Local governments have the primary responsibility for managing land uses and development. Therefore, the Bay Act focuses on assisting Tidewater localities to preserve water quality through land use decisions. To implement the program, the Act established a nine-member citizen board called the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board. Board members represent various stakeholder interests – such as business, agriculture, land development, local government, and environmental protection – as well as different geographic regions within Tidewater Virginia. As. The Bay Act charges the Board with the following responsibilities:

• Promulgating and keeping current regulations that establish criteria for local Bay Act programs
  • The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Designation and Management Regulations (9 VAC 10-20) were originally adopted in 1989 and were recently amended in December, 2001.
    
    
• Providing technical and financial assistance to Tidewater local governments
  • Technical assistance has been provided in a number of ways, including publications, research projects, provision of computer equipment, providing training for local government planners and engineers, and other direct staff assistance. Financial assistance has been provided through (1) a competitive grants program for localities and PDCs, which began in 1990, and (2)a grant program for Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Tidewater to develop agricultural soil and water quality conservation plans on farmlands within Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas.
    
    
• Providing technical assistance and advice to regional and state agencies on land use and water quality protection
  • The Division of Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance (see The Division) provides staff for the Board and Tidewater local governments, Planning District Commissions, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts participating in the program. Staff also provides assistance in other regional efforts, including the development of tributary strategies and participation on committees and work groups of the interstate Chesapeake Bay program.
    
    
• Ensuring that local government comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, and subdivision ordinances are in compliance with the Bay Act regulations
  • These land use ordinances and plans comprise the local Bay Act program and must meet the requirements of the regulations. The local programs are discussed in greater detail in the next section.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance (CBLA) is the only program in Virginia State Government that deals comprehensively with the relationships between land use planning and development and water quality. It is also the only program that assists local governments with land use planning needs, including development of land use regulations, ordinances, and comprehensive plans. As the primary source of assistance to Tidewater localities implementing the Bay Act program, CBLA has adopted the following Motto:

"Partnering with local governments to protect the Chesapeake Bay and other state waters through sound land use management."