Promoting Cooperation to Maintain and Enhance ...Ecotourism, also called ecotravel, describes...

Promoting Cooperation to Maintain and Enhance Environmental Quality in the Gulf of Maine

S P R I N G 19 9 8 V O L U M E 2 , N U M B E R 1

BULK RATE

US POSTAGE

PAID

BOSTON, MA

PERMIT NO. 53295

2200 PPAARRKK PPLLAAZZAA

SSUUII TTEE 11111122

BBOOSSTTOONN,, MMAA 0022111166

PPRRII NNTTEEDD MMAATTTTEERR

CC OO NN TT EE NN TT SS

Boat pumpout programs 3

Aquafarming partnership 3

Visionary Award winners 4

Freshwater impoundments 9

Gulf Log 10

Resources 10

Council Currents 11

Gulfwise web sites 11

Gulf of Maine watershed map 12

Gulf of Maine — Not all of us dream ofspending our precious vacation dayscombing an ankle-deep mud flat for sandworms — and paying for the privilege.But organizers of trips that send peopleto work alongside environmentalresearchers and scientists say volunteertravel and other forms of “ecotourism”are increasingly popular worldwide,including in the Gulf of Maine.

Ecotourism, also called ecotravel,describes outdoor-oriented travel, incor-porating environmental education, con-servation, or natural history components,that benefits — or at least does no harm to— the destination’s natural, cultural, oreconomic environment.

Depending on who you ask, ecotravelcan cover everything from a wildernesscamping experience to a bus trip to a bird

sanctuary. “Ecotrips” can constitute aweek and a half spent on a remote Mainelake monitoring loons with field scien-tists, an afternoon nature walk, or anextended canoe trip with chef-staffedcampsites set up for weary travelers bythe outfitter’s advance teams.

Even the cruise ship industry is mar-keting itself as an increasingly environ-mentally aware travel option, accordingto Randy Brooks, Canadian Co-Chair ofthe New Atlantic Frontier Association(NAFA), an association of ports fromNew York to Montreal.

Of the 60 ships coming into NAFAports, about a third have naturalists onboard, said Brooks. Also, he said, cruiseship companies operating in the Gulf ofMaine are using “greener” practices inresponse to public sentiment, increased

environmental awareness, and tighter USand Canadian regulation.

Blue Magruder, Director of PublicAffairs for the Earthwatch Institute, basedin Watertown, Massachusetts, credits herorganization with creating the movement“where people want to be involved as notjust a tourist, but want to be part of some-thing real.” Earthwatch volunteers don’tvisit places passively, but work in thefield with scientists and help them gatherand record information on wildlife orother species.

The group annually sends about 4,000volunteers from dozens of countries towork with scientists all over worldincluding in the Gulf of Maine. “When Istarted 20 years ago, there were 300 vol-unteers a year. It was very radical to findpeople who would pay to work,”

Ecotourism: treading lightly in the Gulf

Gulf of Maine — Even as they welcomethe new supply of cleaner fuel that natu-ral gas developers hope to market to theregion, communities and environmentalagencies throughout the Gulf are seekingassurances that the environmental effectsof the proposed pipelines will be kept incheck.

Maritimes & Northeast PipelineProject (M&N) and North AtlanticPipeline Project (NAPP) are vying forapproval to transport the gas being devel-oped by the Sable Offshore EnergyProject to markets in Atlantic Canada andNew England. Although more than onecompany can receive permits to distrib-ute the gas, the first to do so is in theadvantageous position of cornering cer-tain markets.

In December, Canada’s NationalEnergy Board (NEB) shelved consideration of a third proposal, theTrans Maritimes Pipeline Project, at the

Pipeline routesprompt concernabout habitat

Magruder said.Earthwatch may be the most estab-

lished organizer of environmentally ori-ented trips, but considers itself an educa-tional, rather than an ecotourism organiza-tion, Magruder said. “We’re supportingscientific research, but people are gettingthe best possible education they can get,”she explained.

The nature of responsible travelSo, what is ecotourism? “The main

thing is that it is not just nature tourism— it’s responsible travel,” said Megan

ECOTOURISMContinued on Page 6

PIPELINEContinued on Page 8

Travelers are increasingly seeking outdoor vacations that combine recreation with environmental education. On this trip, kayakersskimmed the Bay of Fundy near Saint John, New Brunswick, getting a close look at the marine environment.

Pho

to: T

he O

utdo

or A

dven

ture

Co.

fare of the world’s communities. IYO represents an effort to ensure that

governments do all they can to promotethe exploration, sustainable use, and con-servation of the sea.

The Gulf of Maine Times looks forwardto bringing you closer to IYO so you canmake the most of the events taking placeand resources being developed. Here are afew of the developments we’ll be follow-ing during the year.

In the US, SeaWeb, apublic education initiativein support of ocean conser-vation funded by PewCharitable Trust, is work-ing with the NationalOceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) todevelop activities and

resources designed to increase awarenessof ocean issues during IYO.

A Gulf-wide effort to clean up the coastwill include spring coastal cleanups inNova Scotia and New Brunswick, coordi-nated by the Clean Nova ScotiaFoundation with support from Mooseheadbreweries. Fall coastal cleanups will takeplace in Maine, New Hampshire, and

Gulf of Maine TimesVol. 2, No. 1, Spring 1998

Editor in Chief/Project ManagerAnne Donovan

Massachusetts Coastal Zone ManagementEditor

Suzy FriedEditorial Board

Cynthia LayNew Hampshire Coastal Program

Paul DestMaine State Planning Office

Gerry HillNew Brunswick Dept. of Environment

Sue BrowneNova Scotia Dept. of the Environment

The Gulf of Maine Times is made possiblethrough support of the Gulf of Maine Councilon the Marine Environment, a grant from theUS Environmental Protection Agency, and gen-erous donations by Public Service of NewHampshire/Northeast Utilities and Timberland.

Views expressed in the Gulf of Maine Timesare not necessarily those of the Gulf of MaineCouncil on the Marine Environment, the USEnvironmental Protection Agency, or othersponsors.

The Gulf of Maine Council on the MarineEnvironment was established in 1989 by thegovernments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts tofoster cooperative actions within the Gulf water-shed. Its mission is to maintain and enhanceenvironmental quality in the Gulf of Maine toallow for sustainable resource use by existingand future generations.

Visit the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment’s web site at:

http://gulfofmaine.org

This newspaper is printed on 25% post-consumer recycled paper.

Material may be reproduced as long as credit is given to the Gulf of Maine Times.

Layout: Gecko Graphix

Address all correspondence, includingletters to the Editor to:

EditorGulf of Maine Times

20 Park Plaza, Suite 1112Boston, MA 02116

Phone: (617) 728-0543Fax: (617) 728-0545

E-mail: [email protected]

Letters policyThe Gulf of Maine Timeswelcomes read-

ers’ letters, however we reserve the right toedit them for length and clarity. Pleaseinclude your name and address, and phonenumber, and mail, fax, or E-mail your lettersto Gulf of Maine Times c/o Editor. We willconsider all letters for publication, but can-not guarantee that we will print and/orrespond to every one.

For a free subscription to theGulf of Maine Times, contact the Editor.

G U L F O F M A I N E T I M E S ● S P R I N G 1 9 9 82

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Title__________________________________ First Name _________________________________ Middle Initial _____ Last Name _____________________________

Company/Agency/Organization_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Street Address _________________________________ City/Town ___________________ State/Province _____________ Zip/Postal Code ________ Country ________

Phone____________________________________ Fax_________________________________ Internet/E-mail Address_____________________________________

What issues would you like to read about in the Gulf of Maine Times?

❑ Employed by a non-governmental organization.❑ A volunteer with a non-governmental organization.❑ Employed by a government or regulatory agency or

organization, or tribal government.❑ An elected municipal, state, provincial, tribal, or federal official.❑ Employed by a private business.

❑ The owner of a private business.❑ A member of the media.❑ Employed by a research/scientific organization.❑ Employed by an educational institution.❑ A volunteer with an educational institution.

Please check all that apply

❑ Please add my name to your mailing list.

❑ Please see that my name is on your mailing list only once.

❑ Please remove me from yourmailing list.

Jeffrey TaylorDirector, New HampshireOffice of State Planning

The InternationalYear of the Oceanencourages us toreflect on the manyreasons for under-standing and appre-ciating the earth’soceans, but the factthat many of ourlivelihoods are sus-

tained by the marine environment seemsreason enough to study it. The Gulf ’simportance as a resource for tourism,aquaculture, and commercial fishingmakes its well-being essential to theeconomies of many of our coastal com-munities.

Gulfwatch, launched in 1991 by theGulf of Maine Council on the MarineEnvironment, has played an importantrole in gathering information on the healthof the Gulf of Maine marine environment.Under the program, US and Canadian sci-entists analyze blue mussels that live inshallow coastal habitats throughout theGulf, examining them for the presence oftoxic contaminants such as mercury, lead,and pesticides.

Gulfwatch uses blue mussels as its“sentinel” species (one that shows signsof change in the ecosystem) for severalreasons. They stay in one place. Theypump large volumes of water, causingchemicals to concentrate in their tissues.The amounts of the chemicals detected inthe mussels indicate the amounts presentin their home waters — information thatcan be more difficult to discern by analyz-ing only the water and sediment itself.

Over the past six years, Gulfwatch hasprovided the first long-term, comprehen-sive picture of the potential presence oftoxic trace metal and organic contami-nants in the Gulf of Maine. Scientists havedeveloped baseline information that theycan use to evaluate how changes in themarine environment may be affecting thehealth of the Gulf, providing a focus forGulf-wide cooperation on issues affectingthe US and Canada.

Changes in the marine environmentmay be sudden — such as those resultingfrom an oil spill — or may be caused bygradual contamination from dispersedsources, such as the collective runoff fromgas stations, parking lots, and roadways.In either case, knowing the effects ofchanges helps those working in environ-mental and planning agencies in the USand Canada make sound decisions affect-

Anne DonovanEditor in Chief

With the International Year of theOcean well under way, opportunities tolearn about and appreciate the importanceof marine environments abound. Evenlong-time users of and advocates for oceanand coastal environments are likely toexperience something new as part of thisyear-long effort to provide insight into the

importance of the world’s oceans to ourlivelihood and quality of life.

This celebration has been years in plan-ning. The United Nations GeneralAssembly in December 1994 proclaimed1998 the International Year of the Ocean(IYO) to promote awareness and under-standing of the importance of the sea, itsresources, and marine activities to the wel-

Gulfwatch programPrying information out of the common mussel

ing the Gulf ’s marine environment.Researchers, grassroots organizations,and even business can use the informationGulfwatch collects.

As new toxic chemicals become causefor concern, Gulfwatch incorporates theminto its research. In addition, Gulfwatchmonitors pristine areas along with heavilypopulated areas, bringing to light howmuch of certain toxic substances exist nat-urally in the environment, and the extentto which pollutants resulting from humanactivities have spread.

To date, very few of the Gulfwatch sta-tions contain mussels with contaminantconcentrations high enough to be detri-mental to the mussels’ health. This is goodnews because of the valuable role musselsplay in the coastal ecosystems of the Gulfof Maine.

Gulfwatch is valuable in helping usunderstand if the Gulf of Maine is ahealthy place for humans and otherspecies living here. The fact that a smallanimal like a mussel can provide us withso much information underscores howmuch knowledge there is to be gained bystudying the Gulf of Maine as a whole.

Jeffrey Taylor is a member of the Gulf of Maine Council on the MarineEnvironment.

Massachusetts, coordinated by govern-ment agencies and supported by theWashington, DC-based Center for MarineConservation. The Gulf of Maine Councilon the Marine Environment will useinformation gathered during the cleanupsto determine the best way to combatmarine debris along the Gulf ’s coasts.

Environment Canada and the CanadianWildlife Service are working with provin-cial governments to develop a kit to pro-mote IYO to schools. Formal educationprograms will also be available on theInternet, and via video, CD ROM, andprinted materials.

As part of a circumnavigation expedi-tion, research vessels will relay a UnitedNations flag to one another during theirregularly scheduled research cruises. Avirtual expedition on the Internet will fol-low these cruises providing extensiveinformation about the regions and oceanswhere the research vessels do their work.

International Ocean Day is June 8 andwill be marked with numerous events.And don’t expect IYO to wash away atyear’s end. Organizers say efforts to educate the world about its oceans willcontinue.

Immerse yourself International Year of the Ocean is upon us

Visit http://ioc.unesco.org/iyofor more information on this

year-long celebration and education effort.

❑ Employed by a library. Private ❑ Public ❑❑ Employed by a utility. Private ❑ Public ❑ Other ❑

My organization is located in the US ❑ Canada ❑ Both ❑ Other ❑

0398Please mail this form to: Editor, Gulf of Maine Times, 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1112, Boston, MA 02116

http://ioc.unesco.org/iyo/

G U L F O F M A I N E T I M E S ● S P R I N G 1 9 9 8 3

Gulf of Maine — Pumpout programsthroughout the Gulf of Maine providerecreational boaters with an environmen-tally sound method for disposing of sep-tic waste and help mariners find thepumpout facilities.

Many recreationalvessels are equippedwith portable toilets,or Marine SanitationDevices, which canbe drained at dumpstations or pump-outstations where wasteis collected for propertreatment and dispos-al. If, however,boaters simply dumptheir toilet waste andwastewater directlyinto the ocean, theyare contributing tocontamination ofshellfish beds andswimming areas withdisease-carrying bac-teria.

Also, as the organ-ic matter in sewagedecomposes, bacteriainvolved in theprocess use up oxy-gen needed by fishand other aquaticwildlife.

States, provinces,and federal govern-ments in the Gulf ofMaine have beencampaigning to make mariners aware ofthe importance of using pumpout sta-tions. In 1992, the US Congress passedthe Clean Vessel Act (CVA), adminis-tered by the US Fish & Wildlife Service,to help states develop pump-out pro-grams and awareness campaigns.

As part of the information campaign,the Sportfishing Promotion Councilestablished 1-800-ASK-FISH, a toll-freenumber US boaters and anglers can callfor pump-out and dump station locationsand to report malfunctioning facilities.Currently, Massachusetts is the only statebordering the Gulf that participates in theinformation line.

But the CVA is now due for reautho-rization, noted Buell Hollister of theMassachusetts Division of Marine

Casco Bay (FOCB), a nonprofit steward-ship organization in South Portland, tohelp the group operate Maine’s onlypumpout boat.

Use of FOCB’s pumpout vessel hassteadily increased since its arrival in theBay three years ago, which AssociateDirector Cheryl Seavey attributes toboaters becoming more educated aboutthe fact that dumping waste into the watercan contaminate clam flats and swim-ming areas, and to the program’s conven-ience. The pumpout boat can empty avessel’s tanks as it sits moored, whetherthe owner is present or not. FOCB publi-cizes the program with a brochure it dis-tributes to marinas and other key loca-tions around Casco Bay.

Seavey said CVA funding has beenimportant to the program. An end-of-season survey FOCB conducted last yearrevealed that regular users of thepumpout vessel would be willing to paymore than they currently do for its servic-es. But without any outside funding,“fees would need to be well over 50 dol-lars a pumpout. This would certainly pre-clude anyone using it,” she said. “ Ourgoal is to get funding for FOCB’s VesselPumpout Program wherever we can.We’re committed to continue the programthrough this coming season this sum-mer,” Seavey noted.

Provinces push pumpoutsWhile Canada does not have an equiv-

alent to the US Clean Vessel Act, NewBrunswick is waging its own campaign topromote clean boating.

The province’s Department of En-vironment (DOE) has set up information-al displays at several marinas, and distributes a brochure featuring guide-lines for waste disposal and informationabout its 11 marine pump-out stations.The province’s Environmental TrustFund financially supported constructionof the stations as part of the DOE’swastewater management program.

Some marinas and private moorings inNova Scotia have pumpout facilities forseptic waste, but DOE does not operateany itself, according to DOE DistrictManager Jeff Garnhum. But, he noted,the department encourages boaters to dis-pose of their septic waste properly atpumpout stations available at marinas.

New Hampshire has three pumpout sta-tions managed by the state’s Departmentof Environmental Services, and isinstalling a fourth in Rye Harbor. TheNew Hampshire Coastal Program publi-

cizes the stations withpamphlets and stick-ers distributed tomarinas each spring.

Maine’s 40-pluspumpout stations,many funded throughthe State PlanningOffice’s CoastalProgram, are publi-cized with publicservice announce-ments, and with lami-nated cards that showthe stations’ locationsand provide telephonenumbers and radiofrequencies, accord-ing to Stephen Cole,senior planner withthe Maine CoastalProgram.

Unlike Hollister,Cole said he wouldrather pump-out pro-grams not rely onannual federal grants.“If pumpout feeswere high enough, thestations could bemore self-supporting.Towns and marinascould use the pro-ceeds to maintain and

staff the pumpout stations,” he said.Noting that the Clean Vessel Act grantslimit fees at grant-supported pumpoutstations to five dollars, Cole said, “I don’tthink that’s enough over the long term.”

The average weekend boater in Mainewould probably have to pump out theirtanks only two or three times a season,and would be willing to pay more thanfive dollars each time, Cole asserted. ButBob Pacific, chief of the US Fish &Wildlife Service Division of Federal Aid,which administers the CVA pumpoutgrants, said a study done in the northeast-ern US showed that boaters tend not touse pumpout stations if the fee is morethan five dollars.

Maine also used some of its CVAfunds to provide a grant to Friends of

Fisheries (MDMF) and coordinator ofthat state’s pumpout program. Withoutnew federal funding for the program, pri-vate entities such as yacht clubs and mari-nas would have to absorb the cost of

maintaining and operating the pumpoutstations in the US.

Hollister predicted that if they don’tget federal funding, some pumpout sta-tions are likely to shut down, making itharder for boaters to properly dispose oftheir waste. MDMF coordinates 49pumpout boats, 46 shoreside stations, and15 dump stations, promoting them withannually updated brochures noting theirlocations. Last year, Massachusettsboaters used the facilities to divert465,865 gallons/17,634 hectoliters of sep-tic waste from ocean waters, Hollisternoted.

Grants fund facilities, outreachThe CVA has helped other states in the

Gulf set up pumpout programs as well.

Manchester, New Hampshire —GreatBay Aquafarms, Inc. and PublicService Company of New Hamp-shire/Northeast Utilities (PSNH) areteaming up on a successful fish farmingventure that both parties say provides anenvironmentally responsible alternativeto harvesting wild flounder stocks.

Since early fall of 1995, GreatBayAquafarms, Inc. has hatched summerflounder and sold them to growout opera-tions that raise them to maturity and thensell the high-end fish at market. Since itslaunching, the hatchery has expanded to asecond building and is now piloting itsown growout program in anticipation ofanother large expansion this year, saidFish Culturist Greg Beckman.

GreatBay founders George Nardi andChris Duffy launched their business inpartnership with PSNH as a means ofreducing fishing pressure on wild floun-der stocks. PSNH Business DevelopmentManager Gordon Tuttle said fish farmscan also provide some employment forfishermen forced out of the industry by

declining stocks. GreatBay employs abouta half dozen full-time and half dozen part-time workers, one of whom is a commer-cial fisherman, according to Beckman.

GreatBay leases space at PSNH’sNewington Station on the PiscataquaRiver. The power company also suppliesthe hatchery with saltwater from the tidalriver by allowing GreatBay to tap into thestation’s water intake system.

As it passes through a series of fishholding tanks, the water is continuouslyfiltered, reoxygenated, and recirculated.Fish waste is removed and marketed asagricultural fertilizer before the hatcherydischarges the water back into thePiscataqua, in accordance with PSNH’sstate and federal operating permits, saidTuttle.

“We hope showing it works here mightprovide future opportunities for aquacul-ture development in New England. Plus,it’s helping to nurture a small businessthat’s growing within a new industry,”Tuttle said.

Pumpout programs offer alternatives to dumping

Power company, hatchery charged upabout flounder farming partnership

Friends of Casco Bay’s pumpout boat, manned above by Vessel Pumpout ProgramCoordinator Andy Bertocci, provides a convenient and environmentally safe way forboaters to empty their septic waste tanks.

Photo: Cheryl Seavey/Friends of Casco Bay

GreatBay Aquafarm’s hatchery at a power station owned by PSNH/Northeast Utilitiesuses water tapped by the station and stored in two holding tanks (right).

Photo: G

reatBay A

quafarms


Gulf of Maine — Those who can seewhat could be, and who have the drive tobring us closer to it, are visionaries.Without them progress would stall atwishful thinking. Visionaries in the Gulfof Maine have moved beyond identifyingconcerns about the sustainability of themarine environment, taking innovativesteps to protect it, and convincing others

Gulf of Maine Council

1997 Visionary Award Winners innovate and inspire

ATV News, Nova Scotia

ATV News receivedthe Bay of FundyE n v i r o n m e n t a lAwareness Award for itscontinued coverage ofthe plight of the endan-gered North Atlanticright whale.

“When our viewerssee stories about endan-gered species it doessomething to them emo-tionally,” says ATVNews Director JayWitherbee. “It makesthem mad, and if theysend that message to thepoliticians who canmake the changes, thenwe’re doing our job interms of heighteningpublic awareness.”

Nova Scotia PowerNova Scotia Power is helping to enhancefish habitat and is contributing to scien-tific research on the marine environment.Collaborating with the provincialDepartment of the Environment, thecompany has also participated in a pro-gram allowing businesses to contributefunds to environmental efforts in lieu ofpaying fees the government would other-wise charge them for water use.

Nova Scotia Environment Minister

ACAP-Saint John, New Brunswick

ACAP (AtlanticCoastal ActionProgram)-Saint Johnworks with volunteergroups, and private andpublic agencies oncoastal zone challengesfacing the Saint JohnHarbor and estuary.

“A lot of what wework toward is toincrease the apprecia-tion of local residentsfor the value that thecoastal environment hasfor the community,”says Matthew McKim,president of ACAP-Saint John.

“ACAP-Saint John’s long-standingcommunity partnership has helped devel-op a strong sense of public responsibility

for the betterment of the Saint JohnHarbor and Gulf of Maine marine envi-ronments,” notes New BrunswickEnvironment Minister Joan Kingston.

Bay Ferries, Nova ScotiaFor its role in helping to launch a

provincial Department of theEnvironment public education programlast summer, Bay Ferries Ltd. received theBay of Fundy Partnership Award. Theprogram recruited high school and col-lege-age youth to present on-board activi-ties and demonstrations about the Bay ofFundy ecosystem to ferry passengers of

Peter Hicklin, New BrunswickWildlife biologist Peter Hicklin, a 20-

year veteran of the Canadian Wildlife

to share their passion. In recognition of the valuable role

visionaries play in advancing the Gulf ofMaine Council’s mission to protect andenhance the Gulf ’s marine environment,the Council annually recognizes twoVisionary Award winners from each of itsfive member states and provinces for theircommitment to protecting the environment

and increasing public awareness of theGulf. The Council announced its 1997Visionary Award winners late last year.

“We see the Council’s VisionaryAwards as a more personal way of givingformal international recognition to thosewho have made innovative and creativecontributions to the goals we all share —a diverse, healthy, and productive marine

environment throughout the Gulf,” saidTrudy Coxe, Council Chair and Secretaryof Massachusetts’ Executive Office ofEnvironmental Affairs.

For the first time this year, Nova ScotiaCouncil members also presented twobusinesses with awards for contributing topublic understanding of environmentalissues.

Wayne Adams has praised the companyfor its work with watershed and manage-ment groups, and on behalf of theAnnapolis, Bear, Tusket, Gaspereau, andother rivers.

“We are strongly committed to con-stantly improving our company’s environ-mental performance,” says DougCampbell, hydro production manager atNova Scotia Power. “This award recog-nizes that our efforts are making a differ-ence in our communities.”

all ages.“We certainly were honored, but real-

ly, the success of the project should becredited to the young individuals whodelivered the program. The merits of theproject in terms of educating the publicwere important. That’s why we gotinvolved,” says Bay Ferries GeneralManager Donald Cormier.

Service, has devoted much of his career toworking with shorebirds and the ecologyof the Upper Bay of Fundy.

“Peter’s work has helpedfoster greater understanding ofthe critical role that mud flatsplay in sustaining and support-ing large populations ofmigrating shorebirds. This is avital component of the Gulf ’senvironment,” says CouncilChair Coxe.

“I’m very grateful for theaward, but it’s not as if I’m fin-ished,” Hicklin emphasizes.“We’ve done a lot. We’velearned a lot. And I’m verygrateful that people recognizemy contribution. But there’sstill much that we can’ texplain.”

ATV News Reporter Jonathan Kay accepts a VisionaryAward from Nova Scotia Minister of Fisheries andAquaculture James Barkhouse.

ACAP Saint-John encourages community participation inactivities such as water quality monitoring.

Nova Scotia Power field biologists perform an electro-fishing survey, stunning the fish,then measuring and identifying them.

Jennifer Morine and Bradley Hazelton discuss the marine environment with young BayFerries passengers.

Photo: K

aren Sw

an/Environm

ent Canada

Stephen Hawbolt, Nova ScotiaStephen Hawbolt, program director of

the Clean Annapolis River Project, leads ateam of volunteers who supply the gov-ernment with information on the river’swater quality. One of the founders of theGulf of Maine Coastal MonitoringNetwork, he has worked for seven yearsto improve environmental quality andpublic education in the Annapolis Basin.

“Stephen has set an example in posi-tive community involvement that shouldbe emulated and envied,” according toNova Scotia Fisheries and AquacultureMinister Jim Barkhouse.

Hawbolt says he works to empowercommunities. “Linking those groups isimportant so that we can learn from eachother, so that we don’t keep reinventingthe wheel, so that we can build on ourstrengths. But I think on a bigger scaleeven, and why volunteer monitoring issuch a powerful device, is the sense ofownership it develops in people.”

Pho

to:

Can

adia

n W

ildlif

e S

ervi

ce

Photo: P

aul Schw

artz/Nova S

cotia Departm

ent of the Environm

ent

Stephen Hawbolt

Pho

to:

Kar

en S

wan

/Env

ironm

ent

Can

ada

Photo: N

ova Scotia P

ower

Photo: A

CA

P-S

aint John

Peter Hicklin


Northeast Petroleum, New Hampshire

Northeast Petroleum, a Division ofCargill, Inc., funded the development ofcoastal ecology curricula in the NewHampshire seacoast region as part of theCoastal Education Initiative. Designed bythe New Hampshire Coastal Program, theproject has sent 9,433 students on fieldtrips to coastal education centers since1996.

“We wanted to create awareness withpeople in New Hampshire with what

Toad Hall Bookstore,Massachusetts

Toad Hall Bookstore in Rockport, a25-year-old not-for-profit business oper-ated by the Essex County EcologicalCenter, donates all of its proceeds to anenvironmental grant program supportingenvironmental advocacy, research, andeducational groups on Massachusetts’North Shore.

“This award reinforces our commit-

Stormy Mayo, MassachusettsA leader in the field of marine mam-

mal protection in New England for morethan 20 years, and the lead scientist forthe Center for Coastal Studies inProvincetown, Stormy Mayo has headedefforts in Massachusetts to protect theendangered North Atlantic right whalethrough the establishment of the MarineMammal Disentanglement Network.

The Network, which works to freewhales entangled in fishing gear, is“direct conservation,” says Mayo, noting,“Awards such as this hearten those whowork in many ways to conserve and pro-tect marine mammals [by recognizing]the importance of very direct conserva-tion efforts that strive to save speciesfrom extinction.”

According to Coxe, the Massachusettswinners “saw that the environment of theGulf of Maine needed them, and they tookthe steps necessary to get things done.”

Audubon Society of NH/Fish & Game Department

The Tern Restoration Project, a collab-oration between the Audubon Society ofNew Hampshire and that state’s Fish andGame Department, has successfully rein-troduced common terns, a state endan-gered species, to the Isles of Shoals forthe first time in more than 50 years.

Growing human and gull populationshave pushed terns out of their historicnesting grounds throughout the Gulf ofMaine.

“Our success in year one of this proj-

Robin Alden, MaineFormer Maine Department of Marine

Resources Commissioner Robin Aldenfounded Maine Commercial Fisheriesin1973, which later spun off intoCommercial Fisheries News, FisheriesProducts News,and Fish Farming News,making complex marine-related issuesaccessible to readers. She also helpedstart the annual Maine Fishermen’sForum, which has convened diverse rep-resentatives of the state’s fishing industryfor more than 20 years.

Appointed to her DMR post in 1995,Alden developed innovative programsand methods for managing marine fish-eries resources, including a local manage-ment approach to Maine’s lobster fishery.

“From the beginning I’ve reallybelieved that if you give people the toolsto act responsibly and control how theyoperate in the marine environment, they

University of Maine School of Marine Sciences

In 1996, the University of Maine creat-ed its School of Marine Sciences, offeringprograms on aquaculture, biology,biotechnology, oceanography, marinegeology, public policy, resource econom-ics, and archaeology. The university alsocollaborates with the lobster industry toprotect the health and predict the future ofMaine’s best-known species.

With the new school in place, “We’ll

will act responsibly, and better policy willresult,” Alden says, but adds, “you have tohave government and institutions that arehospitable to that.”

actually takes place in [coastal] environ-ments,” starting when they’re in elemen-tary school, explains Jim Gilmartin,Northeast Petroleum’s manager of termi-nal operations.

The company also works on otherefforts to preserve the New Hampshireseacoast region and the Gulf of Maine,such as reducing waste and increasingrecycling at its Portsmouth terminal.Northeast Petroleum also helped designand restructure the Piscataqua RiverCooperative Oil Spill Response Team.

be recognized as a significant resource tothe region in marine issues,” accordingto Bruce Sidell, Director of the School ofMarine Sciences.

The two Maine winners “haveimproved the quality of the Gulf ofMaine’s diverse natural resources, andthey have increased the public’s under-standing of them,” notes Council mem-ber and Maine State Planning OfficeDirector Evan Richert.

ment to providing environmental grantsand fostering environmental awarenessamong the residents of the North Shore ofMassachusetts,” says Rich Quateman,President of the ecological center’s boardof directors. Toad Hall Bookstore ownerBuck Robinson adds, “While we havenever sought out recognition of our work,it sure feels good to be recognized in thisfashion by the Gulf of Maine Council.”

ect was way beyond our expectations inthat we actually had terns successfullybreed on the island,” says Rich Cook,Vice President for Conservation atAudubon.

Jeffrey Taylor, Council member andDirector of the New Hampshire Office ofState Planning notes, “The mixture ofhard science, industry participation, andpublic education represented in theseprojects are the three key elements neces-sary to assure the continued health of theGulf of Maine.”

Mike Schulze of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire prepares a decoy area on theIsles of Shoals.

The University of Maine School of Marine Sciences brings the classroom to a clam flat.

Students on a field trip as part of the Coastal Education Initiative supported by NortheastPetroleum, a Division of Cargill, Inc.

From left, Trudy Coxe, Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of EnvironmentalAffairs; Rich Quateman, Essex County Ecological Center; Toad Hall Bookstore OwnerBuck Robinson; Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Director Peg Brady.

Dr. Stormy Mayo

Robin Alden

Photo: R

ebecca W. S

uomala

Photo: S

hane DuB

owP

hoto

: U

nive

rsity

of

Mai

ne S

choo

l of

Mar

ine

Sci

ence

sP

hoto: Suzy F

ried/Gulf of M

aine Tim

esP

hoto

: N

ew H

amps

hire

Coa

stal

Pro

gram

Pho

to:

Mai

ne D

epar

tmen

t of

Mar

ine

Res

ourc

es


Epler Wood, president of The EcotourismSociety (TES), a Vermont-based interna-tional association of 1,400 tour operators,travel agents, airlines, and other mem-bers.

“Ecotourism travel companies shouldbe involved in environmental conserva-tion and must work with local communities in their destinations to makesure those communities are benefittingfrom the income brought into the regionby travelers. Only by defining it that waydoes it become a form of sustainabledevelopment,” Wood asserted.

Wood said the only country collectingdata on whether self-proclaimed eco-tourism outfitters are living up to themoniker is Australia.

Definitions of ecotourism may comedown to semantics, but for the well-mean-ing prospective traveler, the numerousvariations on outdoor travel can make thesearch for a true ecotourism experienceconfusing.

For instance, “nature travel” may bringvisitors to natural settings, but without theeducational or ecological emphasis.Adventure travel often takes place in nat-ural outdoor settings, but may focus moreon the activity than the environment.

Also, ecotravel concerns extendbeyond the natural environment to cultur-al considerations. And, according to SidQuarrier of the Maine Island TrailAssociation’s (MITA) Rockland office, itis just as important to respect the localswhen traveling within the region as it ison a trip from Boston to Belize.

Strings of out-of-town kayakers pad-dling across a coastal Maine channel maygenuinely appreciate their natural sur-roundings, but they can also delay localfishermen attempting to squeeze everyworking minute out of a good weatherday, Quarrier said.

The Maine Island Trail consists of 75coastal islands managed by MITA forwhat Quarrier describes as “low-impactrecreational use.” Half the islands arestate-owned and open to the public; theother half are privately owned and open toMITA members.

For muddled travelers seeking an envi-ronmentally and socially responsible trav-el experience, TES offers “screening” tipson its web site, such as checking onwhether your potential outfitter employsnaturalists, uses a responsible waste man-agement policy, and participates in conservation efforts in their home com-munities. The organization also offers aMarine Ecotourist Fact Sheet.

Though there’s no overarching super-

Some environmentally-oriented vacations look a lot like work, nevertheless, their popularity continues to increase. Here, EarthwatchInstitute volunteer Kimberly Knowlton collects clam samples in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

EcotourismContinued from Page 1

Photo: J. R

ollins

Kayakers who paddle safely and courteously through fishing harbors, such as this one along coastal Maine, will avoid accidents, andare less likely to present problems to those working on the water.

Pho

to:

Mar

ietta

Ram

sdel

l

“The more people have an opportunityto experience the outdoors the better. Itmakes people think differently,” andbehave differently when they returnhome, said David Armstrong, owner ofThe Outdoor Adventure company, basedin St. George, New Brunswick. He saidhis company makes a point of using envi-ronmentally sound practices such asbringing septic waste back from camp-sites to be treated in sewage systems.

Armstrong concedes that some areasshould be restricted to public access atcertain times, such as during nesting orhatching seasons, but otherwise doesn’tfavor designating certain areas off limits.So far, he maintained, New Brunswickhasn’t suffered any ill effects as a result ofincreased visitors to natural areas.

“Any disturbance to wildlife or naturalhabitat, if not done carefully and withsome thought, could potentially have theimpact of disturbing that ecosystem insome very subtle ways,” said BarbaraCanavan, Director of Earth WiseJourneys, an Oregon-based group thatorganizes volunteer and ecotravel trips tothe Gulf of Maine and other destinations.“Do I think people shouldn’t go there?No. I think we should make them as awareas they possibly can be and as educated as

vision of the ecotravel industry in eitherCanada or the US, Wood said, “We’vespecialized in [establishing] standards forthe private sector.”

Benefits worth some riskSome outfitters follow principles of

ecotourism more closely than others. Andaccidental or even willful environmentaltransgressions sometimes occur. Butsources insist that, so far, ecotourism inthe Gulf of Maine weighs in with moreenvironmental benefits than harm.

Speaking of ecotourism in a globalcontext, Wood said, “What’s not workingis small potatoes in terms of the overallphenomenon. Ecotourism companies willhave impacts, but compare that to thegrand scale of corporate environmentalabuse.”

Educating people about the naturalenvironment and providing opportunitiesfor them to appreciate it at close rangeleads them to consider how their actionsand lifestyles affect the environment, andhow they can support and participate inconservation efforts, say ecotourism pro-ponents. Also, they point out, ecotourismis contributing to increased attendance atparks and other sites, generating revenueto pay for conservation work.

they possibly can be,” she said.Another way to protect a fragile envi-

ronment is to set strict parameters for howit can be visited. This has been done onMachias Seal Island, nesting territory forthousands of seabirds each summer,including about 1,000 pair of Atlanticpuffins. Claimed by both Canada and theUS but managed by the Canadian WildlifeService, Machias Seal sits at the mouth ofthe Bay of Fundy about equidistant fromMaine and New Brunswick.

Anyone willing to pay a 50 dollar char-ter fee can visit the island, but numbers ofvisitors per day are limited. Those who docome ashore are allowed on the island foronly a few hours, and are restricted to cer-tain areas. Officials say these measuresare allowing the birds to reproduce suc-cessfully while providing an unusualexperience for an appreciative audience.

Bill Hancock, Director of theEnvironmental Centers Department atMaine Audubon Society (MAS) inFalmouth, Maine, believes that someimpact on natural resources is aninevitable result of any ecotravel, no mat-ter how tightly controlled. But, he said,“Even where there is lasting impact ontrail systems [for example], I think it’swell worth the trade.”

MAS has led environment-orientedtrips to destinations all over the world,including whale watch and seabird cruisesin the Gulf of Maine, for more than 25years.

But Quarrier of MITA said that while“most people want to do the right thing,”some travelers focus on reaching theirdestination without considering theeffects they may have on an area’s naturalresources, such as visiting certain islandsduring seabird nesting season. “Simplythat you can get there and do it doesn’tmake it a good idea from an environmen-tal point of view,” he said.

MITA advocates development of amanagement plan for use of coastal areasthat takes into account their ecological,economic, and cultural significance.

Protecting with planningSome work is already under way to

study how Gulf of Maine communitiescan benefit from ecotourism while pre-venting it from irreparably damaging nat-ural resources.

At a Sustainable Tourism Conferencescheduled for April 6-7 at the College ofthe Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, theDowneast Resource Conservation andDevelopment Council hopes “to develop astrategy that can be an example for rest ofstate,” said coordinator Dana Nelson.


In Canada, where the provinces areresponsible for overseeing tourism, NovaScotia is investigating how to nurture thefastest-growing type of tourism in theprovince without damaging naturalresources, according to Bob Book,tourism development officer for NovaScotia’s Department of EconomicDevelopment and Tourism. A recentstudy by the department examined hownature tourism has affected other destina-tions. “Hopefully, we would learn fromtheir experiences,” said Book.

“We’ve been encouraging organiza-tions representing the tourist industry todevelop standards and criteria in which

Though the substantial benefits of eco-tourism seem to outweigh its risks to theGulf so far, some are concerned about oneimportant aspect, the potential effects ofwhale watch boats on marine mammals.

The annual migration of whales —including endangered North Atlantic rightwhales — off of the New England coastand through the Bay of Fundy is one of themost popularly observed natural phenom-ena in the Gulf of Maine. Charter outfitspepper the New England andMaritimes coastlines offering half-day opportunities to watch thewhales in their natural habitat.

Numbers of whale watching andmarine ecotours are growing as fish-ermen affected by the downturn inregional fish stocks scramble forwork, said Jerry Conway, operationsadvisor on marine mammals andplants at Canada’s Department ofFisheries and Oceans.

US regulations and Canadianguidelines are intended to protectwhales and other sea mammals, butsome worry that the continual pres-ence of observation boats will causeproblems for the whales anyway.

Conway described this as the clas-sic ecotourism quandary. Educatingpeople about the endangered NorthAtlantic right whale cultivates fund-ing and support to protect thespecies. “There are benefits to bederived from people seeing theseanimals but we have to be very care-ful that in allowing people to see them wedon’t adversely impact the animals,” hesaid.

Conway credited most of the approxi-mately 25 whale watch charters operatingin the Bay of Fundy with adhering to acode of ethics they developed with assis-tance from East Coast Ecosystems, amarine education and research organiza-

Pathways to ecotravelVisit these web sites for

more information

Earthwatchwww.earthwatch.org

Earthwise Journeyswww.teleport.com/~earthwyz/tourism.htm

The Ecotourism Societywww.ecotourism.org

Infohub Infohub is a source for information on a vari-ety of travel options and may provide someecotravel leads.www.infohub.com/travel.html

Downeast Resource Conservationand Development CouncilVisit their web site to learn how one Maineregion is exploring the ecotourism issue.www.nemaine.com/rc&d/vac.htm

to conduct themselves,” said JerryConway, operations advisor on marinemammals and plants at Canada’sDepartment of Fisheries and Oceans.

Ecotourism outfitters in Nova Scotiaare doing a “pretty good job” monitoringtheir own practice, observed Book,adding that he doesn’t foresee any gov-ernment regulation of ecotourism in thenear future. If it were found to be neces-sary, it would be in collaboration with theindustry, he said.

Earthwatch’s Magruder also favorslocal regulation of ecotourism. “Localpeople understand the resources and have an interest in protecting them,”

she explained.Along with working to ensure its own

trips don’t overtax the destinations’ natu-ral resources or cultures, Earthwatch alsohelps other groups research how ecotourism affects natural areas. Beforethe Boston Harbor Islands were designat-ed a national park last year, Earthwatchstudied them, helping managers “to deter-mine where the public could and should-n’t go to avoid damaging [piping] ploverhabitat and other concerns,” she said.

Ecotourism operators say more andmore, travelers care how their visits affect a local community or natural environment. “I think it is genuinely

Earthwatch Institute volunteers at Acadia National Park scan the water for signs of whales. Earthwatch organizes tripsfor travelers who want to help scientists and researchers working to study and conserve the environment.

tion based in Freeport, Nova Scotia. “Wesee it as a very positive sign on the part ofthe marine industry. It’s self-serving too— if the whales are chased out, they’reout of business,” Conway said.

Deborah Tobin, education coordinatorfor East Coast Ecosystems, said the num-ber of whale watch tour operators on theNova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundyincreased from three to 10 in one year, andthat “the industry recognized that its

growth was getting out of control.” Butalong with working with whale watchoperators, East Coast ecosystems has alsocreated brochures to educate passengersabout how to be responsible whale watch-ers, she said.

“We haven’t reached a point where[whale watching is] impacting adverselyon the Bay of Fundy or the marine ecosys-

tem,” Conway said, although if vesselsincrease in size and numbers, he predict-ed, “We will have to review it and possi-bly control it via licensing or seasonalcontrol.”

But Janice Harvey, MarineConservation Program Director for theConservation Council of New Brunswick,said whale watching in the Bay of Fundyworries her group, which she said other-wise has not discussed ecotourism much.

“If there is pressure, it’s there becauseit’s getting big. A bunch of boats all cir-cling around a pod of right whales is not agood thing. I’m very concerned about itbecause they’re such a vulnerable popula-tion,” Harvey said.

In Massachusetts, protective measuresinclude restrictions preventing vesselsfrom maneuvering closer than 100

yards/91 meters to whales and 500yards/460 meters to endangered rightwhales. These “are working well in theshort term,” according to MasonWeinrich, Executive Director and ChiefScientist at the Cetacean Research Unit(CRU) in Gloucester, which conductswhale research and supplies naturalists towhale watch boats.

Weinrich said he is more concernedabout the long-term effects of the whales’

exposure to boat engine noise than heis about the number or proximity ofboats to the mammals, noting,“Around here, most whale watchesdo a good job.”

Whale watch charter owner DaveMalloy agreed that most NewEngland captains are responsible intheir approach to running whalewatch tours. Malloy’s company, theEast India Cruise Company in Salem,Massachusetts, runs cruises fromMay through October using CRU nat-uralists. He said whale watch passen-gers in the past were often looking forlittle more than a relaxing day on thewater. “Now a vast majority want tolearn more about the environmentand dangers that face the marinemammals,” he said.

“I think in general people aremore environmentally aware thanthey were 20 years ago. It’s notexclusively because of whale watch-ing, but I like to think it’s helping,”said Weinrich. Nevertheless, he said

naturalists often find themselves having tolower the expectations of people whoexpect whales to perform continuously.When you’re watching a wildlife docu-mentary, he elaborated, “You don’t see 45minutes of an animal sleeping and threeminutes of it being active. You see thebest of what it took naturalists and filmcrews two years to get.”

Whales warrant worry as ecotourism grows in the Gulf

Pho

to:

Mar

y A

nne

Cah

ill

increasing — the awareness that ‘mytravel dollars maybe can make a differ-ence. I can give something back,’ ” saidCanavan. Wood agreed that ecotourism“will grow because of the baby boomers’interest in this kind of travel.”

Nevertheless, while they welcome the burgeoning interest, ecotravel proponents say common sense, foresight,and vigilance are needed to assure eco-tourism doesn’t overwhelm Gulf ofMaine resources as it has other populardestinations. After all, said Wood,“Tourism cannot be ecotourism if it’s not sustainable.”

Whale watching is becoming an increasingly popular way for travelers to experience the magnificenceof the Gulf of Maine marine environment, but without restraint, these seasonal pilgrimages could taketheir toll on the whales. Photo: Tourism Nova Scotia

http://www.earthwatch.org/

http://www.teleport.com/~earthwyz/tourism.htm

http://www.ecotourism.org/

http://www.infohub.com/travel.html

http://www.nemaine.com/rc&d/vac.htm


company’s request.NAPP proposes traversing the Gulf of

Maine with a pipeline constructed alongthe ocean floor. M&N, much further alongin the regulatory approval process, wouldtravel overland, crossing numerous riversand streams that are home to migratoryfish and other aquatic species.

Lacking an adequate infrastructure todistribute natural gas throughout theregion, the northeastern US now reliesmuch more on oil than does the rest ofnation, and also pays more for the naturalgas it does use, according to the NewEngland Gas Association, a regional tradeassociation. But the group notes that natu-ral gas use is increasing rapidly, creating aready market for the Sable Island reserves.

Natural gas proponents point out thatthe fuel burns cleaner than coal and oil,which emit pollutants that can return to theGulf of Maine watershed in rainfall or dryparticles, causing a variety of problems incoastal and marine environments.

Review of projects continuesThe Canadian portion of M&N’s pro-

posal has been approved by NEB, andconstruction of a gas plant is already underway at the Goldboro, Nova Scotia sitewhere the pipeline will make landfall.

The US Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission (FERC) has approved thefirst US phase of M&N’s project — theportion of the pipeline that travels from Westbrook, Maine to Dracut,Massachusetts according to spokespersonTamara Young-Allen. She said FERC staffare reviewing phase two of the project —the portion from Westbrook to Canada.

Along with environmental issues,FERC considers the need for the proposedprojects, as well as proposed customerrates and other factors, said Young-Allen.

Brian Prenda of M&N said the com-pany will begin construction of phase onethis spring and expectsto start construction onphase two in the fall.

NAPP filed ap-plications for its North Atlantic NaturalGas MarineLine withFERC and NEB in October 1997, and both agencies are reviewing the application. NAPP hadunsuccessfully peti-tioned the US andCanadian federal gov-ernments to consider its proposal as an alter-native to M&N’s application.

The project’s firstphase would bring gas

from the Sable Island reserves to CountryHarbour, Nova Scotia, from there cross-ing the Gulf of Maine to Seabrook, NewHampshire, connecting with the existingnatural gas network and distributing fuel

throughout the northeastern US andCanada. The second and third phaseswould extend the system intoNewfoundland and offshore of easternNova Scotia.

Economic growth expectedOne factor of major importance to

communities along a pipeline route is thepotential for business development.

A gas plant now under construction inGoldboro, Nova Scotia, where thepipeline from the Sable Island Reserveswill make landfall, will provide approxi-mately 45 new jobs in the small town,according to Gordon MacDonald of theGuysborough County Regional Develop-ment Authority. But, he said, “It’s theancillary activities that are going to bringthe real jobs. It’s what the development isgoing to lead to down the road in addi-tional industry.”

Maine also recognizes the benefits of anew source of natural gas, according toJim Connors, senior policy developmentspecialist in the Maine State PlanningOffice and staff representative to state’sinteragency Natural Gas Working Group,which monitors development of pipelinesin the state.

“The state of Maine, from the gover-nor on down, are welcoming the access tonatural gas these pipelines will bring,”Connors said. He pointed out that M&Nhas lateral pipelines that would provideopportunities for local distribution com-panies to grow, while NAPP’s pipelinewould bypass all of Maine and its energymarkets.

Land route provokes habitat concerns

“[M&N is] proposing constructionduring spring, summer, fall seasons and

there are timing con-cerns on some of thereal sensitivestreams,” whereanadromous fishwould be migratingand spawning, saidSteve Timpano, envi-ronmental coordinatorfor the MaineDepartment of InlandFisheries & Wildlife(IF&W).

Several state envi-ronmental agenciesare involved in thepermitting process.FERC has ultimatejurisdiction, althoughby denying a waterquality certificate, the

state could block the license, Timpanonoted. The public can voice their opinionon the project at public hearings or inwriting.

Timpano said IF&W is also concerned

about threatened and endangered speciesliving along streams, such as freshwatermussels and some species of turtles, andabout waterfowl and wading bird habitat.He said the agency wants M&N to avoidconstruction when the birds are nestingand rearing their broods.

And, accommodating one environ-mental issue may mean compromisinganother. Moving a crossing from one siteto another may preserve a wetland butcould affect Atlantic salmon spawninghabitat, for example.

Another concern regarding anadro-mous fish habitat is the excavation ofstream bottoms and the resulting accumu-lation of silt that would fill in spawningand rearing habitat downstream, saidGregg Horton, a fisheries biologist withthe Maine Atlantic Salmon Authority,adding, “I’ve never known of a projectthat has involved such extensive excava-tion of the stream bottom that [M&N is]

talking about.”Gus McLachlan, M&N’s environmen-

tal manager, said habitat concerns canmake routing complicated. But, he said,“By working with environmental agen-cies and groups to develop alternateroutes as needed and specialized con-struction methods, a workable solutioncan usually be found to cross theseresource areas.”

Many of these issues would arise with

any infrastructure project requiring streamcrossings, Timpano said, adding, “I guessthe one item that is new to my experienceis the idea of avoiding impacts on largerrivers by directional drilling — when theycan drill underneath and run the pipethrough.”

Mike Herz, board member of the Alna,Maine-based Sheepscot Valley Conser-vation Association, is concerned thatMaine’s regulatory process may not besupportive enough of the state’s newAtlantic salmon conservation plan. Hortonexplained that the plan does not designatecritical salmon habitat, so a pipeline couldnot be halted or diverted from particularareas on that basis. There would have to be“clear demonstrable impacts” on thesalmon, he said.

Canadian environmental officials facedan additional concern. Some slates alongthe pipeline’s proposed path through NovaScotia and New Brunswick are high in sul-fides. When exposed to rain, the runoffcan cause streams to acidify, makingheavy metals such as lead, cadmium, zinc,arsenic, and mercury more easily absorbedby wildlife, and affecting the well-being ofsalmon and trout and their food supplies,said Alan McIver of the EnvironmentCanada’s Environmental ProtectionBranch.

The acidic rock is in a “very limitedlocation,” according to Tony Vadlja, M&Nnortheast manager of environment for theCanadian part of the project. “Even inthose areas, we suspect the rock will bebelow the level needed to trench to put thepipe in the ground,” he said. If the rock hasto be disturbed there are ways to seal ordispose of it that minimize its effects onrivers and streams, he asserted.

Sterling noted that, unlike the M&Nproposal, NAPP’s proposed pipelinewould only traverse a few miles on land.Nevertheless, she said, “The engineerswould certainly be working with environ-mentalists or community groups if that’sapplicable to ensure that there are no prob-lems with the stream crossings.”

Marine impacts debatedBoth proposals would require a

pipeline be laid from the reserves off SableIsland, a federal Migratory BirdSanctuary, to mainland Nova Scotia.According to Jerry Conway of Canada’sDepartment of Fisheries and Oceans, this

part of either projectwould disrupt themarine environment.

But, he said of theM&N proposal, “It’scertainly a far moreacceptable pipeline asopposed to [NAPP’s]that was going to beextending along theScotian shelf throughthe North Atlantic rightwhale conservationarea and lucrative fish-ing areas.” Conwaysaid short-term effectsof pipeline construc-tion as well as long-term effects of thestructure’s presenceand risks of leaks haveto be considered whenevaluating this type ofproject.

NAPP maintainsthat offshore pipelinescause fewer environ-mental impacts thanonshore construction,and that the pipeline’sdesign would not snag

fishing gear.“We’re very well aware of the right

whale habitat and breeding area and wouldtake care to avoid that habitat to avoid dis-ruption to them,” said Sterling. She saidNAPP has also begun speaking with fish-ermen in the US and Canada, “But we’remuch more focused on the Atlanticprovinces now because that’s where thepipeline is. We’re a year away frompipeline being in this area.”

Some are concerned that a natural gas pipeline proposed by Maritimes & Northeast could affect the habitat of Atlantic salmon, whichspawn in many of the Maine rivers the pipeline would have to cross, such as the Sheepscot (above).

Work is under way to construct a gas plant in Goldboro, NovaScotia, where Maritimes & Northeast’s proposed pipelinewould make landfall after transporting the gas via underwaterpipeline from Sable Island to the mainland.

PipelineContinued from Page 1

Pho

to:

Guy

sbor

ough

Cou

nty

Reg

iona

l Dev

elop

men

t Aut

horit

y

Pho

to:

Mik

e H

erz/

She

epsc

ot V

alle

y C

onse

rvat

ion

Ass

ocia

tion

For information on the statusof the pipeline projects call:

Ross HicksNational Energy Board Canada(403) 299-3930

Paul McKeeUS Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionOffice of External Affairs202-208-1371Cite the appropriate project docket number:North Atlantic Pipeline PartnersCP98-29-000Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline CP96-809-000 et al


Bay of Fundy — Filled with rich soilsand topped with salt-tolerant plants, saltmarshes are among the most productivehabitats in the world. With their intricatenetworks of creeks and small pondedareas called pannes, they link land andsea, providing nursery grounds and foodfor fish, waterfowl, and shorebirds.

Salt marshes depend on the tide’s ebband flow to function. In a process that hastaken place twice a day for thousands ofyears in the upper Bay of Fundy, theworld’s largest tides — as high as 50feet/15 meters — flow in and out of theChignecto Bay and Minas Basin, erodingthe soft red sandstone there, and formingvast mud flats that eventually give rise toextensive salt marshes.

The constructionof dikes in thisregion by Acadiansettlers in the 1670s,however, blockedtidal flow, severingthe lifeline betweenland and sea in manyplaces, and convert-ing more than half ofthe former saltmarsh there to agri-cultural land. Fromthe 1700s to early1900s, these “dike-lands” supplied hayfor local use andexport to the US.

But when theinvention of thecombustible enginein the early 1900sreduced the use ofhorses — and consequently thedemand for hay —these lands fell outof use for farming.Because the landsare no longer hos-pitable to salt marshplants and wildlife,the species that oncelived there have notreturned.

Those workingon habitat restora-tion say convertingthe dikelands back to salt marsh isimpractical. People have settled there,establishing homes, businesses, farms,and the infrastructure to support them.Removing the dikes to restore tidal flowwould flood these settlements.

Alternatively, in an effort to revitalizewetland habitat for waterfowl and other

migratory birds, various habitat restora-tion partnerships are constructing fresh-water impoundments on the former agricultural lands that once were saltmarsh, using methods to contain the waterand prevent flooding in other areas.

Although flooding these lands withfresh water will never restore the lostfunctions and values of Fundy salt marsh-es, the impoundments are providingmuch-needed habitat for waterfowl andother wildlife such as marsh birds,amphibians, fish, and insects — all essen-tial in the food web. “Its a win-win situa-tion,” said Jon Stone of the CanadianWildlife Service and communicationscoordinator for the Eastern Habitat JointVenture (EHJV), which is working on

restoring waterfowl habitat. “Both peopleand wildlife will benefit,” he explained.

Plan promotes waterfowl habitatCoupled with great losses of wetlands,

drastic declines in waterfowl populationsin the 1980s led to development of theNorth American Waterfowl Management

Plan, a 15-year agreement between theUS, Canada, and, more recently, Mexico.The plan provides a framework foraddressing conservation and protection ofcritical wetland habitat throughout NorthAmerica through restoration, enhance-ment, and land acquisition. Partnershipsbetween governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations are workingto restore continental waterfowl popula-tions to 100 million birds — numbers notseen since the 1970s.

In 1996, North American waterfowlnumbers, including black ducks andCanada geese, were estimated at 90 mil-lion birds, an increase of 35 million since1985. These species rely on Canada’swetlands for breeding, raising their

young, and staging — gathering prior totheir long migration south.

Collaborating to carry out the plan inCanada are members of EHJV, includingEnvironment Canada and the CanadianWildlife Service, Wildlife HabitatCanada, New Brunswick’s Department ofNatural Resources and Energy, NovaScotia’s Department of Natural

Resources, and DucksUnlimited Canada (DUC).Funding is made availablethrough US partners,including the US Fish andWildlife Service and non-governmental organiza-tions.

DUC has been workingto enhance waterfowl habi-tat in the Gulf of Mainewatershed since 1965. Thegroup has pursued projectsusing a successful combina-tion of landowner agree-ments and land acquisition.But, noted KeithMcAloney, DUC SeniorHabitat Biologist, “TheEHJV partnership providesthe additional money neces-sary to purchase land and[for] further enhancementof wetland habitat.”

Since DUC’s early workand the formation of EHJVin 1989, more than 100 wet-land impoundments havebeen developed on nearly

20,000 acres/8,100 hectares of land in theGulf of Maine watershed. Project costshave averaged about $1,500 per acre — abargain considering that land acquisitionand excavation of soil, both known to beexpensive, are often involved.

Belleisle a “model” projectAt Belleisle Marsh, an 800-acre/320-

hectare site located along the AnnapolisRiver in Nova Scotia, several freshwaterimpoundments are integrated with agri-cultural use and private land ownership.People hiking along trails there can nowobserve birds and wildlife, and popula-tions of waterfowl, including Canadageese and black ducks, and other marshbirds such as sora rails and bitterns.

“Before therestoration ofBelleisle Marsh, Iwould see grass-lands with very littlewetland habitat.Today, I can count asmany as 30 birdspecies within anhour,” said Stone.Belleisle is also providing habitat forother wildlife de-pendent on wetlandhabitat, such asmuskrat and severalspecies of frogs.

Using theBelleisle project asits flagship, theEHJV hopes toencourage privatelandowners andfarmers to developsimilar projects ontheir own land, ashas been done in New Brunswick at the Hampton-Kennebecasis MarshComplex. Accordingto Peter Austin-Smith of NewB r u n s w i c k ’ sDepartment of Nat-ural Resources andEnergy, freshwateri m p o u n d m e n t s ,

rough cover habitat (areas where densevegetation is allowed to grow), and riverand lake habitat coexist with agriculturallands. “A positive outcome of this projecthas been increased communicationsbetween and among interest groups andgovernment agencies,” he said. And com-munication is essential in managing that5,000-acre/2,020-hectare marsh system,which includes multiple landowners whodiffer in their interests and opinions.

The Belleisle project, Hampton-Kennebecasis Marsh, along with a 2,000-acre/810-hectare project proposed for theTantramar Marsh, will serve as “models”for future projects. “The [Belleisle proj-ect] has been extremely successful, notonly for wildlife, but in changing peoples’attitudes,” said Reg Melanson of theCanadian Wildlife Service andCoordinator for the EHJV, adding “peopleare beginning to realize the benefits ofthese projects.”

Constructed wetlands revive dikelands

Visit www.wetlands.ca

for more information on

wetlands inCanada.Constructed wetlands are promoting a return of waterfowl, which had been absent from some areas after

the construction of dikes in the seventeenth century. The projects not only are attracting wildlife, but alsoprovide opportunities to educate people of all ages about the value of wetlands.

Reg Melanson, Eastern Habitat Joint Venture Coordinator, introduces Alice Stone to a wood duck at Belleisle Marsh, an EHJV project along the Annapolis River in Nova Scotia.

Photo: Environment Canada

Pho

to:

Env

ironm

ent

Can

ada

http://www.wetlands.ca/


GULF LO G

Frogwatch programThis environmental education program

for students, families, and youth groupsuses hands-on activities to teach fieldobservation, recording, reporting, and sci-entific measurement techniques applica-ble to the northern spring peeper as well asother species. Booklets cover freshwaterhabitats, the life cycle of amphibians,global and local environmental issues, andstewardship principles. For information,visit Frogwatch on the Internet atw w w . e d n e t . n s . c a / e d u c /museum/mnh/educ/frogwtch/ or contactthe Nova Scotia Museum of NaturalHistory at (902) 424-3563.

Right whale info for marinersAn illustrated brochure, Right Whales

on the Brink, includes tips for mariners onhow to help protect the endangered NorthAtlantic right whale and its habitat. A sup-plemental waterproof card, Guidelines forMariners, outlines precautionary meas-ures to avoid harming the whales at sea.Sponsors include the Gulf of MaineCouncil on the Marine Environment, theCenter for Coastal Studies, US Environ-mental Protection Agency, InternationalFund for Animal Welfare, and theMassachusetts Port Authority. For copies,contact the Gulf of Maine CouncilSecretariat at (617) 727-9800, ext. 406.

Sustainability courses on-lineThe University of California is offering

on-line undergraduate level courses inglobal sustainability, exploring such top-ics as habitat transformations; the origin,evolution, and value of biological diversity; the major physical and biogeo-chemical processes in the world’s oceans;and the effects of El Ni˜no, pollution,habitat destruction, and over-fishing. Visit the program’s web site darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/index formore information.

Watershed mapFor an 18” x 24” three-color map of the

Gulf of Maine watershed (the same mapfeatured on page 12 of the Gulf of MaineTimes) while supplies last, contact (in theUS) Massachusetts Coastal ZoneManagement, (617) 727-9530, ext., 420;Cynthia Lay, New Hampshire CoastalProgram, (603) 431-9366; or Paul Dest,Maine State Planning Office, (207) 287-5305; (in Canada) Sue Browne, NovaScotia Department of the Environment(902) 424-0126.

Pro sailor’s textbookAuxillary Sail Vessel Operations by

Marine Maritime Academy alumnus andassociate professor of marine transporta-tion and nautical science Capt. G.Anderson Chase describes the fundamen-tal principles and practices necessary for aperson to progress from a recreationalsailor to a professional mate or captain ofyachts and passenger, training, commer-cial sailing, and charter vessels. Publishedby Cornell Maritime Press, the book isavailable by calling 1-800-638-7641 fromthe US, or (410) 758-1075 from Canada.

ResourcesFeds conditionally approveMA nonpoint pollution plan

Boston, Massachusetts — After anextensive public notice period, theNational Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) and the USEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)conditionally approved Massachusetts’Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Planlast fall. This makes Massachusetts one ofthe first four states in the country toreceive such approval, along with RhodeIsland, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

The conditional approval means thatNOAA and EPA have sanctioned all ofMassachusetts’ strategies for dealing withcoastal sources of nonpoint pollution, andhave set up a timetable for the state toimplement those solutions.

Written by Massachusetts CoastalZone Management with participation byother state agencies, the plan outlines themethods for restoring and protecting thestate’s coastal waters from nonpointsource pollution resulting from stormwa-ter, agricultural runoff, septic system pol-lution, and other sources. Specifically,strategies will address urban sources;marinas and boats; agriculture; forestry;hydromodification, which includes chan-nel changes, and dam construction anduse; stream bank and shoreline erosion;and wetlands.

ME leads Atlantic salmonprotection efforts in state

Augusta, Maine — The National MarineFisheries Service (NMFS) and the USFish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with-drew a proposal in December to protectAtlantic salmon in seven Maine riversunder the federal Endangered SpeciesAct. Instead, the fish will be protected byMaine’s newly developed AtlanticSalmon Conservation Plan, which com-bines the efforts of state, federal, and pri-vate programs.

The state-designed plan — only thesecond of its kind in the nation approvedfor a fish species — addresses the poten-tial impacts of aquaculture, forestry,recreational fishing, and a wide range ofagricultural activities. It was developedduring the last two years by a task force ofscientists, academics, state employees,Native American sustenance fishers, con-servationists, anglers, and private citizensappointed by Maine Governor AngusKing.

The state plan was accepted jointly by

both NMFS and USFWS, the two federalagencies responsible for recoveringthreatened and endangered marine andfreshwater fish, because Atlantic salmonspend their early life in fresh water,mature at sea, and then return to spawn inthe freshwater stream or river where theywere born.

The agencies will conduct joint annualreviews of whether further EndangeredSpecies Act protection is needed for thesalmon, taking into account factorsincluding progress on Maine’s plan.

USFWS plan would reducelethal gull control measures

Hadley, Massachusetts — With themigratory seabirds nesting season fastapproaching, the US Fish & WildlifeService (USFWS) is seeking approval ofa new management plan that wouldreduce, but not rule out, lethal gull controlin Monomoy Island National WildlifeRefuge off of Chatham, Cape Cod.

USFWS submitted a final draft of itsplan to US Department of InteriorSecretary Bruce Babbitt in early Februaryso that he can review it in time for meas-ures to be put into place for the 1998 nest-ing season, which begins in April.

The agency’s methods for managingthe island during previous nesting seasonshave included poisoning gulls that werecolonizing parts of the island and prevent-ing other seabirds from nesting there.Outraged Chatham residents, with sup-port from animals rights groups, calledfor an end to the policy. In August,Babbitt called for further study of thepractice.

Following a series of public meetings,a scientific workshop, and an independentreview of its management practices onMonomoy by the Center for CoastalStudies in Provincetown, USFWS issueda draft 1998-2000 plan in December stat-ing that it intends to use mostly non-lethal“harassment” methods to keep gulls,predators, and competitors out of certainareas. Some of these methods includeestablishing a field camp on-site early ineach nesting season, firing shot guns with“cracker shells,” and breaking up gullnests.

The agency promised to stop poison-ing gulls on Monomoy “for the foresee-able future,” but has not ruled out otherlethal methods for controlling gulls on theisland, including shooting them.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA)charges USFWS with protecting migrato-ry birds such as endangered roseate terns

and piping plovers, listed as “threatened,”but more recent legislation also requiresthe agency to manage refuges for diversi-ty of species, even if some are not pro-tected under the ESA.

USFWS officials say some gulls,which arrive earlier in the season than theother birds and take over their nesting ter-ritory, must be kept out of certain areasif other species are to reproduce.Sometimes gulls can be chased away, butUSFWS has said in other cases it has hadto kill the birds. Officials say controllinggulls has increased numbers of terns,plovers, and grassland nesting birds onMonomoy.

EPA releases mercury report

Washington, DC — The US Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) inDecember released its long-awaitedreport evaluating the human health andenvironmental impacts of air emissions ofmercury, calling the document a full sci-entific assessment.

“This publication has been subjectedto extensive peer review by independentscientists and health experts,” said EPAAdministrator Carol M. Browner. EPAstated that the report contains substantialinput from industry groups, the public,and state, local, and federal governmentagencies.

EPA has been criticized for being threeyears late with the report. Critics say thedelays have stalled action to control haz-ardous air emissions, but Browner saidthe agency “has already taken a series ofactions to reduce emissions of mercuryinto the environment 50 percent by2006.”

The publication, Mercury Study Reportto Congress, was required by the CleanAir Act Amendments of 1990. It estimatesthat all US industrial sources, such aselectric utilities, municipal waste com-bustors, commercial and industrial boilers, medical waste incinerators, andchlor-alkali plants, emitted about 159tons/144 tonnes of mercury into the air in1995.

Mercury is a heavy metal that, withhigh exposure, can cause neurologicalproblems. Mercury emissions to theatmosphere can enter waterways in rain-fall and runoff, entering the food chainand building up as methyl mercury (mer-cury’s toxic form) in the tissues of preda-tory fish, often eaten by humans.

The executive summary of the report isaccessible at http://www.epa.gov/airlinkson the Internet.

New England Aquarium opens new West Wing — Representing the first phase of the Aquarium’s three-part expansion project tobe completed in 2002, the 17,400 square-foot/1,618 square-meter wing, opened in January, includes a two-level changing exhibitgallery and a larger free outdoor harbor seal exhibit with views from above and below the water line. The Aquarium is well-known forits marine research as well as its work to educate the public about the marine environment.

Pho

to:

New

Eng

land

Aqu

ariu

m

The Gulf of Maine Timesis on the Gulf of Maine

Council’s Website!http://gulfofmaine.org

http://gulfofmaine.org/

G U L F O F M A I N E T I M E S ● S P R I N G 1 9 9 8 1 1

Council CurrentsNew s fr om the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine E nvi r onment

Council remembers Longard

Halifax, Nova Scotia — Arthur A.Longard of Halifax passed awayDecember 20 at the QEII Health SciencesCentre VG Site.

Born in Halifax, May 14, 1942, he wasthe son of the late John R. and Evelyn(Nickerson) Longard. Educated in HalifaxCity schools, he graduated fromDalhousie University with a Bachelor ofScience degree.

Longard is survived by his devotedwife Carol (Howlett) and son Mark, bothof Halifax, one sister Nancy (Mrs. JohnHood) of Yarmouth and her childrenDavid and Jennifer, and a multitude offriends.

Known to his friends and family as“Art,” Longard faced his battle with can-cer with a positive attitude and greatcourage.

Truly a man of the sea, he worked dili-gently to protect one of Nova Scotia’smost precious resources as the province’slong-time representative on the Gulf ofMaine Council’s working group; as anemployee of the Federal Department ofFisheries and Oceans; and, since 1980, asDirector of Policy, Planning and Coastal

Resources for the Nova Scotia Depart-ment of Fisheries.

Longard had a passion for sailing andspending time with friends at SambroCreek. He was a member of the RoyalNova Scotia Yacht Squadron for manyyears.

A memorial service took placeDecember 23 at St. Andrews UnitedChurch, Halifax. Memorial donationsmay be made to the Canadian CancerSociety, 5826 South Street, Halifax, NovaScotia B3H 1S6.

Council hosts pipeline forum, announces grant awards

Boston, Massachussets — A forum onnatural gas pipeline proposals andannouncement of $50,000 in grants tononprofit environmental organizationsthroughout the Gulf highlighted the Gulfof Maine Council’s semi-annual meetinghere December 12-13.

Companies seeking US and Canadianapprovals to construct pipelines to trans-port natural gas from Sable Island NovaScotia to markets in New England andAtlantic Canada described their proposalsand fielded questions from Council mem-bers and business-sector representatives.

The Council alsodiscussed other issuesrelating to sustainableuse of the marine envi-ronment including cre-ation of marine pro-tected areas and prob-lems associated withdumping of ballastwater by cargo ships.

At a December 12reception at Boston’sMuseum of Science,the Council recog-nized its 1997Visionary Award win-ners (see story on page4), and presented$7,000 in grants to twoMassachusetts organi-zations as part of itsongoing annual grantprogram for non-profitorganizations workingto protect and enhancethe vitality of the Gulfof Maine. The Councilpresented a total of$50,000 to 11 organi-zations Gulfwide in1997.

In Massachusetts,the Boston HarborAssociation (TBHA)received $5,000

Raphael HerzGulf of Maine Web Site Coordinator

Lost on the web? Here are a few of themany sites that can help you find marineand ocean facts, maps, reports, and organ-izations pertaining to the Gulf of Maineregion.

Gulf of Maine CouncilThe Gulf of Maine Council web site

(gulfofmaine.org) serves as a clearing-house of information on the Gulf of Maineand its watershed. It provides links toenvironmental data and reports; to theGulf of Maine Times online; and to scien-tists, resource managers, educators, stu-dents, and other Gulf “netizens.” The sitealso serves as a hub for communicationabout Council committees, projects, andactivities.

In the Data and Information Library,

to develop and distribute anEnglish/Spanish citizen’s guide to edu-cate people from diverse backgroundsabout how to reduce stormwater pollutionand restore Boston Harbor.

The Coalition for Buzzards Bayreceived $2,000 to create signs to beplaced along the shores of Bourne andFalmouth, Massachusetts explaining theenvironmental problems caused by litterand other marine debris. The organizationwill also use the grant to monitor theeffectiveness of these signs on reducingmarine debris.

“This year’s grant recipients are won-derful examples of true local initiative toprotect a magnificent environmentalresource,” said Trudy Coxe, CouncilSecretariat and Secretary of the Executive

Pho

to:

Nov

a S

cotia

Dep

artm

ent

of F

ishe

ries

Art Longard

Office of Environmental Affairs inMassachusetts.

The Council will next meet in June in Salem, Massachusetts. Visit gulfofmaine.org to learn more about theGulf of Maine Council.

At their semi-annual Council meeting, members recognize 1997’s Visionary Award win-ners. From left are Council Members Trudy Coxe, Secretary, Massachusetts ExecutiveOffice of Environmental Affairs; Wayne Adams, Minister, Nova Scotia Department ofEnvironment; Irene d’Entremont, MIT Electronics, Inc.; and Peg Brady, Director,Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office.

Photo: S

uzy Fried/G

ulf of Maine T

imes

Boston, Massachusetts — Managers,scientists, and consultants in the Gulfof Maine will soon be able toexchange information on past, present,and potential coastal wetland restora-tion projects using a database underconstruction for the Gulf of MaineCouncil’s home page.

The Coastal Wetland RestorationDatabase will contain project-specificinformation including location, activi-ty, current habitat conditions, costs,funding sources, and contacts. Also

reports and data are available on a varietyof marine and coastal issues, such asmarine protected areas, protection ofNorth Atlantic right whales, and theGulfwatch marine monitoring program.The site also contains multiple links tosimilar web sites, including those ofregional non-profit organizations and edu-cational institutions, as well as an exten-sive list of web sites on ballast water andexotic species invasion.

Environment CanadaEnvironment Canada’s (EC) Green

Lane (www.ns.ec.gc.ca) is an impressivefederal outreach effort unifying manyagency services, and covering major envi-ronmental issues in Atlantic Canada. EC’sprograms and initiatives are listed alpha-betically under Issues and Programs.

For example, under EnvironmentalAssessment, find fact sheets for environ-

mental assessment considerations forCanadian aquaculture operations. TheWeather section provides an easy-to-useinteractive map where you can receive 10-minute weather updates and forecasts forAtlantic Canada.

Aquatic NetworkThe Aquatic Network (www.aquanet.

com) is a great resource for aquatic serv-ices, databases, news, editorials, andproducts. Aquanet’s far-reaching subjectarea includes aquaculture, conservation,fisheries, limnology, marine science andoceanography, maritime heritage, oceanengineering, and seafood.

The site provides extensive informa-tion, ranging from oceanography andmarine journal contacts to fisheries organ-izations. Under the Scuttlebutt link, clickon Mailing Lists for an E-mail list such asGulftalk. In Subjects, the Maritime

Heritage topic covers Canadian and USsites such as Canadian lighthouses, theTitanic, and Amistad.

SeawebA site not to be missed, Seaweb

(www.seaweb.org) is a wonderful collec-tion of educational materials featuringgreat audio clips on topics such as codfishon the Grand Banks of Canada, or TakeReduction Teams that unite fishermen andscientists to reduce the accidental death ofendangered marine mammals. Seaweb’sOceanUpdate Newsletter, also availablevia E-mail, features stories on NovaScotia’s decimated sea urchin populationand inbreeding in North Atlantic rightwhales.

The Internet world, like sand on a beach,is constantly changing, and new web sitesemerge every day. Happy hunting!

Your business can benefit...

...from becoming a corporatesponsor of high quality research and education programs throug-

out the Gulf of Maine region.

To find out how, contact Don Pohl at the US Gulf of Maine

Association via E-mail at [email protected]

or by phone at (617) 728-0541.

Coastal Wetland Restoration Database coming

posted will be information on restora-tion programs for particular species,such as seabirds and anadromous fish.

To contribute to the database,please submit information onwww.gulfofmaine.org, the Gulf ofMaine Council’s homepage. Click onthe “Habitat” icon and use the elec-tronic forms provided, or contactChris Cornelisen at MassachusettsCoastal Zone Management (617) 727-9530 ext. 249.

In search of Gulfwise web sites

http://gulfofmaine.org/

http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/

http://www.aquanet.com/

http://www.seaweb.org/

1998 MembersWayne Adams, MinisterDepartment of EnvironmentHalifax, Nova Scotia

James Barkhouse, MinisterDepartment of Fisheries & AquacultureHalifax, Nova Scotia

Peg Brady, DirectorMassachusetts Coastal Zone ManagementBoston, Massachusetts

Trudy Coxe, SecretaryExecutive Office of Environmental AffairsBoston, Massachusetts

Irene d’Entremont, PresidentM.I.T. Electronics, Inc.Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

Penn Estabrook, CommissionerDepartment of Marine ResourcesAugusta, Maine

Donald D. Gay, MinisterDepartment of Fisheries & AquacultureFredericton, New Brunswick

David Haney, ManagerExternal Affairs - New HampshireBankBostonNashua, New Hampshire

Elizabeth KayEnvironmental Communications StrategistHull, Massachusetts

Joan Kingston, MinisterDepartment of EnvironmentFredericton, New Brunswick

Edward McLean, PresidentConnor’s Brothers Ltd.Black’s Harbour, New Brunswick

Donald W. Perkins, PresidentGulf of Maine Aquarium Development Corp.Portland, Maine

Evan D. Richert, DirectorMaine State Planning OfficeAugusta, Maine

Jeffrey Taylor, DirectorOffice of State PlanningConcord, New Hampshire

Robert Varney, CommissionerDepartment of Environmental ServicesConcord, New Hampshire

Federal PartnersJohn Boreman, Deputy Center DirectorNortheast Fisheries CenterNational Marine Fisheries ServiceWoods Hole, Massachusetts

David Fierra, DirectorOffice of Ecosystem ProtectionUS Environmental Protection Agency - Region 1Boston, Massachusetts

George Finney, DirectorEnvironment CanadaSackville, New Brunswick

Ralph Pisapia, Assistant Regional DirectorUS Fish & Wildlife ServiceHadley, Massachusetts

Lt. Col. Michael W. Pratt, District EngineerUS Army Corp of EngineersConcord, Massachusetts

Faith Scattolon, DirectorOceans Act Coordination OfficeDepartment of Fisheries & OceansDartmouth, Nova Scotia

Larry Wilson, Marine Programs DirectorateCanadian Coast Guard BaseDartmouth, Nova Scotia

GULF OFMAINE FACTS

● The water surface of the Gulf of Mainemeasures 79,000 square kilometers/33,054 square miles.

● The total land area of the Gulf ofMaine watershed is 69,115 squaremiles/165,185 square kilometers.


The Gulf of Maine Timesis made possible in part by a generous donation from

Promoting Cooperation to Maintain and Enhance ...Ecotourism, also called ecotravel, describes...

Documents

Transcript of Promoting Cooperation to Maintain and Enhance ...Ecotourism, also called ecotravel, describes...