The 800-hectare Kimberley Nature Park is operated by the Nature Park Society through a License of Occupation over the land granted by the provincial government to the City of Kimberley. This spring the Province offered the City a 30-year renewal of its License of Occupation for the Nature Park on the condition that the Park management plan be updated.
The original Management Plan was written in 2001 when the first License of Occupation authorized the use of the area for conservation, recreation and educational purposes and required that a Management Plan be created to guide the development of the Park.
A draft version of the revised plan has now been posted to the Nature Park website at http://www.kimberleynaturepark.ca/plan2.htm
This Management Plan was created to ensure that the stewardship of the Kimberley Nature Park protects the flora and fauna that inhabit it, provides significant recreational opportunities for the community, and respects the wishes of residents of Kimberley and the Province of British Columbia.
It provides a framework for ongoing planning, policy-making, bylaw creation and fieldwork to ensure that the Park remains an asset for the community in perpetuity.
There are two main goals, managing the park for conservation and for human use and under those goals are various sub-categories such as controlling invasive weeds, fire management, developing educational programs and adding parking.
Unique areas such as Sunflower Hill, Myrtle Junction, Eimer's Lake and the Williamson's Sapsucker Wildlife Habitat Area are given special consideration.
If you have any comments, questions or concerns about the new version of the plan please contact Kent Goodwin at jkgoodwin@shaw.ca