Management Plan

The management planning process for Burns Bog began soon after acquisition of the Bog Lands.  In August 2004, a Planning Team was established with the four purchasing agencies (The Corporation of Delta, Metro Vancouver (previously GVRD), the Province of BC, and the federal government).  In January of 2005, a Scientific Advisory Panel was established to provide technical advice to the Planning Team.
Members of the Burns Bog Scientific Advisory Panel:         

• Allan Dakin, P.Eng (retired hydrogeologist)
• Dr. Richard Hebda, Royal BC Museum and University of Victoria
• Dr. John Jeglum, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (retired professor)
• Dr. Hamish Kimmins, University of British Columbia (professor emeritus, forestry)
• Dr. Geoff Scudder, University of British Columbia (professor emeritus, zoology)
• Paul Whitfield, Environment Canada
• The late Dr. Bert Brink (honorary member)
• Dr. David Bellamy (honorary member)

The Scientific Advisory Panel meets every two months with the Planning Team to give advice on hydrology, ecology, and other scientific issues relating to the management of Burns Bog.  The Panel also provided detailed advice during the development of the management plan.

The Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area Management Plan was completed in May 2007.  Many groups were consulted during the planning process, including the Tsawwassen, Semiahmoo, and Musqueam First Nations, the public, interest groups and societies, adjoining landowners, and agencies.  The Plan was adopted by The Corporation of Delta, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks, Ministry of Environment, and Environment Canada in May 2008.  See the Delta Council Report recommending endorsement of the Management Plan.

The Management Plan looks far into the future while remaining practical in the short term.  A vision for the next 100 years sees Burns Bog as a restored raised bog, while the short-term management objectives and action plans focus on what we can do today to achieve that vision.

100-Year Vision:  “Burns Bog is an internationally recognized restored bog that is naturally evolving over time into a self-sustaining raised bog ecosystem that is appreciated regionally for its public education programs and scientific research.”

Mission:  “To restore the raised bog ecosystem and maintain its integrity in accordance with the best scientific principles and stewardship practices of the time, in collaboration with the community, offering opportunities for education/interpretation, sustainable recreation and scientific research.”

A key element of the Management Plan is that it looks at Burns Bog from an ecosystem perspective.  This means that the management focus is on maintaining and restoring the ecological integrity of the bog ecosystem.  If a plan only focuses on certain species and neglects larger ecosystem processes, there is a risk of losing the ecosystem that supports the very species that one is hoping to protect.  The focus for Burns Bog is to sustain and restore raised bog processes, thereby also providing habitat for many rare and endangered bog species and plant communities.

Some actions in the management plan have a higher priority than others, due to their importance in preserving and restoring the raised bog ecosystem processes.  The high priority actions are to be completed within 5 years (by 2012).  Some of these high priority action items are listed below:

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