People visiting Moorecroft Regional Park are welcome to bring their dogs — as long as the pets remain on a leash.
The ruling was contained in the final draft of the Moorecroft Regional Park Management Plan, which was released this week.
As a condition of sale by the United Church of Canada, a conservation covenant was developed with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to ensure that the natural habitat and ecosystems present at Moorecroft Regional Park will continue to be protected.
The Plan will guide the management, development and operations of the park over the next 10 years.
“The intent is to balance the values of ecological preservation and protection with enhanced visitor services and appropriate facility development,” said Electoral Area E Director and Park Management Plan Advisory Committee member George Holme. “The plan recommends minimizing development in the park, and recognizes that while some of the existing infrastructure can be used, many of the buildings are in poor condition and do not meet public safety and risk management requirements.”
The issue of whether dogs should be allowed to run free in the park — or allowed there at all — proved to be contentious during the year-long consultation process, with some calling for off-leash areas to be established and others calling for dogs to be banned outright.
For reasons of environmental protection and respect and safety of all park users, the plan recommends that dogs be kept on-leash in the park at all times.
The plan also recommends working to find other off-leash areas in the vicinity of the park.
The plan has some high priority items to implement within the first few years, include developing a feasibility study for the building of a long house with the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation; adding interpretive signs and adding more benches and picnic shelters throughout the park. It also calls for improvements that would allow the park to be used year-round and for the removal of any structures deemed to be unsafe.
The Regional Parks and Trails Select Committee will review the draft plan on Dec. 4 and consideration for approval of the plan by the RDN Board is anticipated in January.
Visit the Recreation and Parks webpage at rdn.bc.ca/moorecroft, email moorecroft@rdn.bc.ca or contact Wendy Marshall, Manager of Parks Services, at 250 248-3252 or 1-888-828-2069.