Streamside or Riparian Forest Buffers have Long been recognized as a vital part of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, providing multiple benefits both for water quality and wildlife. As part of the Chesapeake 2000 agreement, Chesapeake Bay Program partners agreed to establish expanded goals for riparian forest buffer mileage in the Bay watershed by 2003. Riparian areas are those lands adjacent to streams, rivers, and other bodies of water and serve as a transition between aquatic and upland environments. A forested riparian buffer helps to: (1) Maintain the integrity of stream channels and shorelines, (2) Reduce the impact of pollution by trapping, filtering, and converting sediments, nutrients, and other chemicals, and (3) Supply food, cover, and thermal protection to fish and other wildlife. In response to that commitment, the Chesapeake Bay Program Forestry Workgroup has developed the recommendations within this report for acceptance at the 2003 Chesapeake Executive Council Meeting. These recommendations, including a number of goals and related policy actions, are presented collectively as the 2003 Directive for Expanded Riparian Forest Buffer Goals. The proposed goals build on the existing riparian buffer initiative from 1996. This report details these proposed goals, along with the related policy recommendations and the factors that shaped them.