TRACK EXPANSION Balancing Environment & Recreation Park Board - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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TRACK EXPANSION Balancing Environment & Recreation Park Board - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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VANIER PARK PUMP TRACK EXPANSION Balancing Environment & Recreation Park Board Committee Meeting June 24, 2019 Presentation Purpose For the Board to approve the proposed Vanier Park upgrades in consideration of the three aspects of this

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Park Board Committee Meeting

VANIER PARK PUMP TRACK EXPANSION

Balancing Environment & Recreation

June 24, 2019

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Presentation Purpose For the Board to approve the proposed Vanier Park upgrades in consideration of the three aspects of this project as follows:

  • Installing a Permanent Eagle Nesting Pole;
  • Constructing a Bicycle Pump Track; and
  • Implementing Stewardship Improvements to the Vanier Park Forest.
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Outline

  • Context
  • Project Intent
  • Background
  • FLNRO and consulting biologist (EDI) guidance
  • Open House Results
  • Next Steps
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Context

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Context Context

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Intent

Pump Track (e.g. Empire Field) Stewardship Artificial Nest Nesting Pole

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Intent Direct link to our Strategic Plans and pending directions in VanPlay:

  • Activity for children and youth in a forest setting –

connect with nature

  • Opportunities for great experiences in our parks –

enhanced participation and active living for health and recreation

  • Biodiversity Strategy– goal to restore 1 ha of natural

area/year

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Background – recent chronology

  • 1999: Bald eagles establish nest near Coast Guard station
  • 2010: PB builds bicycle dirt jumps with the Vancouver Dirt Jump

Coalition (VDJC), pump track contemplated but not constructed (funds lacking)

  • 2017: PB accepts VDJC request for the pump track (funding available),

PB plans to construct

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Background – recent chronology

  • 2018 March: eagles build a second nest in an unhealthy tree above

dirt jumps

  • 2018 August - New nest collapses in summer wind-storm - Park Board
  • btains Provincial permits and rebuilds the damaged nest above bike

facility.

  • 2018 September: Pause to determine best approach for eagles. Staff

work closely with FLNRO, Hancock Wildlife Foundation and Environmental Dynamics Inc. (EDI) to ensure proposed work adheres to Provincial Guidelines for Raptor Conservation.

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Background – recent chronology

  • 2019: Park Board close the facility for 8 weeks (March 19 - May 10)

during critical eagle nesting period.

  • EDI has monitored the eagles since March and continue to assist in

management strategies.

  • FLNRO recommend and support a permanent nesting pole as a

viable long-term nesting solution.

  • Hancock Wildlife Foundation support the permanent nesting pole in

principle and will build and install the permanent nest if approved by Board.

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Bird’s-Eye view of forest area

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View of existing dirt jumps from parking lot

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View of proposed pump track (foreground) and existing dirt jumps (background)

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View of proposed nesting pole and interpretive signage

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Pump Track Design and Location Rationale

  • Adjacency with existing facility
  • Distance from nesting pole
  • Proximity to parking lot and traffic
  • Existing conditions (drainage)
  • Invasive species mobility
  • Minimize edge effect

Proposed Nesting Pole

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Open House Results

  • Open House held May 30 from 4-7pm
  • 100 attended event
  • 454 Survey respondents
  • Positive response to proposed initiative
  • 24% signed up for future stewardship

involvement

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Open House Results 77% of respondents support the bicycle pump track

55% 22% 10% 4% 7% 2% Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neutral Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Unsure/Don't know

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Open House Results Stewardship preferences

46% 43% 31% 26% 26% 24% 16% 11% 10% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Stewardship Improvements Improved trails with smoother surfacing and better drainage More native trees, shrubs and groundcovers More monitoring by security personnel such as Park Rangers Less invasive species Better wayfinding signage Park Benches More environmental education and interpretive signage Other (please specify): Nothing would change how often I use it.

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Open House Results

63% 42% 29% 21% 19% 19% 5% 8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Activity Type Walking Biking Use the dirt jump track Running Dog Walking Bird Watching Other (please specify): Don't use the forested area

Majority of respondents use the forest area for walking

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Open House Results

1.8% 0.2% 8.6% 20.7% 23.3% 17.2% 18.7% 9.5% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% Age Groups 14 yrs and under 15-19 yrs 20-29 yrs 30-39 yrs 40-49 yrs 50-59 yrs 60-69 yrs 70+ yrs

Wide cross section of ages responded

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Open House Results Response rate by gender

50.9% 44.3% 0.4% 0.2% 4.2% Male Female Transgender Other/None of the

  • above. I identify

as Prefer not to say 9.3% 22.9% 9.0% 66.3% 0-2 years 3-10 years 11-18 years No children in my household

66% of respondents do not have children at home

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Open House Results Response rate by Postal Code

79.52 20.48 Northwest Vancouver (Vanier/Kits Neighbourhood) Other

Response rate by affiliation

0.4% 5.7% 5.1% 9.3% 5.9% 77.5% Hancock Wildlife Foundation Kits Point Residents Association Vancouver Dirt Jump Coalition HUB Affiliated with another group connected to Vanier Park (please specify) Not affiliated with any groups connected to Vanier Park

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Letter of Support – FLNRO (June 7, 2019) “The Province has reviewed the proposed mitigation offset in Vanier Park and supports the proposal as it provides the eagles with a long term safe solution.”

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Letter of Professional Opinion – EDI (June 14, 2019)

  • On a scale of 1-5: “During the monitoring

sessions to-date, the highest rating documented for the eagles’ response to disturbance stimuli is a ‘2’ or ‘very low’ which typically receded to a ‘1’ within a few

  • minutes. “
  • “An artificial nest pole is a viable solution

shown to be successful in past projects. …. the eagles at Vanier Park have shown to be adaptable, like many Lower Mainland bald eagles.”

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Next Steps – Subject to Board Approval

  • Aug 1 – Sept 15: Install new nesting pole and relocate existing

active nest, followed by pump track construction and a forest clean-up day

  • Fall 2019 – Fall 2021: Invasive species removal, tree, shrub and

groundcover planting, pathway improvements, wayfinding and

environmental education signs

  • 2022 and beyond: ongoing stewardship of Vanier Park urban forest
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Recommendation A. THAT the Vancouver Park Board approve the installation of a structural pole, construction of a nesting platform and relocation of the existing eagles nest, to a location at the central-west area of the Vanier Park forest as recommended by Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development and Hancock Wildlife Foundation; and B. THAT the Board approve the construction of a bicycle pump track facility adjacent to the existing Vanier Park bicycle dirt jumps facility; and

  • C. THAT the Board approve expanded stewardship initiatives and

development of a comprehensive long-term stewardship strategy for the Vanier Park forest.

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