AAAS reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and Interior released seven draft reports outlining efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, with a watershed populated by over 16 million people. Developed in response to a May 12 Executive Order, these reports will be integrated into a coordinated strategy that will be released for public comment by November 12. The final strategy is to be completed by May 12, 2010. In related news, the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing scheduled for September 22, on the reauthorization of the Chesapeake Bay Program, a regional partnership that coordinates the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.