Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft
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BOWEN ISLAND PARKS PLAN FINAL DRAFT Adopted on XXXXX, 2018 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft The Bowen Island Parks Plan is a collaborative initiative developed by the Bowen Island Community, LEES+Associates and Bowen Island Municipality. Sheryl Rivers, Squamish Nation, provided the First Nations perspective and content. Michelle Molnar, Ecological Economist for the David Suzuki Foundation, supplied the Natural Capital information with the Sitka Foundation funding her contribution. 1 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Why We Need a Parks Plan .......................................................................... 3 2 How the Parks Plan was Created ................................................................ 4 3 Bowen Island: The Current Picture ............................................................. 6 4 Community Engagement and Consultation ............................................. 14 5 Our Vision Statement ................................................................................. 20 6 Goals and Objectives ................................................................................. 21 7 Parks ............................................................................................................ 24 8 Trails ............................................................................................................ 39 9 Beaches ....................................................................................................... 48 10 Parkland Acquisition .................................................................................. 56 11 Natural Capital ............................................................................................ 63 12 First Nation Culture ................................................................................... 65 13 Stewardship and Partnerships .................................................................. 68 14 Funding and Implementation Strategies .................................................. 74 Appendix A: Phone Survey Results ................................................................ 84 Appendix B: Full Recommendations and Cost Estimate Table .................. 143 Appendix C: Online Survey (Vision & Goals) ............................................... 153 2 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft 1 WHY WE NEED A PARKS PLAN Bowen Island’s current Parks Master Plan dates backs back to 1994 and has provided guidance on the development of parks over the last 20 years. When the original Parks Master Plan was written, there was only one municipally owned park, Tunstall Bay. Despite having only one municipal park, the Island was, and still is, rich in natural areas. Today, Bowen Island has approximately 72 hectares of municipal parkland. Bowen Island is an island municipality with the Islands Trust. The Bowen Island Official Community Plan (OCP), updated in 2010, establishes a framework comprised of community supported goals, objectives and policies. The OCP includes recommendations to guide the development of municipal parks, trails and beach areas on Bowen Island. The Parks Plan expands upon relevant OCP provisions. Bowen Island’s parks, trails and beaches are valued places where meaningful connections to nature and to each other occur. Our island possesses diverse ecosystems. Our parks, trails and beaches provide habitat for wildlife and support the integrity of our natural assets. The Bowen Island Parks Plan provides an updated community vision for municipal parks, trails and beaches. The goals, objectives and recommendations outlined in the Parks Plan provide a guide to ensure that the community’s priorities are achieved over the next ten years. Bowen Island Facts Total Land Area – 100% (5014 hectares) Population – 3,680 (2016 census) Total Public Green Space: 45% (2243 hectares) Total Protected Green Space: 16% (793 hectares) Total Crown Land (Unprotected): 29% (1450 hectares) Municipal Parkland – 1% (72 hectares) Municipal Trails – 47 kilometres Of note: approximately 55% of Bowen’s Total Public Green Space remains unprotected from disturbances such as logging. Figure 1: Percentage of protected green space on Bowen Island Total Public Green Space includes: Bowen Island municipal parkland and trails, Metro Vancouver Crippen Park, Apodaca Provincial Park, Apodaca Ecological Reserve, Island Trust Fund Land and Crown Land. Total Protected Green Space includes: Bowen Island municipal parkland and trails, Metro Vancouver Crippen Park, Apodaca Provincial Park, Apodaca Ecological Reserve and Island Trust Fund Land. Greenways is a term sometimes used to describe connected green spaces, especially as these spaces refer to wildlife corridors and trails. 3 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft 2 HOW THE PARKS PLAN WAS CREATED A shared vision for the future of Bowen Island’s parks, trails and beaches emerged from engagement and consultation with the community and stakeholders. The process was initiated with a visioning workshop with the Parks, Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee (PTGAC) and stakeholder groups in February 2015. Throughout the development of the Parks Plan the following participation options were offered to the community: Figure 2: The Bowen Island Parks Plan framework ▪ A statistically valid phone survey; ▪ An open-access on-line survey; ▪ Focus group sessions with youth and seniors; ▪ Pop-up booths at two farmers markets; ▪ Two open houses; ▪ Bowfest interactive display; ▪ Workshops with stakeholders; and ▪ An online questionnaire to review key recommendations from the Draft Parks Plan. In response to the community-generated priorities to protect marine and terrestrial ecosystems and provide interconnected trails, the scope of the Parks Plan grew accordingly resulting in recommendations that reflect the community’s input. The primary focus of this Parks Plan is municipal parks but recommendations about municipal trails and beaches are also included. 4 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft Figure 3: The Bowen Island Parks Plan progress timeline The Parks Plan includes a new park classification system and recommendations to improve the parks system and park amenities over the next ten years. The Parks Plan identifies opportunities, challenges and recommendations for improving trails and beaches on the Island, protecting the Island’s natural capital and collaborating with community stewards and partners. As part of the Parks Plan development, Cultural Advisor Sheryl Rivers of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) was consulted. This Parks Plan recognizes and honours First Nations people who have lived in the Howe Sound since time immemorial. Opportunities for incorporating First Nations culture into Bowen Island Municipality’s (BIM) parks are included in the Plan. The implementation plan identifies high priority recommendations and provides planning, capital and operational cost estimates. The Parks Plan will provide guidance to municipal staff, the Parks, Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee, and Bowen Island Council over the next 10 years. The Parks Plan does not provide specific park site plans or specific budget recommendations. All recommendations outlined within this report will be vetted by staff and Council in future planning processes, with resource and budget considerations. 5 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft 3 BOWEN ISLAND: THE CURRENT PICTURE PARKS AND OPEN SPACES ON BOWEN In addition to BIM’s 72 hectares of parkland there are parks and open spaces owned and managed by others: ▪ Metro Vancouver’s Crippen Regional Park (221 hectares); ▪ Apodaca Provincial Park (10 hectares); ▪ Crown lands - Mount Gardner, Mount Collins and Mount Apodaca (1450 hectares); ▪ Bowen Island Ecological Reserve (450 hectares); and ▪ Islands Trust Fund properties (30 hectares). While these lands contribute to the natural character of Bowen Island, and most contribute to outdoor recreation, the emphasis of this Parks Plan is on municipally owned parkland. A secondary focus on municipal trails and beach accesses is also included in this Plan. 6 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft Page intentionally left blank 7 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft Figure 4: Parks and open spaces on Bowen Island (map finalized March, 2018) 8 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft Page intentionally left blank 9 Bowen Island Parks Plan Final Draft BOWEN’S GEOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT Howe Sound was created approximately 10,000 years ago by receding glaciers that carved networks of fiords. Bowen Island is situated at the mouth of the Sound. The Island’s geography is characterized by three forested peaks: Mount Apodaca, Mount Collins, and Mount Gardner. From the top of Mount Gardner on a clear day, hikers can see Howe Sound to the north, the North Shore Mountains to the east, the Lower Mainland to the south-east and Vancouver Island across the Salish Sea to the west. Bowen Island is within the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) biogeoclimatic zone with Coastal Douglas-fir and Associated Ecosystems (CDFAE) sub-zones. The Coastal Douglas-fir and Associated Ecosystems (CDFAE) have the highest number of species and ecosystems at risk in British Columbia. Threats to the CDFAE include: land conversion, loss of natural process, species disturbance, invasive species, pollution and climate change. Bowen Island is located within the Georgia Basin marine ecoregion. The marine environment is highly valued by the community and contributes to Bowen Island’s natural character and beauty. Development, including infrastructure in shoreline parks and within