Last Chance to Provide Input to CRD on Mount Work Park Management Plan - Survey closes May 16th

Credit: Capital Regional District via Times Colonist

Mount Work Coalition invites our members and subscribers to provide their input on the CRD’s Mount Work Regional Park Management Plan:

The public is being asked to weigh in on how the Capital Regional District should handle the conservation, development and use of Mount Work Regional Park.

The CRD developed a draft management plan following public engagement in 2020. The approximately 10,000 submissions that came in highlighted the need for conservation of the significant ecological values in the park and the desire for diverse recreational opportunities and experiences.

The draft management plan is now available for review and comment online at
getinvolved.crd.bc.ca/mount-work.

Comments received will be considered ahead of a final draft being prepared for review and approval by the CRD board. The comment period will run until May 16.

A public open house will be held at Saanich Commonwealth Place on May 11 from 4:30 until 7:30 p.m.

The management plan will guide use of the park over the next 15 years.

What we’ve noticed is that the draft management plan is weighted towards mountain biking. New parking lots are proposed–one in a forested wetland on Willis Point Road; however, there is a stated commitment by the CRD to hire a biologist to advise on low impact.

What we don’t see in this draft plan is a commitment to stewardship of the park’s ecosystem and safety of the public in light of the Hartland Landfill expansion plans and the spread of toxic biosolids on the ground – stewardship in the form of:

• Discontinuing the spread of biosolids to minimize risk to the park’s wetlands, wildlife, plant-life and visitors.

• A commitment to ongoing water and air testing (results to be available to the public) near the landfill, especially in light of recent spills, so that people recreating and fishing in the park can be fully aware of the risks.