Voicing concern for the coasts

NEW GLASGOW - Who doesn't dream of a house by the beach? But in Nova Scotia, the accelerated rate of coastal development has become a serious environmental issue. That's according to Jennifer Graham, coastal co-ordinator of the Ecology Action Centre, who will be at the New Glasgow library today at 7 p.m. for a presentation on coastal issues. By increasing the amount of housing development in coastal areas, we are losing coastal habitats, she says. She explains this is also affecting the natural functioning of coastal systems. "Everyone loves the coast but in some ways we're loving the coast to death," she says. "What's happening is we're squeezing the coast so much that the natural process of change can't happen." Other provinces have coastal policies that put restrictions on where people can develop housing in coastal areas. In New Brunswick, for instance, people are required to develop at least 30 metres from the water's edge. "This not only protects the beaches and wetlands and other coastal habitats, but it also protects people and their properties from erosion, flooding and storm surges," Graham explains. "But here in Nova Scotia, we're one of the few jurisdictions in Canada without a comprehensive coastal policy." It's important to have such a policy in place, she says, because if people aren't aware of how shorelines are changing and how they will continue to change as a result of climate change, there's nothing to prevent them from building in risky areas. So how can such a policy be put in place for Nova Scotia? Graham says concerned citizens need to make their voices heard. "Our politicians need to know this is something that's important to Nova Scotians."