Victoria, BC– The Capital Regional District (CRD) has acquired four parcels of land totalling 9.8 hectares adjacent to Mill Hill Regional Park. These parcels contain coastal Douglas-fir forest and arbutus stands and were purchased from the Town of View Royal for $927,500.
“Mill Hill Regional Park is one of the most significant Garry Oak sites in the region and represents one of the highest concentrations of plant species at risk in British Columbia,” said Colin Plant, CRD Board Chair. “This additional land helps to complete the Mill Hill Regional Park boundary and acts as a protective buffer for some of the high value rare plant species found there.”
The Town of View Royal approached the CRD with an interest in selling these properties to the CRD for consolidation with the Mill Hill Regional Park. View Royal is planning to reinvest the funds from the purchase of this land into the acquisition of other parkland within the Town.
“This sale to the CRD simply makes a lot of sense,” said David Screech, Town of View Royal’s Mayor. “It ensures continued public ownership of open space and the long-term management and maintenance by an organization that is well-equipped to take on this responsibility – a win-win not only for View Royal’s residents, but also for those in the entire region.”
The Coastal Douglas-fir Biogeoclimatic Zone is home a significant number of species and ecosystems at risk, of which many are ranked globally as imperiled or critically imperiled. These parcels also span both the Craigflower and Millstream Creek watersheds, which play important roles in nutrient cycling, downstream fish habitat, and water management.
This new parkland was purchased through the Land Acquisition Fund. The CRD, with the support of our partners, has acquired approximately 4,800 hectares of land through the Land Acquisition Fund since it was established in 2000.
Proud to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and all levels of government to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.bc.ca.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Andy Orr, Senior Manager
CRD Corporate Communications
Tel: 250.360.3229
Cell: 250.216.5492