Stanley Park:
Two Decades of Stewarding Vancouver’s Urban Jewel
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A Proven Track Record
In 2006, Stanley Park experienced a catastrophic windstorm that led to the blowdown of approximately 10,000 trees across 48 hectares. This event posed immediate safety concerns and long-term ecological challenges, necessitating a comprehensive response. Our team was engaged to develop and execute a rehabilitation strategy to address the damage and restore the park’s forested areas.
Public safety, fire risk mitigation, and ecological restoration were the key project goals.
Comprehensive
Recovery Strategy
The recovery plan included several critical phases: hazard assessment, fire risk mitigation, tree removal and restoration, and reforestation. We first focused on making the park safe for the public by removing hazardous trees and clearing trails to reduce the risk of fire ignition from fallen debris.
We then focused on delivering an ecologically based reforestation strategy. First, we supervised the implementation of tree removal and clearing activities.Then we began the reforestation phase involving planting native species, such as Western red cedar and Douglas-fir, in the cleared areas to promote a healthy and resilient forest ecosystem.
Today these plantations are almost twenty years old and provide an example of ecological restoration that promotes a healthy resilient forest in the park.
Implementation and Oversight
Our team was responsible for planning and overseeing the entire project. This included developing detailed prescriptions and maps to guide the restoration efforts, as well as supporting arborists and other silviculture workers involved in the clearing and replanting processes.
Our expertise ensured that the recovery was conducted safely and effectively, with a strong focus on long-term ecological health.
Ongoing Monitoring and Adaptation
Long-Term Impact and Legacy
Diverse disturbances like fire, wind, and insects affect urban forests.
Western Hemlock Looper Infestation
The western hemlock looper outbreak in Stanley Park began around 2019, with the first signs of damage appearing in the northern sections of the park near the Lions Gate Bridge. This outbreak spread rapidly, affecting nearly the entire park by 2023, causing widespread defoliation and tree mortality.
Our team was retained in November 2022 to assess the situation and develop an emergency response plan focused on tree removal in the areas of highest use to protect public safety. Blackwell’s expertise in urban forestry and mapping outbreaks throughout the province was instrumental in assessing forest health. This combined with its expertise in assessing wildfire risk is central to responding to the western hemlock looper outbreak.
Developing a Strategic Response
In November 2022, Blackwell was engaged to create a comprehensive response plan to combat the western hemlock looper outbreak. The plan included mapping the extent of the outbreak, prioritizing areas for intervention, and recommending specific actions to mitigate the impact.
This strategic approach was essential to prevent further damage and to start the process of restoring the affected areas. In Bruce Blackwell’s almost 40 years of consulting this has been one of the most challenging projects ever undertaken due to the high use of the park, and the heightened risk of public safety.
“Restoration efforts must consider biodiversity and climate resilience.”
Collaboration with First Nations ensures cultural values are respected in forestry projects.
Integrated Pest
Management and Restoration
The response involved a combination of removing severely affected/dead trees to limit the chances of a large-scale future outbreak. Our restoration efforts focused on creating a more resilient forest structure by planting a mix of Western red cedar, Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, and Red alder, along with Pacific yew for its cultural significance to Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
This diversified approach aimed to restore ecological balance and enhance the park’s resilience to future western hemlock looper outbreaks and potential wildfire.
First Nations
Collaboration
For every step of the project, the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations were and continue to be engaged for meaningful collaboration. We ensured that they were in favor of tree species that were being replanted, and that we were aware of any further archaeological concerns.* Any timber with potential for cultural use was also offered to Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-waututh for their own purposes.
*The project has required protection of numerous sites of First Nations significance including some burial sites. We have followed detailed recommendations of City and First Nations archeologists to protect these culturally significant sites. Additionally, small volumes of culturally significant Western red cedar have been shared with Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-waututh