BC Parks Proposes Parking Lot in Partridge Hills Wetland for Bike Trail Access
Photo credit: local resident
Throughout December 2021 and January 2022, several community associations and individual residents in the area wrote to BC Parks regarding their lack of community consultation regarding the BC Parks proposal to build a parking lot on the east side of Willis Point Road in the Partridge Hills. Residents and community associations were only made aware of this when a roadside ‘open house’ popped up (without notice to residents) on Willis Point Road one day in the Autumn of 2021.
Regional residents and Mount Work Coalition were surprised by the lack of consultation regarding the potentially destructive excavation and building of infrastructure in a forest and wetland and the plans to accommodate increased park usage for one special interest group.
BC Parks apparently did send a notice in November 2021 to one community association, but failed to notify and consult local residents and other park users who are not mountain bikers. The general feeling is that the communications as at November 2021 and into 2022 regarding this ‘proposal’ conveys the tone that it is a ‘done deal’.
In response, community members and associations have raised the following concerns with BC Parks:
Lack of meaningful consultation with ALL park users and with those who will bear the brunt of the impact of this plan (i.e. local residents).
BC Parks planning appears to be heavily biased towards one special interest group.
Proposing a parking lot location in what has already been deemed as a protected, sensitive wetland and forest ecosystem, regardless of the escalating need for more considered approaches to stewardship of the region’s biodiversity in the face of the climate emergency.
Proposing a parking lot in a wetland that feeds the aquifers–the source of drinking water for residents of the southern edge of Mark Lane and along the Partridge Hills part of Willis Point Road.
Failure to inform public of how this proposal aligns with BC Parks policies protecting wetlands.
Proposing a location for the parking lot in the wetland when there are other locations close by that are not in the wetland.
Providing little assurance that the proposed location for parking lot and bike trails has been fully assessed by third party hydrogeology and ecosystem experts.
That an existing groundwater assessment identifies the location of the proposed BC Parks parking lot and mountain bike trails as critical wetland feeding the groundwater on which local residents are dependent.
That consideration be given to the following: Recreational activities that disturb the soil, water or foliage should not be contemplated in parks (ie: motorized vehicles, additional park infrastructure, recreational activities that damage foliage or trees). If the activity isn't able to protect and preserve the land or water, perhaps it is not the right venue for it.
Two community associations and at least six individual citizens wrote to BC Parks and all received the same form letter as per appended below.
Thank you for your email providing feedback on a proposed trail plan and parking lot for Partridge Hills in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. As the Assistant Deputy Minister for BC Parks and Conservation Officer Service Division, I am pleased to respond to your enquiry.
Partridge Hills is an undeveloped section of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. As outdoor recreation in the capital region continues to experience dynamic user growth, Partridge Hills has become a major, unsanctioned destination for a multitude of users, including hikers and mountain bikers. Without formal trails and facilities, this unmanaged use has damaged sensitive ecosystems in the park and has caused parking congestion on Willis Point road. The unmapped but heavily used trails have also caused confusion and difficulty for first responders attending to injuries and lost visitors in the park.
To address these negative impacts, BC Parks is investigating the possibility of formally sanctioning multi-use trails in Partridge Hills in order to develop facilities that will better manage impacts from recreational use. This would include developing a formal trail plan, closing redundant trails, fencing sensitive ecosystems and installing signs to better direct visitors on trails (including trail etiquette/yield signs for multi-user trails). To clarify, if approved, this trail network would be for all park visitors (including the local community); it would not be exclusively for the mountain biking community. This work is consistent with the Gowlland Tod Provincial Management Plan which identified Partridge Hills as a priority area for assessment of a future trail network, and further assessment to add cycling trails to the trail system.
BC Parks is hiring a trail planning specialist and registered professional biologist to complete an ecological assessment of the area (including inventory of red- and blue-listed ecosystems and species) and design a sustainable trail plan to protect Partridge Hills’ special features, ecosystems and species. This plan includes restoration activities of the existing unsanctioned network to enhance the ecological values of the park (for example, deactivating trails in several wetland and rocky bluff areas, sanctioning sustainable trails only).
Part of this project is also looking at the possibility of formalizing a small gravel parking area at the provincial park trailhead to alleviate shoulder congestion on Willis Point Road (within the provincial park). Although BC Parks acknowledges the majority of parking congestion is closer to Ross Durrance Road, BC Parks’ ability to provide a formal parking area on provincial parkland is restricted as BC Parks does not own the land at the bottom of the hill (see attached map). BC Parks does not have jurisdiction over the Willis Point Road right-of-way, so is not able to widen the road to accommodate more shoulder parking. BC Parks is engaging with Capital Regional District (CRD) Parks to assess other possible linkages between Partridge Hills and CRD’s Durrance Lake trailheads through their Mount Work Management Planning process. For more information on CRD’s Management Planning Process, visit https://www.crd.bc.ca/project/mount-work-management-plan.
The current proposed location was determined in consultation with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) as the safest location (within the park) with the least impact on natural values. BC Parks and MOTI are currently investigating shoulder design options to reduce the impact of overflow around the new parking area. The proposed footprint (10 stall) is already impacted by the existing trailhead, will not extend into the wetland, and will include a boardwalk linking the parking area to the trail system. BC Parks has hired a professional biologist to complete a detailed ecological assessment of the area, as well as develop a construction environmental management plan to protect the local hydrology. If the project is approved, an environmental monitor will be onsite during construction, ensuring mitigation efforts are followed and environmental values are protected. Once constructed, the parking area would be maintained by BC Parks’ Park Operator, with regular garbage pickup.
BC Parks continues to undertake First Nations and community consultation on these assessments. In October 2021, letters describing the project and inviting feedback were sent to the Tsartlip, Pauquachin, Tsawout, Tseycum and Malahat First Nations. On November 23, 2021, BC Parks sent similar letters to 20 community and environmental groups including the Willis Point Community Association and Willis Point Fire Department. In those letters, BC Parks provided each group with details about the project and offered three ways the groups could provide feedback (including the outdoor public session in December). We welcome continued written feedback from any Willis Point residents or groups.
If approved, the South Island Mountain Bike Society (SIMBS) has volunteered to work with BC Parks to maintain the multi-use trail system (hiking and cycling), take part in environmental protection and restoration and help conserve the biodiversity in Partridge Hills by discouraging illegal trail construction. BC Parks welcomes community partnerships like what SIMBS volunteers have offered. For more information on BC Parks’ volunteer programs, please visit https://bcparks.ca/volunteers/.
If you have any further enquiries and communication regarding this proposed project, please direct them to ENV.Mail@gov.bc.ca.
Thank you again for taking the time to write. I hope I was able to provide you with some clarity on our proposed plans and processes.
Sincerely,
Jim Standen
Assistant Deputy Minister
BC Parks and Conservation Officer Service Division
For further thought on how park planning be better aligned with biodiversity, conservation and climate accountability considerations, please read this open letter penned by Frances Litman of Creatively United for the Planet.