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UBCM Award for Leadership and Innovation

Vancouver Park Board | The Stanley Park Storms: Crisis to Opportunity


Vancouver Park Board | The Stanley Park Storms: Crisis to Opportunity Summary

Summary

In December of 2006 a devastating windstorm struck Stanley Park, levelling more than 40 hectares of forest, causing extensive damage to its Seawall, and closing one of the main roads into Vancouver. For the first time in over 40 years the entire park had to be closed. This crisis presented incredible challenges but also unexpected opportunities. The breadth of destruction made it evident that the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (Park Board) could not address the crisis with its existing staff and financial resources. The Park Board was able to harness the considerable public outpouring of concern for the park and effectively channel it into financial and in-kind support that would make the restoration achievable. Governments, organizations, businesses and the public contributed funds to restore the park while staff set out to enlist the help of experts. Creative partnerships were formed and leaders from a broad range of fields were recruited to assist in developing and implementing a restoration plan. Eighteen months later, Stanley Park is well on its way to recovery and the organization has learned important lessons on topics ranging from forestry to fundraising that will have long-term benefits and value. In the future, the Park Board, as well as other organizations and agencies, can apply these approaches to similar challenges.


Vancouver Park Board | The Stanley Park Storms: Crisis to Opportunity Page 1

Stanley Park and the 2006-2007 Windstorms

Stanley Park is Vancouver’s oldest, largest and most popular park and a National Historic Site. Stanley Park’s forest is one of its central features. On December 15, 2006, the biggest windstorm in more than forty years roared through Vancouver, causing significant damage to Stanley Park. This was followed by two major windstorms on January 5 and January 9, 2007. As a result of the storms:

• approximately 10,000 trees fell (between 5% and 10% of all trees in the park); • there was severe damage to about 40 hectares (100 acres) of the forest (about 15% of the

forest) – these areas are referred to as the “blowdown areas”; • there was light to moderate damage to another 40 hectares (100 acres) of the forest (about

15% of the forest); • portions of the seawall between Prospect Point and Third Beach were significantly damaged; • there was significant damage to Siwash Rock Trail and Merilees Trail between Prospect Point

and Third Beach; and • the escarpment above the seawall between Prospect Point and Third Beach was weakened,

causing several landslides. Immediately after each windstorm, the Park Board closed most or the whole of Stanley Park for safety reasons: for four days after the first windstorm, for one day after the second and for three days after the third. After each storm, Park Board crews cleared fallen trees and removed or modified hazard trees from park roads, pathways, forest trails and public gathering places. Over 7,000 individuals and corporations rallied and donated $3.5 million to restore the park. The City of Vancouver, the Provincial government and the Federal government contributed $2 million each toward the restoration project, bringing the total funds to $9.5 million. Money remaining once Stanley Park has been restored will be used to sustain and support Stanley Park for future generations. This includes setting aside a small blowdown area as a demonstration site, developing historical and cultural interpretive signage and creating a long-term forest management plan.

Stanley Park Restoration Plan

A community consultation process was undertaken during February and March 2007 to assist with the preparation of the Restoration Plan, which benefited from input by Park Board staff, consultants, industry and academic experts, and volunteers with a wide range of knowledge and experience. Restoration activities were guided by the Stanley Park Restoration Plan, which was approved by the Park Board on April 16, 2007. Three goals were established for the restoration of the park:

1 Establish and maintain conditions in the blowdown areas that will foster a resilient coastal forest with a diversity of native tree and other species and habitats, using methods and equipment that protect the environment, park visitors, workers and volunteers;

2 Repair the park’s infrastructure so park activities can resume as quickly as possible; and 3 Create legacies that will support the whole of Stanley Park’s forest in the long term.

Protection

It was important that all restoration work be done in a manner that protects Stanley Park’s natural and cultural environments, as well as park visitors, workers and volunteers. The first step was to create an inventory of park features, which involved experts in forest ecology, arboriculture, biology, and archaeology and required hiking through the blowdown areas, flagging



features that needed to be protected or retained, and recording their location with a ‘global positioning system’ (GPS) unit. For the habitat of species at risk, multiple visits were required to determine the presence of these species. All information was mapped on a computerized aerial photograph of the park using a ‘geographic information system’ (GIS). The second step was to create detailed work guidelines (or prescriptions) for each blowdown area, taking into consideration environmental and human features needing protection. These prescriptions guided forest crews detailing where fallen trees were to be removed or left in each blowdown area. They identified the precise location on a map of environmentally sensitive areas and archaeological resources and, in some cases, specific time periods during which forest crews could not work. The third step was to monitor and assist forest crews as they were working in the blowdown areas. This ranged from the site supervisor ensuring all workers were aware of features that were flagged (e.g. a snag or an archaeological resource) near their work zone to having experts (e.g. arborists, biologists) brought in to work side-by-side with the work crews. Following is a list of specific actions taken to protect environmental, cultural and human resources. Protecting the forest floor and understory plant communities

A series of measures were instituted to achieve this objective, including: • designating certain areas with intact forest floor, understory plant communities and trees as

protected zones; • using machines specially adapted to minimize soil disturbance; • laying down temporary access routes made with broken branches so that heavy equipment

would not travel directly on the forest floor; about 20 of these temporary access routes were created and, once the work was done, removed;

• ensuring that the fallen trees were lifted clear off of the ground before moving them rather than dragging them across the forest floor.

Protecting environmentally sensitive areas and the habitat of species at risk

Biologists from the Stanley Park Ecology Society, Parks Canada and the BC Ministry of Environment assisted in defining environmentally sensitive areas and the habitat of species at risk in and near the blowdown areas. Biologists surveyed the blowdown areas for the five endangered or threatened species that might be present: Streaked Horned Lark, Western Painted Turtle, Marbled Murrelet, Pacific Water Shrew, and Peregrine Falcon (anatum). Two seasonal streams were identified as environmentally sensitive areas and designated as protected zones. In addition, the bog-like terrain in some blowdown areas was identified as potential habitat for the Pacific Water Shrew and special measures were drafted by biologists to allow work crews into these areas while minimizing disturbances. Also, the vast majority of work in the blowdown areas was timed to avoid the spring nesting season for birds. Retaining as many trees and snags as possible

Several thousand trees and snags survived the windstorms in the blowdown areas, although many were damaged. About 75% of these trees and snags were retained, although this figure varies from blowdown to blowdown. Many trees that were retained were modified to improve their chance of survival or to reduce the risk they posed to workers and/or the public. Retaining an appropriate amount of fallen trees on the forest floor

A target of between 80 and 120 tonnes of fallen trees and stumps per hectare on the forest floor (typical of a West Coast forest) was set and has been achieved in all blowdown areas.



Protecting the forest next to the blowdown areas from future windstorms

Newly exposed trees at the edge of the blowdown areas are typically unstable but can be stabilized by a process called windfirming (selectively thinning branches on a tree and occasionally removing the crown of a tree). Trees were assessed by experts and specialized forestry workers climbed more than 2,000 trees, removing selected branches using chainsaws. Protecting archaeological resources

The key archaeological resources to protect were Culturally Modified Trees (CMT). A CMT is a tree modified by First Nations prior to European contact – for example, by stripping of bark or by sampling to establish suitability for canoe making. An archaeologist flagged CMTs and all, save one which was a hazard to workers and the public, were protected. Reducing the risk of having a major forest fire

To reduce the risk of having a major forest fire: • A comprehensive forest fire protection strategy was developed and implemented, including

fire prevention suppression measures. • Work crews collected small woody debris (often the ignition source of a forest fire) found

within five meters of both sides of trails and roadways and within the blowdown areas, and shipped it to a central location in the park, where it was ground into chips. More than 12,000 cubic meters was removed from the park.

• Work crews installed temporary water lines to the two largest blowdown areas and watered high risk areas during hot summer days.

There were a total of five fires requiring a fire department response during the 2007 fire season. All were spotted early and extinguished before they caused significant damage. Reducing the risk of having an insect infestation

There is a higher risk of insect infestation during the first summer after a major windstorm because the large quantity of fallen trees on the forest floor provides good conditions for attracting and breeding insects. Insect traps were installed in various locations and were monitored by UBC entomologists every three weeks over the summer months. Fortunately, an infestation did not occur. Protecting park visitors, workers and volunteers

Every effort was made to protect park visitors from falling trees/branches, unstable trail conditions and landslides by closing off high risk areas along the seawall and forest trails. Staff from WorkSafe BC assisted in providing a safe work environment for staff, consultants, contractors and volunteers. Only one work related injury was reported and the injury was not considered serious, with the forestry worker returning to work within one month.

Restoration

A goal of the Restoration Plan is to foster a resilient coastal forest with a diversity of native tree and other species and habitats, allowing the forest to heal and become stronger and healthier so that future disturbances do not have devastating effects. To support this goal a series of steps were followed in the blowdown areas.

• Remove dangerous trees • Remove an appropriate amount of fallen trees from the forest floor • Distribute the fallen trees that will be removed based on a hierarchy of needs



• Plant a diversity of native trees and shrubs • Brush back the understory surrounding newly planted trees for the next ten years • Reduce risk of invasive plant infestation

Remove dangerous trees

Several thousand trees and snags survived the windstorms in the blowdown areas. About 25% of these were removed because of the high risk they posed to workers and/or the public. Remove an appropriate amount of fallen trees from the forest floor

About 75% of fallen trees were removed from the forest floor, permitting tree planting and reducing the risk of fire. About 5,500 logs have been removed from since July 2007. Distribute the fallen trees that will be removed based on a hierarchy of needs

The 5,500 logs that were removed were brought to a storage site in Vancouver. The Restoration Plan recommended distributing the fallen trees based on a hierarchy of needs:

• First Nations needs: about 40 to 50 cedar logs will be given to the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

• Institutional / government needs: projects being considered include the new Trout Lake Ice Rink and a longhouse for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

• Private needs: hemlock and lower grade timber is actively being marketed and sold, with net revenue being placed in the Stanley Park Forest Restoration Fund.

Plant a diversity of native trees and shrubs

The Restoration Plan recommended planting a diversity of native trees, including Douglas-fir, western red cedar, Sitka spruce, grand fir, big leaf maple and red alder. About 20,000 trees were planted. Brush back the understory surrounding newly planted trees for the next ten years

To ensure the survival of newly planted conifers, which could otherwise be out-competed for sunlight by hemlocks, invasive plants and deciduous brush, ongoing brushing is planned. Reduce risk of invasive plant infestation

Invasive plants (e.g. English ivy, Himalayan blackberry) could hinder the re-establishment of newly planted trees. Park Board staff and the Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) will monitor for invasive plants and take appropriate action if necessary. SPES will focus on expanding the existing volunteer program to remove invasive plants from the park.

Enhancement

As the storm-damaged areas are rebuilt, the Park Board will construct them to enhance Stanley Park for the long term. The key enhancements are described below. Slope stabilization for the area between Prospect Point and Third Beach.

The storms resulted in a series of landslides along the steep slope that runs from Prospect Point to Third Beach, which has a history of landslides. The debris and trees that fell blocked the seawall, which was immediately shut down for public safety reasons. With an extended seawall closure, additional slope stabilization work could be undertaken. Trees, soil and rock that were likely to fall down over the next 10-20 years were removed. Plants and shrubs that grow well on steep terrain and provide good soil stability were planted. Drainage improvements were made where soils typically become overly saturated during winter months.



In total, about 40% of the 2 km segment between Prospect Point and Third Beach was modified and made more stable. Landslides should decrease for the foreseeable future, increasing the safety for seawall users and reducing the frequency of seawall closures. Repair and/or reconstruct damaged portions of the seawall.

Portions of the seawall were damaged by trees falling from above. The seawall was immediately closed for safety reasons and reopened in late 2007 after work on slope stabilization, debris removal and basic repairs to the asphalt surface were completed. However, the storm’s powerful waves have washed out material under the seawall walkway and created voids, which can weaken the surface and the strength of the stone wall itself. Sections of the seawall require further structural work in 2008, including strengthening the exterior wall where reinforcement is necessary. Repair and/or reconstruct damaged forest trails.

The Siwash Rock Trail, which connects Prospect Point with Third Beach at the top of the bluff overlooking the seawall, was the trail most damaged by the storm. Several segments of the 1 kilometre trail were lost to landslides, while others were on terrain that was no longer stable. About 60% of the trail has been moved upland to more stable soil and built with a better drainage system. The trail now has fewer hills and can accommodate maintenance and emergency services vehicles, thereby improving safety for park visitors. Relocate Park Drive and parking lot away from Prospect Point.

Prior to the December 15, 2006 storm, a heavily used perimeter road (Park Drive) and a parking lot were very close to the viewpoint at Prospect Point. The location created issues with poor drainage patterns (which added to escarpment stability problems above the seawall) and poor traffic safety and congestion. Because a forested area about 100 meters away from Prospect Point was blown down during the windstorm, an opportunity arose to relocate the road and parking lot. The blowdown area will accommodate a new road and parking, allowing the existing ones to be naturalized. Plans including additional walking paths and landscaping, an enhanced viewing area, and a larger plaza area were approved by the Park Board in December 2007. Construction is underway and finishing road work and landscaping work on the former road will be completed in 2008.

Upcoming Work

A significant amount of work has been accomplished since the windstorm. Items remaining include: • Building a boardwalk along portions of Cathedral Trail; • Adding educational and interpretative resources in Stanley Park, including the possibility of

building a permanent interpretative centre; • Updating Stanley Park’s 1990 forest management plan; and • Setting up a legacy plan to support Stanley Park for future generations.

UBCM Award for Leadership and Innovation – Photos

Vancouver Park Board | The Stanley Park Storms: Crisis to Opportunity Photo 1

Stanley Park before the storm



Aerial view of a blowdown area in Stanley Park (January 11, 2007: 2 days after the final storm).



Clearing the road near Prospect Point, which was completely blocked by fallen trees and debris.



A split cedar narrowly misses the Lord Stanley Statue near the Georgia Street entrance to Stanley Park.



Staff clear a road so they can assess damaged areas of Stanley Park.



The public continues to enjoy the seawall while damaged sections are restored.



Stanley Park worksite safety meeting.



General Manager accepting a donation for Stanley Park restoration.



Tour of damaged areas of Stanley Park for Restoration Fund donors.



Seawall re-opening in November 2007.



Tree Planting in March 2008.

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