The promises and representations by the CRD for an environmental assessment of Island View Beach Regional Park

The CRD is now in its 5th year of trying to draft a new management plan for Island View Beach Regional Parks.   See: http://www.friendsofislandviewbeach.com/lurching-towards-a-new-park-plan.html

The CRD released a draft plan in 2013 that contained blatant false statements, and in an email of November 14, 2013 we said to the Parks Chair and others:

"The other thing you need to be aware of, is that despite all this time, and all the money spent, there is no accurate, detailed and mapped inventory of the ecology in the park, showing what is special, where it is, and what if anything needs doing to protect it.    This should be the starting point for a park plan - engage the public with that inventory, put temporary signs up identifying the special species and you'll bring the public on side."

At the May 21, 2014 Regional Parks meeting, CRD staff made a report, promising that:

 Step 1 of the public participation work plan would focus on providing factual technical and scientific information about the natural environment found in the park.

Regional Parks committed to the public that it would work with the public to exchange information, ideas and concerns

And that Step 1 would be an environmental assessment of the park that would
     Provide factual technical and scientific information about the natural environment found in the park.
     .  Regional geographic setting
     . Natural features of the Park:
          - Ecosystems
          - Terrain, hydrology
          - Species at risk (flora & fauna) 

Eight months later, the CRD published on their web site their environmental assessment and stated

"CRD Regional Parks presented scientific information and sought public knowledge on the natural history, coastal processes, ecosystems and habitats, and species of interest found within the park. This will help ensure that as CRD Regional Parks moves forward with preparing the management plan, scientific information about the natural environment is being used to discuss how the regional park should be managed."

At a presentation to Central Saanich Council on January 26, 2015, CRD staff stressed their claim that their environmental assessment was "scientific" - saying that three times in one power point slide alone - and stating that the environmental presentation was "very important because it presents information on the park's natural environment, which will contribute to Steps 2-4 of the process" [of the park plan].   See here