Official Community Plan - 11.2 OBJECTIVES and 11.3 POLICIES (Environment)
Detailed policy framework for environmental protection, habitat enhancement, and hazard mitigation.
11.2 OBJECTIVES
11.2.1 BALANCED GROWTH AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION
Continue to find balance between development opportunities and protecting the Town’s distinct natural beauty to ensure these valued natural assets are thoughtfully maintained.
11.2.2 PUBLIC SAFETY AND HAZARDS
Mitigate public safety risks associated with natural hazards, including flooding, tsunamis, landslides, wildfires, and earthquakes.
11.2.3 TERRESTRIAL AREAS, NATURAL SHORELINES AND WATERCOURSES
Protect and restore sensitive terrestrial areas, watercourses, and shorelines to preserve their long-term ecological and hydrological functions and continue to recognize their contributions toward overall community health, recreation, and climate resilience.
11.2.4 URBAN FORESTS
Identify, protect, and enhance the Town’s urban forest and tree canopy to support ecological functions, biodiversity, climate resilience, community health, and economic growth.
11.2.5 FIRST NATIONS LAND STEWARDSHIP
Collaborate with the Xʷsepsəm and Songhees Nations to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into environmental planning, actively support and engage in the stewardship of their traditional territories, and formally acknowledge cultural heritage values, including archaeological and culturally significant sites.
11.3 POLICIES
11.3.1 GENERAL
A. Encourage residents, businesses, schools, and community groups to get involved in conserving the health of the natural environment. Community-based initiatives such as the following are encouraged: i) Habitat restoration and monitoring; ii) Construction of community gardens; iii) Habitat clean-up days; and iv) Tree planting programs.
B. Collaborate with the federal and provincial governments, the Capital Regional District, other municipalities, Xʷsepsəm and Songhees Nations, schools, and local organizations to strengthen local and regional resilience against natural hazards, conduct community engagement and public education related to emergency management, and develop and distribute environmental conservation and community stewardship information to the public.
11.3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION
A. Develop strategies to protect and conserve the long-term health and sustainability of important terrestrial, aquatic, and riparian ecosystems, species of concern, and environmentally sensitive areas as shown on Maps 12 and 13. Protection and conservation strategies may include: i) Development Permit Area designations; ii) Parkland acquisition at the time of subdivision or rezoning; and iii) Application of Section 219 covenants to prohibit development.
B. Prioritize land acquisitions and/or granting of Section 219 covenants to conserve, protect, and restore natural areas for the future.
C. Consider the management of natural assets that provide municipal services through the Town’s Asset Management Program.
D. Advocate for the management of natural assets, such as natural green space and watercourses, within the Town’s boundaries that provide non-municipal services.
E. Continue to identify, review, and designate environmentally sensitive areas as Development Permit Areas in Part 6 to ensure that these lands are adequately protected from new development.
F. Support adaptive ecosystem management, evidence-based decision making, and the procurement of current information and datasets to inform ecosystem and urban forest management in View Royal.
G. Ensure the protection of aquatic habitat, riparian ecosystems and shorelines. Protection and conservation strategies should be in accordance with the current Riparian Area Protection Regulation.
H. Limit resource extraction, agriculture, and related uses north of Thetis Lake Regional Park and ensure that any resource extraction activity does not threaten the long-term integrity of the natural environment.
I. Pursue a collaborative approach to environmental conservation and management by partnering with the federal and provincial governments, the Capital Regional District, Xʷsepsəm and Songhees Nations, and local organizations to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment in View Royal.
J. Partner with Xʷsepsəm and Songhees Nations to learn and incorporate Indigenous stewardship practices into View Royal’s environmental restoration and conservation efforts.
K. Explore opportunities to limit pet access and activities that have detrimental impacts on environmentally sensitive areas and natural areas.
L. Consider opportunities to manage resident access to environmentally sensitive areas and natural areas by providing defined access opportunities that protect native vegetation and do not harm the health of ecosystems.
M. Consider opportunities to reduce or ban the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins like microplastics.
N. Explore opportunities to undertake further studies and research to identify initiatives that can contribute to enhancing air quality in the community (i.e., prohibiting woodburning stoves), while also supporting the Town’s goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
11.3.3 HABITAT PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT
A. Identify opportunities to establish new, and protect existing, nature and wildlife corridors that facilitate the movement of wildlife and greater biodiversity across View Royal through the pursuit of a wildlife corridor study.
B. Acknowledge the role of trees within the road right of way in providing habitat for species and acting as wildlife corridors.
C. Continue to protect, restore and enhance habitats and ecosystems that support migratory, rare and endangered species, and species at risk as shown on Map 12, and address threats to biodiversity, such as invasive species, disease, and climate change.
D. Where development is proposed and an existing wildlife habitat area is present on a site, an application must demonstrate how the area will be enhanced or how a net benefit will be added to the site through development. Supporting documentation from a Qualified Environmental Professional demonstrating the improvement is required.
E. Protect the integrity of watersheds and riparian areas to preserve biodiversity, support healthy habitats, and mitigate flood risk.
11.3.4 WATERSHEDS
A. Work collaboratively with the Capital Regional District, neighbouring municipalities, Xʷsepsəm and Songhees Nations, and other organizations to protect and enhance local and regional watersheds and the Capital Regional District Gorge Waterway Initiative.
B. Support the implementation of the Capital Regional District’s watershed plans for Millstream Creek, Hospital Creek, and Craigflower Creek.
C. Identify opportunities to daylight channelled watercourses and culverts, where possible.
11.3.5 URBAN FOREST
A. Pursue the protection and enhancement of View Royal’s urban forest in alignment with the Urban Forest Strategy (2025) while maintaining public safety and mitigating risks from natural hazards, including wildfires.
B. Continue to identify, explore, and understand the role of the Town’s urban forest, and its relationship with the Town’s parks, urban spaces, active transportation network, and open spaces.
C. Continue to identify and explore the complex role that the Town’s urban forest has in ecology, the natural environment and its many systems, climate change mitigation, the economy, and the community’s well-being and health.
D. Continue to build, enhance, and increase the Town’s urban forest, to achieve a 30% canopy coverage target for the Town by 2045, in alignment with the Town’s Urban Forest Strategy.
E. Consider opportunities to protect and retain trees that are affected by development, where possible, and explore the possibility of relocating affected trees, or undertake alternative methods of development and construction.
F. Support and encourage the protection of trees that contribute to the Town’s natural and cultural heritage through implementation of the Urban Forest Strategy (2025) and the Tree Protection Bylaw.
G. Enhance the pedestrian transit service experience by prioritizing the installation of new boulevard and shade trees and identify opportunities to protect existing trees within 400 m of a prescribed frequent transit stop, along highway, arterial and collector roads in the Town.
11.3.6 VEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING
A. Protect existing and plant new climate adaptive native plants and trees in alignment with the Tree Protection Bylaw, Urban Forest Strategy (2025), and Development Permit Area Guidelines through the pursuit of educational programs, incentives, and regulations.
B. Actively promote the removal of invasive vegetation and species to restore natural habitats and educate the community about their responsibility to remove invasive species on their property.
C. Consider opportunities to plant climate adaptive native plants and trees on municipal lands. Exceptions may be allowed for seasonal projects, such as hanging baskets and targeted annual gardens.
D. Consider establishing landscaping standards for public and private lands that considers current and anticipated climate stresses that may impact the viability of certain vegetation and tree species.
E. Integrate the use of FireSmart Landscaping practices including promoting the use of fire-resistive plants and trees, and avoiding the use of highly flammable vegetation.
11.3.7 NATURAL HAZARDS RISK MITIGATION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PRACTICES
A. Continue to designate lands susceptible to natural hazards (e.g. wildfire, tsunamis, floods, steep slopes greater than 30%), as Development Permit Areas to protect the public and development from potential threats to safety.
B. Consider integrating FireSmart principles into Town policies, regulations, and practices.
C. Utilize FireSmart practices for new development, as described in the FireSmart Residential Development Guide and FireSmart Home Development Guide.
D. Support the FireSmart Education Program and FireSmart Library Program with local schools.
E. Review and implement recommendations from the Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan.
F. Continue to assess, monitor and educate on vegetation structure ignition, and where possible, continue to reduce risk to homes within the community.
G. Improve urban resilience to wildfire threats through programming, educational opportunities, and adaptive design.
H. Work to prioritize emergency access and egress routes to areas within the community and ensure they are properly maintained in the event of a natural hazard such as flooding, tsunamis, landslides, wildfires, or earthquakes.
I. Consider the provincial Flood Hazard Area Land Use Management Guidelines in the preparation of land use planning policies, regulations, and bylaws, where subdivision and development in flood-prone areas are proposed.
Made revisions to the following policies to provide the Town with some flexibilities if current and future policies or programs change to avoid inconsistencies with the OCP:
- 11.3.7(B) - replaced "integrate" with "Consider integrating"
- 11.3.7(D) - replaced "Continue to maintain" with "Support"
- 11.3.7(H) - added "Work to"
J. When considering land use and planning decisions where a concentration of high-value or high population density uses are proposed or exist, consider a 2.0m global sea level rise (approximately 200 years) relative to the year 2000 sea level.
K. Protect public safety from risks posed by development on steep slopes and in or near flood hazard areas.
L. Identify flood-prone areas as special planning areas with tailored flood plain construction levels, policies for risk mitigation, infrastructure adaptation and emergency preparedness.
M. Promote climate-resilient development by encouraging elevation of structures, use of non-combustible and flood-resistant materials, and incorporation of green infrastructure.
N. Support managed retreat or land use transition in areas where long-term flood risk is incompatible with continued development.
O. Support the identification and mapping of community assets and infrastructure that are susceptible to natural hazards, including municipally owned buildings, roads, and bridges. Explore options to enhance the resilience of these assets and infrastructure to mitigate possible negative effects.
P. Collaborate with the Capital Regional District, Province, Crown Corporations (i.e., BC Hydro), and private service providers (Fortis BC, Telus, Shaw, etc.) that provide or operate key infrastructure in the Town, such as roads, communications, gas, electricity, to identify and map the location of these assets, to be able to identify and understand the risks from natural hazards.
Q. Continue to promote and educate residents on the use of WestShore Alert to notify residents of natural hazards such as flooding, tsunamis, landslides, wildfires, earthquakes, and major storm events.
Managed retreat is the strategic relocation of people and structures, often accompanied by ecological restoration and a permanent change in land use in support of decreasing the vulnerability to natural hazards and flooding in light of climatic shifts due to climate change.
Land use transition refers to the gradual change of land use from one use to another over time in support of an intended outcome, such as ecological and hazard resilience.
