Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment

Resources

Gulf of Maine Library Collection

Kelly, David. Developing a Strategic Assessment and Planning Framework for the Marine Environment. Academic Press Limited. 1987. 11 pp.

The concept of environmental impact assessment (EIA) was 16 years old as of 1987. In the intervening years since the National Environmental Policy Act of the United States brought the concept to prominence in 1969, it had matured considerably. The process of maturation had taken many forms. In the United States, it had become a very legalistic process. This paper synthesizes discussions and findings of an international workshop on "Strategic Planning for the Coastal and Marine Environment", held in March 1985. EIA practitioners from industry, government, university, and special interest groups from Canada, the United States and Scotland gathered to develop further the concept of area-wide or strategic assessments. The objectives of the workshop were to describe a process that would facilitate decision-making on a timely basis, minimize resource conflicts and allow more effective public participation. This paper also reviews appropriate literature on the subject in order to demonstrate the more comprehensive approach to EIA that is being advocated by researchers, planners and practitioners.

Back to Library Index Page