The Agricultural Heritage System framework for collaborative environmental governance: A case for the Bay of Fundy's dykelands and foreshore marshes

Abstract

Canadian production systems face conflict between conservation and production goals, especially amid the impacts of climate change. The problem may, in part, be the frameworks we use to understand them. One potential framework that merits further research in this context is the Agricultural Heritage System. We use as our example case the Bay of Fundy's agricultural dykelands. These dykelands embody a long-enduring farming heritage since Acadian settlement but face mounting pressure from climate change and polarization among diverse interest groups (e.g., agricultural production, marsh conservation, heritage protection). Our viewpoint argues that managers should adopt frameworks that reframe dykelands and adjacent tidal wetlands or foreshore marshes as complementary, rather than competing, landscapes, to facilitate more collaborative management and governance. We discuss how treating these dykelands and foreshore marshes as an Agricultural Heritage System can capture their complementarity, emphasizing the relationships that allow the region to thrive.