The Capital Regional District wants your input on the future on three popular parks: Roche Cove, Matheson Lake and East Sooke Regional Park.
Online surveys open to Sept. 18 ask the public how they access the parks, what changes they want to see and what may be working or not working in the park system.
The CRD is developing new management plans for East Sooke and a joint plan for Roche Cove and Matheson Lake, which are in close proximity.
As part of initial engagement, the CRD said the surveys will help CRD Regional Parks gather background information on how members use the parks.
CRD is also seeking input from First Nations, government agencies and stakeholder groups.
“These plans will provide strategic and specific management direction and will guide environmental conservation, cultural heritage management, visitor use and park development over the next 15 to 20 years,” the CRD said in a statement.
Matheson Lake Regional Park is a 156-hectare property in Metchosin acquired in 1994. It features the lake and small beach, forested hills and several kilometres of trails.
Roche Cove Regional Park was established in 1985 and comprises 162 hectares around a sheltered cove in the Sooke Basin. The park has trails through cedar forests, along Matheson Creek and to mossy hilltops.
East Sooke Regional Park, established in 1970, is the third largest park in CRD system at 1,457 hectares. It has 49 kilometres of trails through forest, marsh and fields, including a challenging 10-kilometre trail along the coast. There were about 205,000 visits to the park in 2018, making it one of the busiest in the regional parks system.
