On Wednesday February 2, Joshua Mackintosh will defend his 60 ECTS credit thesis, entitled Public Coastal Access in Nova Scotia's Coastal Strategy. The defense will take place in room 1-2 at the University Centre, and begins at 15.15. It is open to the public.

Joshua's thesis advisor is Justin Huston, Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the external reader is Dr. Sigríður Kristjánsdóttir, lector at the Agricultural University of Iceland.

Abstract

Public coastal access is an issue that affects coastal communities and coastal populations worldwide. This is of particular relevance in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada where the government is developing a provincial Coastal Strategy to address priority coastal management issues, one of which is public coastal access. This study examines best practices in public coastal access in selected US States and their potential application in study areas in Nova Scotia. The results of this study will assist the Province of Nova Scotia in determining how to best address public coastal access in the Coastal Strategy. The components of this study include: analysis of current public coastal access polices and legislation in Nova Scotia; analysis of public coastal access best practices in the United States; and recommendations for the Province of Nova Scotia on how to address public coastal access in the Coastal Strategy. The results of this study indicate that a provincial response to public coastal access issues in Nova Scotia should include: an inventory of public coastal access; cooperation between all levels of government, aboriginal groups, and communities; a new approach to public consultation and engagement; provincial guidance on public coastal access and other coastal issues; using the public coastal access issues to educate and mobilize the public on greater environmental issues; as well as strategies such as: public outreach, planning, and regulatory tools. As well, suggested tools for use at the municipal level include: acquisition, public outreach, private-public alliances, and planning.

Joshua Mackintosh is from Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada. He has a degree in political science from Acadia University, and an Environmental Planning Degree from Dalhousie University. Josh is currently working with the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture on the topic of his masters thesis, public coastal access.