This bill establishes the Chesapeake Bay States Partnership Initiative to assist agricultural producers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Its primary purpose is to improve water quality, restore soil health, and enhance the resilience of agricultural production against climate change impacts. The initiative provides funds for conservation activities, including controlling erosion, reducing sediment and nutrient levels, and planning habitat restoration with significant ecological value, prioritizing efforts in areas where nutrient reduction would be most effective.

A Federal task force will be jointly established by the Secretary and the EPA Administrator to improve the analysis, reporting, and quantification of nutrient reductions from conservation activities, ensuring scientific integrity and producer privacy. The bill reauthorizes the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through fiscal year 2028, expands eligible land for riparian buffers, and amends the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to allow existing agreements to be updated with new incentives and streamline amendments for national priorities.

A new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Turnkey Pilot Program is established to provide voluntary owners and operators with the establishment and management of forested riparian buffers on eligible land through CREP, without direct cost or additional paperwork to the producer, utilizing technical service providers. The bill also expands grants and fellowships for food and agricultural sciences education to include junior colleges and postsecondary vocational institutions, emphasizing paid work-based learning to address workforce needs.

The legislation grants the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) direct hire authority for qualified candidates providing technical assistance in conservation programs. Finally, it shifts primary regulatory oversight for domestic, wild-caught invasive blue and flathead catfish in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem from the Department of Agriculture to the Food and Drug Administration, requiring an interagency memorandum of understanding and new regulations to prevent duplication of inspection activities.