Metro Vancouver will be gathering more feedback on a new plan that includes the Delta Nature Reserve.
The regional district recently provided another update on an engagement process for a new management plan for the nature reserve next to Burns Bog and the Delta South Surrey Regional Greenway.
Metro staff last year completed a background report and the first phase of engagement, which showed strong support for protecting the ecological value of the lands as well as a desire for more educational opportunities, improved access and additional park amenities.
Initial engagement with First Nations has determined that a cultural study should be completed for a next step as part of a broader engagement with Indigenous communities, the regional district noted.
A draft management plan will be brought to the Metro board in 2023, ahead of a second phase of public engagement.
The plan is to include portions of the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area east of Highway 91.
Working with the City of Delta, Metro’s new plan is to guide decision-making for the park lands and greenway over the next 20 years.
The regional district noted, considering these areas of parkland together, will create a more cohesive plan that ensures coordinated resource management and integrated visitor experiences.
“The Delta Nature Reserve is part of the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area and has long been identified as a key component of the bog lands to be open to the public. Nearby portions of Burns Bog east of Highway 91 include a large paved area, previously used as a peat plant. Both areas have opportunities for habitat protection and enhancement as well as recreation and education,” the regional district explained last year.
Running along the eastern edge is the future route of the Delta South Surrey Regional Greenway extension, a multi-use trail and greenway corridor.
The first phase of the greenway currently runs from Mud Bay in the south to 64 Avenue at its northern end. Along the way it provides connections to the Boundary Bay dyke trail in Delta, Mud Bay Park and Joe Brown Park in Surrey as well as Watershed Park in North Delta.
The future extension of the greenway would be from 64 Avenue north to the Alex Fraser Bridge, and potentially to the Fraser River, Metro added.
The regional district also noted the planning area does not include the vast area of the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area west of Highway 91, which will remain closed to the public.
In 2020, the regional district received 50 per cent ownership and assumed operational control of the nature reserve from Delta.
