Nanaimo will join an effort to protect the coastal Douglas fir ecosystem.
Nanaimo council agreed last week to have the city sign a statement of co-operation to join the Coastal Douglas Fir and Associated Ecosystems Conservation Partnership, a group bringing governments, conservation organizations and private landowners together on the issue of conservation.
Coastal Douglas fir ecosystems are the smallest and rarest of 16 eco-zones in B.C., covering only 0.3 per cent of the province, but they contains the highest diversity of plant species and a number of species at risk or in need of protection, according to a report by city environmental planner Dave Stewart, who points to areas like Cable Bay, Linley Valley and Garry oak sub-ecosystems at Pipers and Neck Point Parks as examples of coastal Douglas fir forests.
The city was asked to join the partnership in April. Stewart said it will mean a commitment to basic conservation goals, but it’s also a good opportunity to partner with other communities and stakeholders in the region, see what they’re doing and learn from that.
No money is requested, but Stewart’s report shows financial and time commitments might be required if the city chooses to form an agreement for the partnership to help with a specific conservation initiative.
“Other municipalities like the Islands Trust has partnered with the [Coastal Douglas Fir Associated Ecosystems Conservation Partnership] on some overall conservation policies. We’re not there yet but this gives us that opportunity to do that in the future, whether it’s a review of our official community plan or some other policy review,” he said.
That Nanaimo has agreed to join the partnership is very encouraging, according to David Haley, with the conservation partnership steering committee, who said it’s asking the city to consider the coastal Douglas fir zone and the associated values in their planning processes like with Oceanview Golf Resort and Spa in Cable Bay.