August 10th, 2009

Honourable Barry Penner
Minister of Environment
Parliament Buildings
PO Box 9047, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E2

Dear Minister Penner,

On behalf of the board of the Gabriola Land and Trails Trust (GaLTT), I am writing to bring to your attention the unacceptable state of Drumbeg Provincial Park. Situated on Gabriola Island, the park is home to a beautiful gary oak and camas lily meadow which is now almost completely overrun with Scotch broom. We have been in constant contact with BC Parks officials about the problem and recently submitted a modest proposal to manage and eventually eradicate Scotch broom from the park. The proposal was developed in consultation with two biologists from the Coastal Invasive Plants Committee who were shocked at the state of the infestation at Drumbeg. We were advised that there is no money in the budget to undertake the work this year. I have attached a copy of the proposal for your information.

The Scotch broom is one of three major infestations in the park, the other two being giant hogweed (an extremely hazardous plant which can cause severe skin burns and blindness if the plant matter gets on skin or into the eyes) and periwinkle. There is also a minor infestation of daphne laurel. The impact of these infestations on the natural flora is significant. We are at risk of losing the gary oak meadow completely if we cannot remove the broom. In the past, BC Parks contracted to have the broom mowed down with the result that the root systems became stronger and the mature plants are now much harder to remove. GaLTT and individual volunteers have tried to keep abreast of the problem and have devoted hundreds of volunteer hours to keep the problem from getting worse.

The most recent management plan I was able to find for Drumbeg and Gabriola Sands Parks is dated August 1987. It states as an objective “to retain the natural woodlands and grasslands in this park as evolving ecosystems”. Clearly you have failed to meet this objective. This situation is untenable, and will result in the loss of a unique ecosystem as Drumbeg continues to be overrun by invasive plants. At the All Candidates meeting on Gabriola, the Liberal candidate, when asked about the situation, indicated that the Liberal government had in fact expanded the number of provincial parks. That is cold comfort when the existing parks are not maintained to any discernible standard and your ministry is willing to offload management of invasives to a non-profit, volunteer community organization.

I would appreciate a response outlining a clear course of action to immediately eradicate the Scotch broom and giant hogweed. As we have indicated in the past, we are more than willing to assist but cannot continue to do so on a volunteer basis. We would be happy to meet with you and give you a tour of the park at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley
President
Gabriola Land and Trails Trust
ddfarley@shaw.ca
Tel. 250 247-9779

cc.
Ranger Wade Calder, BC Parks
Doug Routley, MLA,
Gisele Rudischer, Director, Regional District of Nanaimo
Sheila Malcolmson, Trustee, Islands Trust
Deborah Ferens, Trustee, Islands Trust
Gabriola Sounder
Gabriola Shingle
Nanaimo Daily News

attachment

June 29, 2009

Regional District of Nanaimo
6300 Hammond Bay Road
Nanaimo, BC

Attn: Gisele Rudischer, Director

Subject: 707 Acre Park Management Plan

Dear Gisele,

On behalf of the board of directors and membership of the Gabriola Land and Trails Trust (GaLTT), I am pleased to provide input into the management planning process for the 707-Acre park. As you know, GaLTT is a registered non-profit society whose purpose is to secure, develop and sustain a network of parkland and trails on Gabriola Island for the benefit of the public, and to preserve sites of environmental, historical, and social importance. We have a membership of approximately 170 which represents well over 250 individuals. Our membership was canvassed in the development of this response: we received 14 responses and generally strong support for the positions we have put forth below. This submission does not represent the views of all of our membership and we are encouraging members to provide input directly into the park management process.

Appropriate uses

We believe the park should accommodate a broad array of non-motorized users, for example, hikers, cyclists, horse riders, etc. Where potential for conflict among different user groups may occur in the future, we support looking at ways to reduce conflict without unnecessarily restricting access. As sensitive areas are identified, trails are rationalized and use of the park increased over time, it may become necessary to limit use by some users (e.g. horses and bikes) in some areas in the wet season and/or consider building board walks etc. to protect wetted areas from damage. There should be at least one point of access for persons with limited mobility (e.g. the elderly, persons with disabilities, families with young children) so that they can enjoy some part of the park.

We understand that you have received a submission suggesting that a dedicated area be set aside for BMX riders (non-motorized dirt bikes). We support this concept insofar as it occurs in an area that does not have sensitive ecosystems and is limited to a relatively small area (e.g. 10 acres).

Access

GaLTT encourages the RDN to develop access to the park in a way that connects neighbourhoods and builds on the presence of adjacent trails and open spaces, such as the Coats Marsh Regional Park. It would be wise to identify now a prioritized list of places where small additional acquisitions of land or trail easements would enhance the recreational and conservation values of the 707 Acre Park.

GaLTT’s ultimate goal is to create a network of interconnecting trails and parks from Drumbeg Park to Descanso Bay Regional Park. The access points created in the 707 Acre Park could have a profound positive impact on that objective. For example, we are aware that a private landowner, with property adjacent to the 707 Acre Park, has offered to allow access through his property and to provide for off road parking. GaLTT would strongly encourage the RDN to pursue this opportunity as it would provide access on the western edge of the park where there is currently none. This access would have the additional benefit of connecting a large residential neighbourhood to the 707 Acre Park without residents needing to use a car.

We also endorse ensuring that park access does not have unintended negative consequences for adjacent property owners. Issues such as volume of vehicle traffic, after hour’s access, etc will need to be considered. Parking at the north end on the shoulders of Jeanette and Ricki Avenues is already an issue for the neighbours, and at the south end, the areas of the two small adjacent community parks off Coats Road may be well-suited to make a small parking area. Existing trails and the ‘Centre Road’ main line require planning and project work to redirect access to remain within the park boundaries, where now they run on to private land. All entrances to the park need security measures put in place to prevent unauthorized vehicle access while allowing access by emergency vehicles at key places. Mapping of the trail system within the park will promote responsible use and help reduce trespass for adjacent land owners.

Ecosystem Protection

We believe the park should be developed in a way that protects and stewards ecosystems and landforms. This should minimally include three elements: a database of relevant information; a managed sustainable forestry plan; and, an invasive plant management plan.

A GIS database should be developed immediately. It should include detailed topographic data, historical and current air photo coverage, silviculture information, invasive and endangered species mapping, critical bird nesting areas, trails, extent of wetlands, etc. The 707 also has significant potential to support ground water recharge; we believe this should be explored further. Excellent topographic data, soil mapping, and fracture mapping are critical information to understand the ground water systems in the area.

A sustainable forest management plan could encompass the entire 707 acres and could serve as a demonstration project on the best practices in sustainable forest management. A managed forest plan has additional benefits: it provides habitat for native flora and fauna, it reduces the risk of wildfires, it creates an environment that supports healthy watersheds; and, a series of trails and park spaces can exist within it. Recognizing that the park’s 707 acres envelops many microclimates, we endorse a plan which will restore the native plants typically found in such micro climates.

Until sustainable forest management practices are fully in place, this will require vigilance in dealing with non-native invasive plants to ensure they do not get a foothold in the park. Invasive non-native plants are a major problem on Gabriola. In the 707 Acre Park, we are unaware of any major infestations other than some patches of broom that are now getting established near the Centre Road main line. By developing a plan for managing and/or eliminating invasive species early on, this problem can be easily contained.

Ongoing Management

There has been considerable discussion as to whether the park should simply be left alone. We believe management of the park should be conducted with a ‘light touch’ for the purpose of protecting native ecosystems, simple trail grooming to allow non-motorized access, and management to reduce the risk of fire which is a significant concern for all Gabriolans, whether or not they live near to the park. The other significant safety consideration is ensuring that people have enough information to not get lost in the park: simple trail marking and mapping of public trails could assist with this. GaLTT currently produces a map of public trails on the island which includes a small portion of the 707 trail network; this map could be further developed to give more specific directions to broader area of the park.

We appreciate the opportunity to provide input into park planning. It is important to do this right and that will require thoughtful planning, phased implementation of proposed uses, and ongoing evaluation of progress. To this end, we recommend setting up a standing Park Management Advisory Committee to provide a forum for local users to continue to have input into the management of the park. Further, there should be a scheduled review of the Park Management Plan in, say 10 years, as our perspective of the potential of the 707 Acre Park will change dramatically as the trees grow back and the use of the park increases.

We appreciate the RDN’s willingness to engage the whole community on the development of this park and encourage the RDN to continue to connect with the community as the plan is developed and implementation begins.

Sincerely,

Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley
President

cc. http://www.707cp.ca
cc. GaLTT membership

There have been a number of blogs posted recently on the 707 Park management website concerning the painting of trees on trails in the 707 and wondering if the Gabriola Land and Trails Trust was responsible. The short answer is yes.

Shortly after the acquisition of the 707 Community Park, community members started asking for information about trails in the park. There was no management plan in place and it was clear that it would be a few years before the RDN would begin the planning process. There was a public desire to explore our new park, and nothing to offer people who were not already familiar with the old trails. Fire Chief, Rick Jackson, was concerned that people could easily get lost exploring and have no way of pinpointing their location in the event of an injury requiring emergency crews’ assistance. GaLTT approached the RDN about the possibility of marking two simple trail loops that were on existing old trails and were clearly within the boundaries of the park. The Fire Chief supported a coloured trail marking option to differentiate the two trails and also recommended there be three emergency vehicle accesses. The red (Fisher Rd to Coats Rd) and yellow (Jeanette to Ricky Rd) trail loops were approved by the RDN, GaLTT volunteers made and erected painted wooden triangles as trail markers, the GaLTT Trail Map described the loops and the RDN posted some laminated maps at the entrance off Fisher Rd and off Ricky Rd.

It soon became apparent that there was opposition to any effort to mark trails as the wooden sign erected by the RDN was chain sawed, ‘no hunting’ signs posted by the Rod and Gun Club were also destroyed and trail markers were disappearing faster than we could keep them posted. This was a concern as now there were maps directing people to trails and no markers to follow. The GaLTT Board discussed spray paint as an option less likely to be tampered with but agreed that it was not the most desirable course of action and that the RDN approval be sought before we took further action. The RDN recommended new markers and GaLTT ordered a supply. Unfortunately there was a communication gap between the board and the volunteer group with the result that some trees were spray-painted to ensure people would not get lost on the red and yellow published loops. Our trails volunteers also report that the new RDN approved markers continue to be removed regularly, and there now appear to be other routes marked with orange spray paint for which GaLTT is not responsible. It is clear that there are competing interests as to how the park should be managed.

On behalf of the Board, I apologize for the breach in communication that resulted in our volunteer group applying spray paint to mark a trail. That action was not consistent with Board policy. The support and respect of our members and the community at large is critically important to us. The Gabriola Land and Trails Trust would not intentionally do anything to jeopardize that. We will continue to work with the RDN and the community to ensure safe access to the 707 in a way that is respectful of the natural surroundings. And we will continue to be open and accountable for all our actions.

Sincerely,

Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley

President

Gabriola Land and Trails Trust

The RDN now has the terms of reference ready, hired the contract consultant, and selected the community representatives to the steering committee. The first management plan for the community park will guide the operations, development, and stewardship of the property based on comprehensive analysis of property values and public and stakeholder consultations. The plan will confirm the long-term vision and goals for 707 Acre

Community Park and identify shorter term management policies and actions for the period 2010-2020. The plan is to be reviewed after five years (2015) by a management steering committee and updated formally at ten-year intervals. The detailed terms of reference for the process can be found on the RDN website: (click here)

The POSAC Committee for Electoral Area 'B' (Gabriola Island, Mudge Island, DeCourcy Island) will soon be reactivated. Please watch for an announcement to recruit community representatives. The role of this Committee is to advise the Regional Board on matters that pertain to Regional District of Nanaimo Electoral Area 'B' Community Parks and Trails.

At the January LTC meeting, GaLTT President Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley submitted a request to the LTC to ensure there would be no bylaw or other policy issues with a travel trail being proposed adjacent to North Road from Tait to where the 707 land reaches North Road.

IT Staff came to the February meeting having researched the issue, having found the trail as proposed was in compliance with Islands Trust policies and bylaws, IT staff recommend GaLTT submit a development permit for the proposed construction.

Trustee Malcolmson said, “Our recommendation is to ensure that GaLTT has this and includes it in their application for a development permit for the trail.”

The Gabriola Land and Trails Trust announced the executive officers and committee chairs for 2009:

The new executive is:

• President – Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley
• Vice Presidents – Colin Masson and Tom Cameron
• Secretary – Carol Boyce
• Treasurer – John Peirce

The new Committee Chairs are:

• Trails – Randy Young
• Acquisition and Fundraising – John Peirce
• Member Services and Communications – Christine Purfield
• Board Relations and Governance – Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley

The Gabriola Land and Trails Trust (GaLTT) has applied to various levels of government to build a trail from Tait Road, north to where the 707-acre wood meets North Road.

The proposed trail would be a one-metre wide path adjacent to the shoulder of North Road built out of 3/4” gravel crush.

Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley, GaLTT president, explained to the Local Trust Committee (LTC) that there would be no tree removal. “The path would be built around existing trees while staying on the existing road allowance.” The cost of building the trail would be covered by GaLTT.

She was presenting to the LTC as part of GaLTT’s request to find out if there was anything with the proposal that was not in keeping with the Gabriola Official Community Plan (OCP).

After the meeting she explained there are currently roughly 14 different trail proposals being worked as part of GaLTT’s 2010 goal of connecting Descanso Bay to Drumbeg Provincial Park.

“The trail in the tunnel was an idea we had when we started grousing about how hard it is for families with young children to go for a walk. It’s dangerous -- there are some places where it’s hard to get off the road when a car is coming.

“There is an opportunity for us to connect the corner of the 707 and ultimately take us in to Elder Cedar.

“But in order to do that we’d have to follow North Road, then have to switch to the other side of North Road. There’s no way we can get a crosswalk there though, it’s just too dangerous.

“So we thought about that, and said, let’s do a roadside trail from the top corner of the 707 and get to Tait. We can do it all on the same side of the road, without taking out trees, and we can create a loop out of it connecting back up to Tait to the 707 from McCollum and Fisher.

“In the longer term it would be desirable to have all our trails off-road, but there is a need for pedestrians and cyclists to be able to follow our main road without having to worry about cars, and for cars to not worry about going around pedestrians.”

Dyan explained that while GaLTT knows there are unofficial trails through private lands, GaLTT focuses on publicly-owned lands or working on trails with private land owners, formalizing the presence of existing trails.

The 707 she says, “is a really terrific location, a hub, with spokes radiating out from it.”

With the 2010 goal, connecting the Cox Park east of Taylor Bay Road to the trails going north from North Road is one of the bigger challenges according to Dyan.

The other is connecting the Tait Road area to Peterson Road.

Islands Trustee Sheila Malcolmson moved that the LTC request the Trust staff draft (for consideration at the next LTC meeting) a response to the GaLTT proposal, with special attention to the “Tunnel Development Permit Area” guidelines.

The Gabriola Land and Trails Trust (GaLTT) will be holding its Annual General Meeting on February 4th, 2009 at the Roxy. Doors will open for registration at 7:00 p.m. and the meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. The AGM is open to all interested members of the public. However, only GaLTT members are eligible to vote. Memberships will be available for those who wish to join or renew their membership.

After a brief business meeting, GaLTT will be joined by biologist Pamela Wesley, the education and outreach coordinator for the Coastal Invasive Plant Committee, who will give a presentation on the management of invasive species on Gabriola.