Yard Creek Provincial Park Management Plan Draft January 2010
Yard Creek Provincial Park Management Plan Approved by: telàlsemkin/siyam/chief Scott Benton Bill Williams Squamish Executive Director ation Parks and Protected Areas Division Date
Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction... 1 2.0 Values and Roles of the Park... 1 Significance in the Provincial Protected Areas System:... 1 Values:... 1 Role:... 3 3.0 Management Direction... 3 3.1 Management Interests:... 3 3.2 Zoning... 4 3.3 Management Objectives and Strategies... 5 4.0 Plan Implementation... 5 Appendix I Table of Appropriate Activities and Facilities... 6 Figure 1: Regional and Provincial Context... 2 Figure 2: Zoning and Park Map... 5 Yard Creek Provincial Park Management Plan Draft July 2009
1.0 Introduction This management plan will guide the management of Yard Creek Provincial Park into the foreseeable future. The 175 hectare Yard Creek Provincial Park is located on the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy. # 1) between Sicamous and Revelstoke (Figure 1). Yard Creek Provincial Park was established as a 59 hectare Class A park on March 16, 1956 for the purpose of providing a campground for the travelling public on the Trans-Canada Highway. As an outcome of the Okanagan Shuswap Land and Resource Management Plan, another 116 hectares were added to the park in 2004 under Schedule C of the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act, adding a strong conservation component to the park s role. This management plan was prepared by the Thompson Region of the Ministry of Environment. During the development of the draft management plan, the region has requested specific input from adjacent municipalities and local First ations. 2.0 Values and Roles of the Park Significance in the Provincial Protected Areas System: Yard Creek Provincial Park is a relatively small park that protects spawning habitat for bluelisted westslope cutthroat trout and salmon species, as well as riparian and wetland habitats. It is also the first provincial campground encountered by travellers coming from Alberta on the Trans-Canada Highway. Values: Yard Creek Provincial Park partially protects the provincially significant spawning areas for the most westerly located natural population of the blue-listed westslope cutthroat trout, Oncorhyncus clarkii lewisi. The park includes spawning habitat for three species of salmon (coho, chinook, sockeye), including kokanee, and is general habitat for bull trout, rainbow trout and steelhead. The park also protects low elevation valley bottom wetland and river riparian habitats of the Eagle River floodplain. Of cultural value, the site was formerly the location of a Japanese internment camp, though there is no known remaining on-site evidence or relics left from this time. The park has a five kilometre network of hiking and cross-country skiing trails on the north side of the highway to provide for visitor activities and nature appreciation. There is some minor regional day use to watch spawning trout and walk or ski along the existing trail system. 1
Figure 1: Regional and Provincial Context 2
Yard Creek Provincial Park is essentially the only provincial park campground on Highway 1 between Kamloops and the Alberta border, and is used as a stopover by the public traveling on the highway. Operation of the 65 unit campground and day use area was transferred to the Columbia Shuswap Regional District in 2004 through a park use permit. BC Parks ceased to operate the site due to decreased campground use, with the campground and day-use areas subject to closure until the Columbia Shuswap Regional District decided to take over the operation and financing of this site. Some angling takes place, primarily on the Eagle River, and an angling guide utilizes the park under park use permit. Role: Yard Creek Provincial Park s role is divided between protecting conservation values and providing for recreation. The original use as a campground and day-use recreation area remains, with an added role in protecting important riparian habitat and associated fish species on Yard Creek and the Eagle River floodplain. 3.0 Management Direction 3.1 Management Interests: Yard Creek Provincial Park key management interests and concerns are summarized as follows: Additional effort should be applied to completing inventories of flora, fauna and important aquatic habitats; Management of potential impacts to fish habitat and water quality, especially Yard Creek, particularly from activities on adjacent lands. ; Management of invasive weed species; Management of widespread disease that is affecting hemlock, creating potential hazard trees and public safety issues; Management of a long-standing trespass by ranchers on the east side of Yard Creek; and, Management of the long-standing use of a corral by a rancher for temporary cattle holding while being transferred to and from pastures. The park contains parts of three traplines that pre-date the 2004 park addition, where trapping will continue. A drainage ditch from Highway 1 to the Eagle River in the south-west portion of the park will be allowed to be maintained on an as-needed basis. The following zoning, and management objectives and strategies address the above interests and maintain the described values and roles of the park. 3
3.2 Zoning This management plan uses zoning to assist in the planning and management of the park. The campground and day use areas (36 hectares, or 21% of the park) are zoned Intensive Recreation (Figure 2), with the objective of providing for a variety of readily accessible, facility-oriented outdoor recreation opportunities. The remainder of the park (139 hectares, or 79% of the area), to the east of Yard Creek and to the north of the highway, is zoned as ature Recreation (Figure 2), with the objective of protecting scenic values and to provide for backcountry recreation opportunities in a largely undisturbed natural environment. This zone includes the riparian area and old-growth forest, as well as hiking and ski trails. 4
3.3 Management Objectives and Strategies This section states the chosen objectives to maintain and manage for the identified values within the park, and to manage the desired activities and expressed concerns. The type of each objective and strategy reflect categories for a high need for action (Priority), projects that can be undertaken as time and resources are available (Project), and ongoing activities to maintain relationships and monitor or manage day-to-day issues (Base). The final two columns provide performance measures to focus management activities and a long-term result, or targets to be ultimately achieved. Objectives Type To be measured by: Result Strategies Protect the park s natural values. Priority Species diversity. Presence of expected species. Weed inventory is complete and part of the regional weed treatment plan. Ensure implementation of the plan and control of the weeds. Base Weed mapping of observed locations. Decrease in extent of weeds in park. Inventory important habitats and assess potential impacts and implement monitoring where necessary (e.g., riparian spawning habitat). Work with forest companies and the Ministry of Forests and Range to minimize the impacts of logging activities on the sensitive downstream fish habitat, especially in Yard Creek. Manage cattle trespass by continued dialogue with ranchers and placement of boundary identification markers along the eastern park. Project Base Base umber of focussed inventory projects. Input into forest stewardship plans. Park signs erected; rangers notified Manage the park s recreational values Priority Awareness of activities. Annual removal of hazard trees to Base Annual hazard protect public safety. tree assessment. Maintain the existing trail system to allow continued visitor use. Allow use of corral to continue under park use permit and encourage rancher to find alternative facility. Base Base 4.0 Plan Implementation Ongoing trail assessment. Park Use Permit; discussion with rancher. Knowledge of species within park. Best practices outside of park to maintain fish habitat and water quality. Continued presence of healthy cutthroat trout populations in Yard Creek. Boundaries marked and respected; cattle not entering the park. Traditional recreational uses continue. Hazard trees removed; high public safety. Trail system up to standard condition; active partnership with users. Continued temporary use of corral; long-term removal of corral. This management plan provides the direction for planning, management and development of Yard Creek Provincial Park. Implementation of this management plan is of an operational nature, with follow-through on an as-needed basis and dependent on the availability of financial and staffing capacity. 5
Appendix I Table of Appropriate Activities and Facilities Activity/Facility Appropriate in Intensive Recreation Zone (Yard Creek Park) Comment Appropriate in ature Recreation Zone (Yard Creek Park) Comments Activity Boating (non-power) /A Y o access from park Camping auto accessible Y Commercial Recreation Opportunities Y Y Exotic Insect/ Disease Control Y Y Filming (commercial) Y Y Fire Management (prescribed fire management) Fire Management (prevention) Y Y Fire Management (suppression) Y Y Fishing /A Y Fish Stocking and Enhancement /A Y Park contains small portion of river Forest Insect/ Disease Control Y Y Grazing (domestic livestock) Guide Outfitting Y Angling guide only Horse Use/ Pack Animals (not exotic) Y /A Hunting Safety - frequent park users on trails, main highway and railway present oxious Weed Control Y Y Off-road Access (non-mechanical - dog sleds, horse sleds) Off-road Access (mechanical activities) Off-road Access (motorised - not snowmobiles) Off-road Access (snowmobiling) Pack Animals (exotic) /A Recreational Gold Panning/ Rock Hounding /A Scientific Research (manipulative activities) M M 6
Activity/Facility Appropriate in Intensive Recreation Zone (Yard Creek Park) Comment Appropriate in ature Recreation Zone (Yard Creek Park) Comments Scientific Research (specimen collection) M M Skiing (other) /A Y x-country Trapping 1 2 See page 3 Facility Administrative Buildings and Compounds Y Boat Launches /A Y Campgrounds and Picnic Areas (vehicle access and serviced)) Y Campgrounds (other) Communication Sites 2 Interpretation and Information Buildings Y Roads and Parking Lots Y 2 Existing parking lot only Lodges and Other Serviced Accommodation Trails (hiking, cross-country skiing) Y Y Utility Corridors (power/transmission lines and other rights-of-way) /A Water Control Structures 1,2 2 Pre-existing drainage ditch for highway (see page 3) Y= allowed, subject to conditions identified in the interim management statement or management plan = not allowed M= may be permitted if compatible with protected area objectives. 1= allowed for expressed management purposes only 2= not normally allowed, but if present at time of PA establishment, will normally be allowed to continue 7