COASTAL
EROSION WORKING GROUP
2008
Terms of Reference
Background
Within the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (SGSL), much of the
coastline is comprised of sand, till cliffs or sandstone. Tide
gauge data in the region also indicates that relative sea level has
been rising over the past century. As a result, this coast is
particularly vulnerable to erosion. While erosion is not new to the
Southern Gulf, the number of large new homes, cottages and other
infrastructure being built along the coast has resulted in
increasing pressure to protect the coastline. Artificial structures
are now a common site along large sections of this coast.
It is well known within the scientific community that the coast is
a highly dynamic and an interconnected environment. Artificial
structures are a common reaction to coastal erosion, however these
structures can alter natural shoreline processes and can also
affect other areas along the coast. In addition many artificial
structures can be costly for individuals to maintain and can create
significant costs for the public if the structures negatively
affect other coastal areas. To effectively live with erosion and to
minimize cumulative impacts, coastal land owners and
decision-makers need a much better understanding of the entire
coastal system and the implications of their management choices.
During the SGSL Coalition AGM 2004, need for improved awareness of
the natural coastal system and tools to enable more informed
decision-making were identified as a key issue for the region.
Subsequently, the Coastal Erosion Working Group was formed.
Mission
As a part of the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on
Sustainability (SGSLCS), our efforts work towards achieving the
organizations mandate of promoting sustainability by balancing
social and economic goals with the environment.
The goal of the Coastal Erosion Working Group is to promote
appropriate responses to coastal erosion by increasing awareness of
the natural coastal system and to develop products to improve
decision-making.
Goal
The main goals of the Coastal Erosion Working Group will be to:
- identify existing and emerging issues,
- raise awareness,
- facilitate information exchange and provide access to relevant
and current information`, and
- develop products to improve decision-making
on coastal erosion within and for the entire Southern Gulf of St.
Lawrence region.
Specific activities of the Coastal Erosion Working Group will
include:
- engaging communities and coastal users to identify issues and
needs
- providing recommendations and advice to the SGSLSC on
priorities and emerging issues
- engaging communities and coastal users to raise awareness and
improve understanding
- sharing and exchanging information, data, and experiences
- developing educational and resource materials such as
factsheets, guides, manuals and toolkit
- developing a strategic long-term plan and annual workplans
- identifying and applying for funding to enable and supplement
specific activities
Membership
and Responsibilities
Membership in the Coastal Erosion Working Group will be opened to
anyone with knowledge, experience and/or interest in coastal
erosion issues in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence region.
Representation will include individuals from the four Southern Gulf
provinces - Quebec, NB, NS and PEI. Duration of membership will be
for as long as deemed appropriate by the individual member and/or
the Working Group.
Members will assist the Coastal Erosion Working Group in achieving
its mandate as identified above, and must agree to work together in
a collaborative and respectful manner. Members will be asked to
participate in regular teleconferences and may also be asked to
lead and/or participate on specific Working Group activities.
Face-to-face meetings may also be organized in association with
Coalition workshops or the AGM if deemed necessary. Observers may
also be invited to participate as required by the Working
Group.
A Coastal Erosion Working Group Chair will be identified from and
approved by Working Group members. The duration of this position
will be for a long as deemed appropriate by the individual(s)
and/or the Working Group.
The Chair will be responsible for:
- initiating meetings, developing a draft agenda and circulating
relevant pre-meeting materials
- convening and chairing meetings
- ensuring meeting minutes and other relevant materials have been
reviewed by and final versions distributed to Working Group
members
- coordinating specific Working Group activities and input of
Working Group members
- coordinating the development of the Terms of Reference and
updating as necessary
- coordinating the development of the long-term plan and annual
workplans
- reporting on progress and emerging issues
Meetings
Meetings will be conducted primarily by teleconference.
Teleconferences will be initiated by the Chair or Co-Chairs and
will take place on a regular basis or as required. Face-to-face
meetings may also be initiated by the Chair or Co-Chairs in
association with Coalition workshops or the AGM if deemed
necessary. A proposed agenda and other relevant information will be
sent out in advance of each meeting. Members may identify
additional agenda items for the proposed agenda or at the beginning
of a meeting. Minutes of the meetings will be recorded and provided
to the Coastal Erosion Working Group by the Coalition Coordinator.
Reporting
The Coastal Erosion Working Group will report to the
Coalition’s Steering Committee through the SGSL Coordinator.
Regular updates will be provided for Coalition Steering Committee
meetings and a written update prepared for the AGM and Annual
Report.
This Working Group currently consists of the following people:
- Dominique
Berubé, Ressources Naturelles-Province of NB
- Jennifer Graham (WG
Co-Chair), Ecology Action Centre
- Jocelyne Gauvin, Groupe
de développement durable du Pays de Cocagne
- Chantal Gagnon,
Coalition-SGSL
- Nadine LaPlante,
Coalition-SGSL
- Jean-Pierre Savard,
OURANOS -Consortium sur la climatologie regionale et l`adaptation
aux changements climatiques
- Brenda Penak, Province
of Prince Edward Island
- Bob Taylor, Natural
Resource Canada
- Gilles Lejeune,
Citizen
- Kathryn Parlee,
Environnement Canada
- Marianne Janowicz,
Gouvernement NB
- Robert Capozi,
Gouvernement NB
- David Garbory, St.
Francis Xavier University
For more information about the Coastal Erosion Working Group,
please contact:
Jennifer Graham
(Co-Chair)
Ecology Action Centre
coastal@ecologyaction.ca
Interested in getting involved with a Working Group, but aren`t
sure where to apply your expertise?
Contact us!
Check out the annotated bibliographie developed in 2006 by the
Coalition:
Coastal Erosion Literature and Resource
Materials.
