| Fall 2005
Released on November 10th, 2005, Corey's report: Coastal Area Management in Nova Scotia: Building Awareness at the Municipal Level contains valuable information that is useful for groups and individuals interested in the healthy and sustainable management of Nova Scotia's coastal areas.
Summer 2005 - Policy Change Research Project Proposal Coastal Area Management in Nova Scotia:
Building Awareness at the Municipal Level
Issue
The Coastal Coalition of Nova Scotia (CCNS) is dedicated to working towards sustainable and rational use of Nova Scotia 's coastal areas. Issues that the coalition is working on are: inappropriate coastal development, lack of traditional coastal access and loss of habitat. The coalition has a strong base of community participants and local environmental organizations. Strategically, the Coalition needs to increase its exposure to local municipal representatives since much of the policy that guides development in the coastal zone is coordinated through land-use by laws and municipal planning.
Policy Change Strategy
Recognizing the power that municipal government holds in relation to land development in coastal areas, we have developed a draft Statement of Provincial Interest (SPI) for Coastal Areas. A SPI is a provincially legislated guiding principle that, once passed by the province, is implemented at the municipal level. These statements are most often passed when they come as a resolution from the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities. (implying buy-in) CCNS is at the point where it needs to increase the awareness of the UNSM about coastal development issues, how a SPI or similar province-wide initiatives could help, and get input back from UNSM members about strategies for sustainable use of the coastal zone.
Intern activities
The intern will hold meetings and interviews in various South Shore municipalities to talk about the challenges and successes of coastal management.
The intern will also be forming links between municipal government representatives to encourage sharing of experiences and best practices in coastal management & planning.
RCIP will coordinate the internship overall, with initial community partners being the Coastal Coalition and the Ecology Action Centre (EAC). The EAC can offer office space in Halifax , background information and resources and guidance from the Coastal Coordinator.
IMPORTANT: Besides the Coastal Coalition, other key academic, community, or government contacts connected to the south shore or the issues described are also needed to offer support for the intern.
Results
The meetings and final report will increase the exposure of the Coastal Coalition, increase dialogue on coastal issues among municipalities, and get the members of the UNSM thinking about integrated management approaches for coastal areas. The work of the internship would directly assist with moving towards passing a SPI in the future (or some similar type of development) and generally increasing dialogue about coastal development issues at the municipal level. The final report would serve as a resource for both community groups and municipalities and would highlight progressive work at the municipal level.
Click here for a MSWord version of the research proposal
Click here to contact Corey Towes, Research Intern
Winter 2005
At the 2005 Rural Policy Forum in Tatamagouche, NS, participants in the "coastal zone management " workshop explored policy-oriented solutions to issues related to the health and sustainability of coastal areas in Nova Scotia. A key issue identified at the workshop and in the workshop backgrounder written by the Coastal Coalition of Nova Scotia, (Community Sponsor of the workshop) was the need for Municipal awareness of these issues and potential strategies for solutions.
With many of the Coalition members being located on the South Shore, this seemed the obvious starting point for a RCIP Research Intern.
Fall 2004
(taken from the Changing Tides Workshop Proceedings)
The Coastal Coalition of Nova Scotia held the "Changing Tides Workshop" in early November. The workshop was attended by representatives of concerned groups and communities, and by individuals. Participants learned about the legislative tools governing the coastal zone at all levels of government, about where those tools are applied and enforced and where enforcement could be improved, and what steps could be taken to improve coastal management in Nova Scotia.
Coalition Mission Statement: The Coastal Coalition is deicated to preservation, restoration and sustainable use of the physical, biological and cultural heritage of Nova Scotia's coastal ecosystems.
Winter & Spring 2004
RCIP Rural Policy Forum
(taken from the 2004 Rural Policy Forum Report) Nova Scotia coastal communities have a growing awareness that our coastal areas need consideration and protection. More so, we are hearing that coastal citizens want: 1) the opportunity to give their voice to the decision making process and 2) to understand and have a comprehensive coastal areas framework and process in which they can participate and to have their voices heard. The [Rural Policy Forum - February 2004] workshop explored how we, as coastal communities, can define steps towards developing a strategic approach that will bring about a policy change for coastal areas. In other words, the challenge is to create a roadmap that counters the democratic deficit of citizen-informed planning – both for their present and their future.
Coastal Coalition of Nova Scotia Formed
(taken from the Changing Tides Workshop Proceedings)
The Coastal Coalition formed in May 2004 out of a growing concern for the state of Nova Scotia's coastal areas. One of the Coalitions first objectives was to find out what legislation and policies pertain to coastal protection in our province.
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