A preliminary study of watershed planning efforts to improve water quality in the Bay of Fundy: A comparison of provincial legislation and policies in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

The Bay of Fundy, a marine ecosystem shared by the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is under stress from development, pollution, and overuse. Watersheds from both provinces drain into the Bay of Fundy which connects to a larger system, the Gulf of Maine. Both provinces have a responsibility to protect the Bay from land-based pollution. This research evaluates provincial legislation and policies against an existing framework, the National Programme of Action, defined by the Government of Canada. The National Programme of Action is a response to the Global Programme of Action established by the United Nations Environment Programme to prevent pollution of marine environments from land-based pollution. The purpose of this research is to (1) determine the strengths and weaknesses of the intent and implementation mechanisms of water and land management provincial legislation and policies in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; (2) determine whether the two provincial governments have complementary policies and legislation to improve the health of the Bay of Fundy; and, (3) determine if the two provinces have comparable approaches to watershed planning and coastal and land management. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...