however, may not succeed if conditions are not suitable for 
regrowth. State agencies should not blindly proceed with trans¬ 
plant programs without attempting to understand the critical 
factors affecting plant survival and improved water quality 
conditions. Well-designed transplant programs do have a place 
in the Bay. They should be viewed as tools to better understand 
those factors affecting SAV growth and to monitor water quality 
conditions of selected Bay sites. Thus, any transplant effort 
should have a concomitant monitoring program to gauge success or 
failure of the plants. Transplanting has been conducted success¬ 
fully in the lower Bay and the Potomac River. Nevertheless, we 
do have sites that have continually failed in our transplant 
efforts. The environmental information gained from these sites 
where transplants die when compared to successful sites, could 
have important implications when implementing plans for improved 
water quality through better land use practices and point source 
pollutant reductions. 
At present, mitigation plans to offset potential SAV losses 
caused by dredging operations should not be viewed as a viable 
option for the Chesapeake Bay. If conditions for suitable SAV 
growth do not improve, replanted SAV will certainly not 
survive. Because mitigation of SAV is still in the early 
research phases, conservation of existing SAV beds should be a 
priority consideration of any management agency. 
SAV communities in the Bay today are experiencing problems 
and will continue to do so unless management strategies are 
developed to protect them. Reversing the recent decline and 
attempting to restore the valuable communities will require a 
Bay-wide plan to both reduce nutrient inputs and continue to 
improve soil erosion control practices. 
Existing stands must be preserved, and SAV regrowth moni¬ 
tored to determine their persistence in particular areas. Al¬ 
though hydrilla is considered a nuisance species in other re¬ 
gions, it may play an important role in the Potomac River, which 
has had no extensive beds in the last 60 years. Control of this 
species should be carefully considered and initially directed 
locally where hydrilla impedes navigation or marina operations. 
SAV systems have historically been a very important part for 
the Bay's ecosystem. Their preservation will require an eco¬ 
system approach to understanding and controlling sources of 
stress. Anything less will result in continued deterioration of 
SAV in areas where they are in very low abundance and ultimately 
in those areas where healthy beds still persist. The future of 
the Bay's SAV will depend on our approach to solving the pro¬ 
blems of today and our commitment to a healthier Bay in the 
future. 
Thank you. 
63 
