Forget restoration, focus on shaping the Chesapeake Bay’s future

After more than three decades and $24 billion spent on restoration, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s annual report card indicates that the bay is little better off now than when we started. The most recent annual report card gave it a D+. It has never received a grade higher than a C — and that’s on an inflated scale. Would the bay have been worse had we not made this effort? Absolutely yes. But should we accept a return on investment this low after nearly a quarter of a century, and continue to invest in this venture?