About

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This project seeks to understand land use issues primarily in the Grand Falls-Windsor – Baie Verte – Harbour Breton region of Newfoundland, but also to offer some insight into land use planning, management, values and conflicts throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The project is a partnership of Memorial University (Environmental Policy Institute and Department of Geography), Rural Secretariat – Executive Council and Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador.

The research team has completed an extensive literature review in 2011-2012 to compile a scoping document A Scan of Land Use Issues in the Grand Falls-Windsor – Baie Verte – Harbour Breton Region. Key areas for discussion identified in this scan included: Forestry, Agriculture, Mining, Cottage/Cabin Development, Aquaculture, Competing Waterfront Uses, Access to Crown Lands, Tourism and Recreation, and Other. Beginning in fall 2012, the second phase of analysis will begin which will include 10-15 key informant interviews with stakeholders from an array of sectors (both government and non-government), community engagement sessions, and online tools for dialogue and public input. The information gathered from these processes will be included in a final document to be prepared for the Rural Secretariat as well as being reported back to the communities involved and through this website.

The following questions will guide the research and regional dialogue:

1. What are the current issues surrounding land use planning that are of concern to residents and stakeholder groups in the Grand Falls-Windsor – Baie Verte – Harbour Breton region? This leads to the following sub questions: Are there differing uses or values associated with the land base that are causing land use-related conflicts in the region? What are the potential opportunities for future land use that have been identified? Is there potential for these future uses to create land use conflicts? What are the specific locations where these potential or existing issues exist? What is the nature of these issues and opportunities from various stakeholder perspectives?
2. How are these issues prioritized by residents and stakeholder groups (including land users, planners and decision-makers)?
3. What potential solutions for resolution of on-going or potential land use issues have been identified within the region, or in regions elsewhere that face similar issues? What are the steps to date that have been taken to address these issues (or potential issues) and opportunities?
4. What steps are required to move forward with developing a land use strategy for the region? In order to effectively answer these questions, involvement from the local population is critical and residents’ input is highly valued and appreciated by the research team.

If you have any questions or are interested in participating in this project, feel free to use the ‘Contact’ page to speak to our site administrator, or e-mail Janelle Skeard, Memorial University directly at Janelle.skeard@mun.ca.