Parksville council will wait on a staff report about the implications of the inclusion of the Parksville Wetlands as a core area in the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region "zonation".
Coun. Syliva Martin, council liaison to Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute (MABRRI), moved that council write a letter of support for the request from MABRRI to include the wetlands in the MABR zonation within the UNESCO-designated site.
“Our wetlands are very important to all of us and so I would like to have that support,” Martin said during council's Sept. 4 meeting.
Coun. Joel Grenz asked if Martin had information about what implications the designation would incur for the City of Parksville such as obligations, responsibilities, limitations and limitations.
“I’m uncomfortable supporting this at this time. I would like to ask if we could ask for a report from staff instead of just giving say an endorsement of this designation," said Mayor Doug O'Brien, who asked if the director of planning and building, Blaine Russell, could provide more information.
Russell said the wetlands are registered as a park within the city and there are a number of provincially regulated environmental features on the property.
“It’s not an item that’s going to be developed in any way,” he said. “Where more information would be helpful is, my understanding is it becomes a core area of an ecological preserve and the question for the city, I think in looking into this, will be does that preclude public enjoyment of said — or to what extent may it impact that public enjoyment."
Martin changed her motion to instead refer the matter back to staff for more information. It was approved unanimously.
