CPRA National Conference & Trade Show • Ottawa • Ontario

September 27, 2007

Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation

Renewing the Jewel:Stanley Park and the Storm of 2006

Crisis / Opportunity

Focus on Organizational Response• Emergency management• Staffing and resources• Media coordination• Fundraising• Political and resident involvement

Stanley Park’s Forest

• about 250 hectares or 620 acres• about 150,000 mature trees • one of Vancouver’s central symbols • habitat, education, recreation

Forest History

• 1860-1886: logging• 1888: Stanley Park• 1890-1930: 100 ha converted

to rec. uses• 1935 & 1962: windstorms• 1940s, 1980 & 1989: forest

management plans

Windstorms & Damage

• three major storms

• 10,000+ trees fell

• severe damage to 15% of forest

• damage to seawall & forest trails

• escarpment above seawall destabilized

Preparing the Plan

• Elected Board

• Staff & consultant team

• Steering Committee

• Stakeholders Committee

• Community Consultation

Goals for the Restoration Plan

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

Goals for the Restoration Plan

2. Repair the park’s infrastructure so that the park

activities can resume as quickly as possible

3. Create legacies that will support the whole of

Stanley Park’s forest in the long term

Foster a Resilient Coastal Forest

a) Protect the forest floor and understory plant communities and retain as many trees and snags as possible.

Foster a Resilient Coastal Forest

b) Modify the

newly created

forest edge.

Foster a Resilient Coastal Forest

c) Remove anappropriateamount offallen treesfrom theforest floor.

Foster a Resilient Coastal Forest

d) Remove fine woody debris from areas of human activity.

Foster a Resilient Coastal Forest

e) Plant Douglas-fir,western red cedar,Sitka spruce,grand fir,big leaf maple,red alder anda variety of shrubs.

Foster a Resilient Coastal Forest

f) Brush back the understory surrounding newly planted trees for the next ten years.

Foster a Resilient Coastal Forest

g) Reduce risk of invasive plant and insect infestation within and near the blowdown areas.

Protect the Natural and Cultural Environments

a) Relocate Park Drive and parking lot away from

Prospect Point to improve drainage, visitor safety

and aesthetics.

Protect park visitors, workers and volunteers

a) Modify or remove danger

trees and hazard trees.

Protect park visitors, workers and volunteers

b) Prepare and implement a slope stabilization plan.

Repair Park Infrastructure

a) Repair

damaged

portions of

the seawall.

Repair Park Infrastructure

b) Repair damaged

roads, trails,

drainage, and

utilities.

Create Supporting Legacies

a) Enhance and augment

educational and

interpretative resources for

Stanley Park.

Create Supporting Legacies

b) Allocate fallen

trees that will

be removed

based on

a hierarchy

of needs.

Community Consultation

Responses to Phone Public

6 key questions: Survey Feedback

Forest more accessible: 48% 37%

Leave one blowdown as is: 76% 65%

Retain all views PP to TB: 9% 13%

New building / attraction: 66% 50%

Sell timber to fund forest: 85% 69%

Re-establish historical 78% 65%

tree ratio:

LEARNINGS

Enviro Due Diligence

More biologists than foresters

Negotiated uncertainty

Legislative ambiguity

Enviro Due Diligence

Job site profile Endangered plus Leave a soft footprint

Balanced Resolution

Few absolutes

Environment vs safety

Long term vs short term solution

Balanced Resolution

The pressure for haste vs due diligence Efficiency vs political correctness

Flexible Application of the Plan

Day to day on site judgement and direction

Multiple layers of inputs/incremental concensus Learn/plan as you go Fire, wind, rain, biology, machinery, archeology,

human nature

Safety

Operating a park and a restoration project simultaneously

The forestry culture

Safety Reduced economic pressure Weather, fire The public/park user – “fitness makes you stupid”

Ongoing information

Information quells rumours

Rumours create extra work

The media The park users The general public

a) The GIS information base for the park

Environmental

Cultural

Infrastructure

Progress to date: Do it Once, do it Right

b) Risk assessments

The forest

The escarpment

The seawall

Progress to date: Do it Once, do it Right

c) The sorting lot and brokerage

200 logging truck loads to date

Debris management – the logistics of scale

Progress to date: Do it Once, do it Right

d) Forestry operations

Prospect Point complete Invasives Insects

Progress to date: Do it Once, do it Right

Progress to date: Do it Once, do it Right

e) Geo tech

Escarpment crest modification

Drainage/path relocation

Bio engineering

Progress to date: Do it Once, do it Right

f) Seawall The wall: structure, porosity, damage• The paths: voids, slumpage, surface lifting

Budget

• Preparing the Restoration Plan $ 500,000• Clearing and repairing roads and trails $1,000,000• Prospect Point blowdown area $2,250,000• Other blowdown areas $1,250,000• Reforestation $1,000,000• Seawall repairs and reconstruction $1,000,000• Supporting legacies $ 750,000• Contingency $1,250,000

TOTAL $9,000,000

FUNDRAISING

Tell the Story

Fact sheets, Q & As, updates

to tell the story:

the importance of Stanley Park

what happened repair work needed financial need

…Concise, Consistent, Compelling Message

Story Tellers

• Senior government officials

• Community leaders• Media• Staff

…Involved, Support, Advocate and Lead

Transform Ideas to Donations

1. Modified existing program to provide donation opportunities - Tree Fund $150,000 raised

2. Advocated government support - $6 million raised

3. Recruited media support– 4 day telethon - over 3,000 calls and $2 million

pledged– 1 day radio campaign -

$100,000 pledged

Transform Ideas to Donations

4. Enlisted a community leader support - $1 million matching to telethon donations

5. Solicited 2 financial institutions for assistance in receiving public donations at branches

6. Supported 2 local organizations fundraising galas -$300,000 pledged

Transform Ideas to Donations

7. Worked with and transformed ideas to fundraising initiatives– loonie/toonie campaign– employee/employer

matching campaign– dedicated merchandise – % of sale

8. Benefited from over 10,000 volunteer hours

Happy Ending

Summary of Raised Revenue

A total of $9.5 million raised:

$3.5 million from individuals, corporations,foundation, community groups, fundraising events

$2.0 million from Federal Government

$2.0 million from Provincial Government

$2.0 million from City of Vancouver

Awesome Support Over 6,500 individuals and 75 organizations contributed to the restoration project:

Donation Organization/

Individual

$1,000,000 4

$250,000-$999,000 1

$100,000-$249,999 5

$50,000-$99,999 5

$10,000-$49,999 25

$2,000-$9,999 25

$2,000 Tree Fund 75

$1-1,999 6,360

Saying Thanks!

Donors are recognized• tax receipts and thank

you letters • cheque presentations and

receptions • web site profiles• annual report• donor wall in Stanley Park

Building for the Future

Maintain contact Engage/involve donors in activities Periodic reports about the project Send stewardship letters and

annual reports Provide first-hand

experience (tour site) Invite donors to stone unveiling and

tree planting ceremony (Spring 2008)

…Keeping donors informed.…Cultivating for future opportunities!