The first step in the collaborative approach to creating a Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan was to get local feedback by undertaking a public, stakeholder and First Nation engagement program and the formation of a Technical Working Group that would be tasked with developing the plan.
The Working Group met regularly between November 2019 and July 2021 and in total, three rounds of engagement took place in October 2019, August 2020 and February 2021. Engagement with First Nations has been on-going since the beginning of the project.
The feedback received during the first engagement program was summarized in the What We Heard Public and First Nation Engagement Summary Report and contributed to the development of the Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan.
A draft Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan was posted online in February 2021 and the feedback received during the final round of engagement was used to update and finalize the plan.
The main purpose of the Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan (WMP) is to address water quality issues in the watershed namely, anthropogenic or human sources of nutrients and bacteria. This will in turn, help protect and improve water quality at Parlee Beach.
The Shediac Bay WMP is not regulatory in nature. The use of a partnership-based approach will therefore be critical for the successful implementation of the plan as it will encourage local ownership and participation.
The Shediac Bay WMP applies the Integrated Watershed Management approach with a focus on water quality, ecosystems and the environment. The plan will also apply an “Adaptive Management” approach which will allow flexibility to adapt/respond to new or ongoing challenges in the watershed.
If you would like to get involved in the implementation of the Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan, please contact the Shediac Bay Watershed Association by email ([email protected]) or by phone at (506) 533-8880.