Lake Huron Coastal Centre wants public input for Coastal Action Plan

The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation needs the public's help to gather information on the passions, concerns, and hopes of Lake Huron’s residents and day-users, in order to develop a Coastal Action Plan.

The centre wants to hear what you value in relation to Lake Huron. By completing a questionnaire (see the link below), you will be providing valuable input into the Coastal Action Plan for the southeastern shoreline of Lake Huron, including your concerns and expectations.

The southeastern coast of Lake Huron is home to thousands of permanent and seasonal residents. Millions of visitors each year interact with the lake through fishing, swimming, boating and other recreational activities. Large communities include Sarnia, Grand Bend, Bayfield, Goderich, Point Clark, Kincardine, Port Elgin, Southampton, Sauble Beach and Tobermory.

These communities recognize Lake Huron as being key to their economic development. While most beaches are safe for recreational use, many are not free from water quality advisories and multiple types of nuisance algae. Sand beaches, dunes, bluffs, river mouths, nearshore waters, wetlands, and woodlands are all coastal ecosystems that provide valuable ecosystem services, and support many rare species.

To maintain healthy wildlife populations, adapt to climate change and maintain water quality, we require environmental restoration, protection and enhancement efforts. There are significant regional threats to Lake Huron’s biodiversity and water quality, including: non-point source pollution, shoreline development and alteration, invasive species, and climate change.

A Coastal Action Plan for the southeastern shoreline of Lake Huron will create a unified vision for coastal conservation and stewardship efforts. This plan will enable a co-ordinated approach to address common issues and goals of communities along the Lake Huron shoreline. The plan will develop a list of environmental management strategies by identifying valuable natural features and species, and the threats and stressors that negatively impact them.

For more information about the Coastal Action Plan, check the coastal centre's website at: www.lakehuron.ca/coastal-action-plan

By completing the questionnaire, you will be entered into a draw to win a $50 gift card from Mountain Equipment Co-op or a one-year subscription to Alternatives Journal. The questionnaire closes Aug. 31.

You can access the survey on-line at: www.lakehuron.ca/coastal-action-plan-questionnaire