

ENV 21: Work with communities anticipated to be affected by sea level rise to proactively adapt to future conditions through implementation of Resilient Area Plans.

ENV 22: Develop a program to assist homeowners in flood-prone areas in making their homes more resilient to flooding.

ENV 23: Utilize a variety of flooding adaptation strategies that are both structural and non-structural and meet the definition of “no adverse impacts”.

ENV 24: Review and revise as necessary the Floodplain Management section of the City Code to appropriately mitigate flooding risk to citizens.

ENV 25: Plan future landscaping and other vegetation to reflect anticipated future conditions, particularly in the Special Flood Hazard Area.

— PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES — Looking to learn more about how to be prepared in the event of a disaster? The City has a webpage full of resources here. Find information on flood insurance, Chesapeake’s alert system, household emergency supply kits, and more. Don’t know your evacuation zone? Find it here.

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Natural and Other Hazards

While sea level rise will increase the level of everyday, nuisance flooding, the City also expects to see more intense storms in the future due to climate change. As with flooding and sea level rise, the City must make sure to appropriately plan for that future condition. This means keeping critical infrastructure and facilities out of areas with anticipated storm surge (an abnormal rise in water levels associated with a storm), and designing them to withstand various weather, such as high winds.

Chesapeake’s Office of Emergency Management is the primary division responsible for educating and preparing residents for natural disasters and hazardous events. Their work helps residents understand evacuation zones and make disaster supply kits, among other things. Disaster preparedness and recovery does not just include hurricanes and nor’easters. The City participates in a regional hazard mitigation plan (see more here) which covers everything from wildfires to hazardous materials incidents. The City must continue building a

Environment and Resilience

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A flooded street.

culture of awareness around these potential disasters.

Even as Chesapeake 2045 makes the case for increased understanding, planning, and implementation around flooding, sea level rise, and natural disasters, residents must understand that there will be events that the City cannot prevent impacts from.

A major hurricane is going to cause flooding and damage, no matter how prepared the City is.

Part of the City’s responsibility is being able to respond during and after these events in a way that keeps residents safe, informed, and confident in the future. The City maintains a disaster response and recovery plan for these events, and it’s important the City train to it so that when a disaster occurs, we are prepared.

ENV 26: New City facilities located outside of storm surge and flood zones should be considered and, if appropriate, designed to serve the community as emergency shelters.

ENV 27: Protect new and existing public and private infrastructure and facilities from hazards by prioritizing site selection, followed by construction and other protective or mitigation techniques.

ENV 28: Implement hazard awareness and risk reduction principles into the City’s daily activities and processes to promote life safety during hazardous events, and to enhance community-wide understanding and awareness of community hazards.

ENV 29: Maintain a disaster response and recovery plan that describes recovery efforts during, immediately following, and post-event.

Tree Canopy

Trees are unquestionably one of the most important parts of any City's natural environment. Study after study shows trees provide benefits in a myriad of ways. Trees:

• Clean the air
• Prevent soil erosion and reduce stormwater runoff
• Provide habitat for vital wildlife and pollinators
• Improve water quality
• Reduce flooding
• Provide shade and reduce ambient temperatures
• Relieve stress and reduce blood pressure
• Boost the economy: shoppers will walk farther, stay longer, and spend more money in treed commercial areas
• Increase home property values

A great thing about Chesapeake is that residents value trees, whether for the above benefits, or just because they are beautiful and create a pleasant outdoor experience.

– FOR THE TREES –

When residents were asked “what are the special parts of your Planning Area that should be maintained,” one of the responses we got the most was...

• “I wish the large amount of trees and native plant areas would be retained to keep the area beautiful and full of natural life.”
• “Trees and nature”
• “Tree lined streets”
• “Green Space, trees, fields and farms”
• “lots of trees”
• “Greenery - the trees and coverage is wonderful”
• “Mature trees”
• “The trees are nice”
• “The trees and greenery”
• “Large old trees”
• “The trees!”
• “The land and trees”
• “trees and open space”

It is important to understand how much tree canopy the City has in order to define goals for the future, and this should be calculated to establish a baseline for future work. However, this number cannot be taken on its own. The City must also understand how trees are distributed, and whether there are environmental justice populations (those that have disproportionately borne the impacts

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of environmental hazards, such as flooding and heat) that are missing the benefits of tree canopy today. These populations are more likely to experience the urban heat island effect, the phenomenon where urban areas are significantly warmer than less-developed areas. According to the EPA, shaded surfaces can be 11-25 degrees cooler than their unshaded counterparts. Trees not only provide that shade, but also release moisture into the air, further cooling it.

Also important to understanding the overall urban forest is the health and age of the canopy, two factors that will impact tree canopy in the long run. Given the size of the City, the importance residents place on trees, and the multitude of factors that go into maintaining a large urban forest, it is critical that the City adopt and maintain an Urban Forestry Plan (UFP).

A UFP could calculate existing tree canopy; set goals for the future; and provide guidance on long term forest management, including consideration of climate change; best practices for development; proactively monitoring and working to remove pests (particularly those that have far-reaching impacts that can devastate the canopy); and maintaining diversity in tree species and age for a robust canopy. Even dead trees have a place in our canopy system; they are known to provide habitat for both birds and mammals as

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Volunteers and staff at a tree planting event.

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Volunteers at an invasive species removal event.

well as nutrients as they decompose.

While the UFP will help guide the City’s efforts, to truly be successful development practices must become streamlined and consider trees a valuable community amenity. For the City, this looks like clarifying and marrying our guidelines regarding what is appropriate and not appropriate. For developers, this means protecting more trees at the outset of design, planting more trees to enhance a community, and providing the appropriate environment for urban trees. The City can help provide guidance to developers to accomplish this goal. Additionally, in 2025 the Commonwealth

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passed legislation allowing localities to adopt an ordinance establishing a tree canopy fund that essentially allows the City to work with developers to plant required trees off-site when they cannot be adequately provided on-site. Adopting such an ordinance would give the City flexibility to work with developers and make sure trees are going in the most beneficial location.

The activities suggested in Chesapeake 2045 will require expanding the scope of work currently being performed by the City.

This may mean added staff or funding, and clear expectations about who is in charge of this work. However, caring for Chesapeake’s tree canopy cannot just be the City’s responsibility. While residents note when many trees are taken down for development, a large percentage of the City’s trees live individually on private property. It is less noticeable when these trees are removed because improper planting or neglect make them a liability, or they simply age and are not replaced.

If Chesapeake wants to be a truly greener city, property owners, including businesses, must take responsibility for caring for their trees, particularly because while planting new trees is important for maintaining a diversity of tree ages, mature trees are much more valuable than fresh saplings. The City can undertake efforts to educate property owners and connect them to resources to help make sure everyone in Chesapeake is doing their part to protect and plant trees.

ENV 30: Identify environmental justice populations that are underserved by tree canopy and prioritize them for future plantings. Encourage new developments and redevelopments in these areas to go above and beyond ordinance-required landscaping requirements.

ENV 31: Identify areas experiencing the Urban Heat Island effect and develop strategies to mitigate impacts.

ENV 32: Develop and adopt an Urban Forestry Plan that includes inventorying existing trees and sets guidance on enhancing and restoring urban forest quality through age and species diversification, among other tasks and policies.

ENV 33: When verges are included in development, they should be of sufficient width for healthy tree planting and future tree growth.

ENV 34: Proactively monitor and remove tree pests, particularly those that are likely to have wide-ranging impacts on the entire tree canopy.

ENV 35: Preserve and maintain existing healthy mature trees, while also supplementing with public and private reforestation efforts to promote a healthy and diverse tree canopy across the City.

ENV 36: Update the City’s landscaping and buffering ordinance to include additional invasive species on the “Undesirable Tree Species” list, and clarify the planting of which cannot contribute to required landscaping.

ENV 37: Encourage opportunities for additional tree plantings in appropriate natural environments as part of the development review process.

ENV 38: Adopt an ordinance establishing a tree canopy fund for the purposes of collecting fees from developers that cannot provide their canopy requirements on site and using them to plant trees elsewhere in the City.

ENV 39: Educate residents and officials about the negative impacts of invasive species, and implement programs for their strategic, targeted removal.

ENV 40: Connect residents and businesses to existing resources on tree care and maintenance, and work with neighborhood groups to support their local tree canopy goals.

ENV 41: Identify and highlight historic, champion, and significant trees within local communities to increase likelihood of protection and maintenance.

Wildlife

In Chesapeake, wildlife is not just the bears tucked away in large natural spaces, but also the birds, pollinators, turtles, and other small creatures residents interact with in their daily lives. Protecting wildlife came up frequently during Chesapeake 2045 community engagement. This is another example of Chesapeake residents identifying as part of a naturally beautiful City, full of wilderness, attractive natural views, and opportunities to get outside. As one survey respondent said: “I moved to Chesapeake for the country and nature. Preserve natural resources and areas for wildlife. Wildlife is being displaced into populated areas. After trees and nature are gone, you can’t get them back.”

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Even black bears can be spotted on the Dismal Swamp Trail.

Chesapeake is home to many important species of flora and fauna, with many opportunities for seeing them in the wild. The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (Great Dismal Swamp or GDS), which spans Suffolk, Chesapeake, and North Carolina, is an extremely important habitat. According to a 2010 Virginia Department of Transportation research report, the Great Dismal Swamp contains “40 species of mammal, 59 species of reptiles and amphibians, and more than 200 species of birds, many of which are uncommon or rare in Virginia.” The Great Dismal Swamp also has one of largest populations of black bear on the East Coast. There are other species of interest in Chesapeake, the most prominent of which is likely the protected canebrake rattlesnake, which has a habitat range within Chesapeake.

Savvy canoers and kayakers can explore the Great Dismal Swamp Canal, and pedestrians and cyclists the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail that runs alongside it to view wildlife. Birding is a particularly popular activity, and birdwatchers seek out Chesapeake. Some of the special birds one might find: the Green Heron, the Swainson’s Warbler (birders have been known

to come from all over to see this secretive bird in Chesapeake, where it is more vocal and visible), and the Wayne’s Warbler.

While some of the wildlife in Chesapeake is protected in perpetuity (such as in the Great Dismal Swamp), other animal habitat may be at risk of development. Even animals in protected habitats may be negatively impacted by development if their migratory patterns are blocked or development comes close enough that it creates noise, light, or other impacts that harm animals’ natural patterns. It’s important that the City work closely with developers to minimize these impacts, and recognize that one may need to look outside of direct project boundaries to see impacts.

The City does not just have to react to incoming projects. Chesapeake can proactively support the acquisition of properties that expand habitat and safeguard migration patterns, giving wildlife additional protections.

ENV 42: Work with developers to protect green space that could serve as habitat or part of a contiguous wildlife corridor during the development process, prioritizing this land to satisfy landscaping and tree canopy requirements.

ENV 43: Partner with environmental organizations to fund water quality and aquatic habitat projects, particularly in conjunction with industrial users.

ENV 44: Support the acquisition of properties that expand wildlife habitat and protect migration patterns.

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Solid Waste and Recycling

Recycling is a complicated topic in Chesapeake. When the City discontinued curbside recycling in 2022, many residents were disappointed and frustrated about the lack of options for continuing their recycling collection. Some residents called for the return of curbside recycling, which the City expressed it could only do if a fee was included to help fund the service, which most localities do. In a 2024 local referendum, 62.2% of voters said they would not support bringing back recycling with the inclusion of a fee. Here, Chesapeake differs from its neighbors, which have appeared, based on surveys, to be willing to pay for increases in fees for these services. When service was offered, Chesapeake was the only Hampton Roads locality to offer curbside recycling at no cost to residents, and today Chesapeake is still the only one not to charge for trash removal.

In the absence of the curbside pickup program, Chesapeake has supported central recycling drop-off sites. It’s important that the City continue working with residents towards sustainable options for recycling that allow those who wish to participate to do so and increase the overall recycling rate, particularly while the City focuses on long-term solutions.

The City is currently working with the Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) to construct and implement an Alternative Waste Disposal facility that would reduce the waste stream going to the regional landfill by at least 60.0%. Such a facility would sort recyclables from the waste stream, increasing recycling rates and eliminating the need for separate recycling bins and separate handling and transporting of recycled materials. This represents a huge step forward for waste management in the City and region.

While enhancing recycling is one part of Chesapeake’s waste management program, reducing waste pre-consumption is perhaps even more important.

If the waste is not generated in the first place, it does not need to be managed through recycling, reusing, or disposing. This is especially important for conversations about regional landfill capacity; Hampton Roads is reaching landfill capacity more quickly than originally projected. Although the Alternative Waste Disposal facility will significantly help this issue, there is an opportunity to for the City to be a leader in education, best practices, and programs that help its residents reduce waste before it is generated or compost it.

ENV 45: Work with regional partners to ensure long-term solutions for safe, sustainable, efficient solid waste disposal.

ENV 46: Continue to implement strategic solutions that allow for residents and businesses to continue recycling.

ENV 47: Develop and implement a waste reduction strategy with education and pilot programs to help reduce waste going to the landfill.

Environment and Resilience

Renewable Energy

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have become a greater concern to the general public, and steps to reduce GHGs in everyday life have become common. The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission is leading the regional effort with the first Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for the Hampton Roads region. The City can take steps as well.

One of the ways in which the City can reduce its carbon footprint, and thus slow the effects of sea level rise and recurrent flooding, is to increase its use of renewable energy. While the City has implemented certain measures, such as adding electric vehicles (EVs) to its fleet, there is room for growth in this area. The City does not have a standing renewable energy goal or policy, and creating one is the first step to incorporating renewable energy into its energy portfolio. This is increasingly common across localities, and many report metrics that residents can easily access to understand their government's renewable energy production.

— THE POWER OF SOLAR — 1 megawatt of solar power can power approximately 112 Virginia homes.

There is also a role for the City in encouraging energy-efficient construction practices in residential development. Design, construction, and operating practices continue to evolve in order to reduce energy consumption, and can often be done in ways that don't increase the cost of construction.

The City has an adopted Solar Energy policy that provides guidance most specifically for “utility solar energy facilities”, those that are the principle use of the property, and that are providing energy off-site. Historically, these are most often proposed in rural parts of the City that have large, flat expanses of land. These facilities generate much debate and emotion. There are concerns that siting a solar facility

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in the rural part of Chesapeake removes farmland from production, permanently alters the aeration of the soil, impacts rural viewsheds, and destroys rural roads during construction. On the other hand, the City supports landowners' property rights to use their land how they see fit and understands solar facilities can be an important source of income, particularly for those who are retired. This is an ongoing conversation with no easy resolution.

While this specific facility type is under scrutiny, Chesapeake 2045 pushes for solar panels located in more discreet locations such as on top of buildings. The City also supports innovative projects: across the country, projects have shown that solar panels can be used in unique ways to provide additional benefits. For example, parking lots can share space with raised solar panels that provide shade for the cars underneath them.

As of 2025, Chesapeake has approved approximately 278 megawatts of solar energy production through utility solar facilities. This energy is all fed back into the larger electric grid. There is a small amount of additional production from individual residences and buildings that also have permitted solar panels. However, the City itself has not adopted significant renewable energy infrastructure. Chesapeake has an opportunity to be a leader in rooftop and innovative solar infrastructure, thereby showcasing solutions and generating interest in these other ways to harness solar energy.

As mentioned, the City does include EVs in its own vehicle fleet. EVs are becoming

more popular, and federal funding recently impacted the deployment of the infrastructure needed to support EVs. In order to prepare for this growing technology, the City must be proactive in understanding how current codes and ordinances affect the success of EVs in Chesapeake. This will also make Chesapeake well-positioned to capitalize on any new and forthcoming funds.

ENV 48: Develop a City energy policy that includes renewable energy and energy efficiency goals and a mechanism for publicly reporting energy use.

ENV 49: Encourage the use of solar panels on top of buildings and in other unused or underutilized spaces such as parking lots.

ENV 50: Model renewable energy usage in the City by proactively installing renewable energy throughout public areas, such as solar panels in City parking lots.

ENV 51: Support Electric Vehicle technology and review City codes and ordinances that may need to be amended to allow the implementation of EV infrastructure.