VICTORIA A regional park in Greater Victoria that’s popular with hikers and mountain bikers is slated to grow by just under 14 hectares. The Capital Regional District announced Monday it has acquired two parcels of land that it will add to Mount Work Regional Park. The 13.8 hectares of land is mainly second-growth Douglas fir forest with a mix of arbutus, oak and dense vegetation, according to the CRD. The land previously belonged to Waultraut Schnarr, who decided to part with it in memory of Schnarr’s husband, according to a statement Monday. “My family has owned and cherished the property for 41 years,” said Schnarr. “Although it has been difficult to let go of these lands, from an environmental perspective we can think of no better use of the land than to have it revert to park to maintain the beauty of the natural landscape forevermore.”
However, prolific growth can cause a dense mass or bloom to form. While some blooms are harmless, others, such as Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), produce cyanotoxins that can cause abdominal upsets in humans and can be lethal for small animals, such as dogs. To better understand where and when algae blooms happen around the province, the Environment Ministry has developed Algae Watch, where people are invited to contribute information to create a comprehensive picture of the situation in B.C. The website helps people differentiate between algae blooms from other natural phenomena, such as foam or pollen, which can sometimes look like blooms.
VICTORIA The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has approved new guidelines for mountain biking at regional parks, as the sport continues to grow in popularity. The CRD says its new guidelines will help mountain bikers enjoy the sport while balancing conservation and environmental concerns. Positive relationships with the mountain biking community are an important part of moving forward with this recreation in the region, said CRD Board chair Colin Plant in a release Thursday. The guidelines are mainly for CRD staff to refer to when working with mountain bikers and planning potential new trails. The CRD says it will also dedicate more staff time and resources to support mountain biking groups while making sure park management plans are being followed.
Isitt tried to amend the motion, which he filed a month earlier, by removing all references to the Pacheedaht and Fairy Creek, and using more generic terms about supporting a transition away old-growth logging.
Isitt said Thursday he changed the wording after the CRD received a terse letter from the Pacheedaht saying it did not welcome the “unsolicited interference or involvement” from the region’s governing body. He will introduce the new motion at the next meeting.
CRD board chair Colin Plant wouldn’t allow the amended motion, citing procedure, and said Isitt’s original motion would start the next board meeting on May 26.
If nothing is done, the CRD says, current habits and population growth will put the landfill at capacity by 2045. The plan proposes a number of ways to reduce, recycle, manage and divert waste. Short-term priorities include investigating options for a clean-wood waste ban and deconstruction rather than demolition methods, creating a community-based waste reduction grant program and working with regional partners to reduce waste generated by apartments and businesses, which are less likely to have programs separating garbage and kitchen scraps. Construction materials make up about 40% of the waste in the landfill, a figure being pressured by the building and renovation boom during the pandemic.