Bras d'Or Lakes Land-Use Planning Standards: Municipal Options

1. Bras d’Or Lakes Land-Use Planning Standards: Options for Municipal Government ConsiderationPresented by: The Bras d’Or Stewardship Society

2. Bras d’Or Lakes: “One of a Kind”PeopleEcologyEconomyJurisdictions

3. Bras d’Or Lakes Recognition:UNESCONational Geographic

4. Environmental Issues • Forestry • Sewage • Declining Fish Stocks • Invasive Marine Species • Land use

5. Bras d’Or Stewardship Society • Community-based society to protect, conserve and restore the Bras d’Or lakes and watershed. • Uses Advocacy, Education and Public Awareness • All members are volunteers including 11-member Board • Have worked for: • Upgrades to sewage treatment plants • New regulations for sewage discharge from boats • Better control of ballast water • Wetland protection • Other citizen concerns (strip mining, quarry activity) • Work in partnerships with others, including CEPI

6. Bras d’Or Charter: “All Levels of Government Working Together”

7. CEPI: Consensus Based

8. Main CEPI Partners First Nations: • UINR, EFWC, UNSI Federal Government: • DFO, EC, INAC Provincial Government: • Environment, A. Affairs, Ag. Aqua. & Fish, Natural Resources Municipal Government: • CBRM, Victoria, Inverness, and Richmond Counties, Port Hawks. Industry: • Forestry, Mining, Fishing, Tourism Academia: • CBU NGOs: • Stewardship Society, ACAP CB, Stewards of River Denys

9. Water Quality in the Bras d’Or • Most of Bras d’or healthy, but impacts occurring in nearshore waters: • Erodible rocks and soils • 49 shellfish closures • Reduced oxygen concentrations • Significant sedimentation • 95% of shoreline is privately held • Local and Traditional Knowledge studies suggest significant changes in nearshore areas over time with increased erosion and siltation. • State of the Bras d’Or Report

10. Land Based Influences • Impacts to nearshore waters from land-based activities • Municipal governments have a role to play through the MGA Whycocomagh Bay, Bras d’OR Lakes

11. Municipal Government’s Role • Municipal Government Act gives authority for municipalities to address: • Protection of lands related to flooding, steep slopes, erosion and sensitive areas; • Retention of vegetation for buffering, sedimentation and erosion control; • Storm-water management • Setbacks from watercourses for new developments • The Bras d’Or lacks municipal land-use controls for environmental protection

12. Existing Planned Areas

13. Bras d’Or Lakes Development Standards Project • Project to address lack of municipal land-use controls for new development • Best Management Practices Manual to: • minimize impacts to surface and marine waters, wetlands, shorelines and groundwater • Minimize impacts from sea-level rise • Based on a review of BMP from other jurisdictions and interviews with those applying them • Standards to be written for easy incorporation into MPS and LUB

14. Bras d’Or Lakes Development Standards Project: Findings • Review of Best Management Practices (BMPs) • 4 Key BMPs included: • Suitability of Lands for Development • Watercourse Buffers • Wastewater Management Districts • Low Impact Development • GIS Analysis and Mapping • Also: Public Education, Municipal Practice and Coordinated Action • Report and Handbook available

15. Watercourse Buffers • Most important BMP • Purpose: limit land use and preserve natural features in areas abutting watercourses • Policies: • 20 m buffer on all watercourses but up to 75 m if needed • Additional zones for higher risk land uses • Restrict development within 1.25 m above high water mark • Dedicate 10 % of land approved for subdivision for protection of watercourses

16. Watercourse Buffers

17. Wastewater Management Districts • Very relevant for the Bras d’Or • A mechanism to manage water and sewer systems through small scale community approaches • Typically used for existing wastewater problems but can also be applied in new developments • Requires the development of a WMD By-Law that outlines: • Boundaries • Wastewater system to be used • Municipal responsibilities • Method of charging residents for service

18. Summary • Nearshore water quality of Bras d’Or is impacted from land-based activities • Municipal Governments not fully exercising their control over new developments • CEPI have supported a review of Development Standards for Municipal Adoption • Suggest Municipalities consider a process for adopting recommended policies

19. Next Steps • Currently presenting overview of study and recommendations to all 4 Municipal PACs sharing the Bras d’Or watershed • Request PAC’s careful consideration of implementing the study’s recommendations • May help support any public consultation needs that arise to implement recommendations

20. Acknowledgements • Collaborative Environmental Planning Initiative • Bras d’Or Stewardship Society • Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations • EDM Ltd • Fred Baechler