There once was a time when oysters “lay as thick as stones” on the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers contained more sturgeon “than could be devoured by dog or man.”

Sadly, those days are long gone.

But just because we don’t have the same pristine Chesapeake Bay that John Smith described over 400 years ago is no reason to give up trying to restore the bay today.

The proposal to gut federal funding for Chesapeake Bay preservation has the potential to do great harm. Not only could it devastate the region’s environment, but it would also wreak havoc on the businesses—including the seafood industry and tourism—that rely on a healthy Chesapeake Bay for their livelihood.

The Trump administration has proposed slashing 93 percent of federal funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program—from $73 million to $5 million.

Since the program’s formation in 1983, significant progress has been made. Oysters and finfish populations are up significantl...