The SMEMP is still in draft form as of July 2012 --- it hasn't been adopted yet by City Council.

However, it potentially affects the interests of Sumas Mountain rural property owners so significantly that we felt it was imperative to share as much information as we can about the draft plan, recognizing that very little data has thus far been released by the City.

This overview is just a layman's outline, and we're providing us much as we know --- and frankly, we have been told very little so far. Here are some highlights:

• the SMEMP is a plan that's been put together by city staff. It is meant to be used by the city as it develops a vision for the portion of Sumas Mountain which it administers
  
  
• the plan has been partially developed by Stantec, an outside consultancy
  
  
• however, the SMEMP will also be used by Metro Vancouver (the former GVRD), which owns or leases a considerable land package on Sumas Mountain. It has been acknowledged by city staff that Metro Vancouver desires to acquire additional land on Sumas Mountain for park purposes, and that the SMEMP may inform their acquisition strategy
  
  
• Metro Vancouver has been consulted in the development of the plan, according to city staff
  
  
• the SMEMP is a comprehensive study which takes Sumas Mountain and carves it up into a series of wildlife corridors, buffer zones, and designated habitat areas for dozens of species of animals and plants. It includes thousands of acres of private property. If you live on Sumas Mountain, it probably covers your property
  
  
• the foundation of the plan is the claim that Sumas Mountain is a "biodiversity hotspot" --- a unique ecological zone with about 40 species at risk living on it, which must be protected
  
  
• proponents of the plan argue that it is entirely science-based, i.e. it simply identifies species at risk, where they live (or could live potentially), and labels these areas as "limited" or "zero" disturbance areas
  
  
• even if the alleged species at risk is not actually present in your backyard, it doesn't matter because your backyard could be a potential habitat for the species
  
  
• as a result, large portions of Sumas Mountain (including hundreds of privately owned parcels) would be "off-limits" to development
  
  
• what is the definition of development? Not just condos and subdivisions. Development is anything which requires a building permit. That includes building a barn, a shed, an addition to your house, etc
  
  
• not only that, but the word "development" also includes farms, agriculture, and anything that involves land clearing, soil disturbance, or tree removal
  
  
• city staff insists that development is not a right, but a privilege, which only they can grant
  
  
• although a map of Sumas Mountain has been put together by the city encompassing all of our properties and how they might be affected, no one has been able to obtain a copy of the map from the city to date, they won't release it. A low-res small copy of one of the maps was obtained through the Area H Advisory Committee (see a copy of the map here)
  
  
• rural property owners on Sumas Mountain have not thus far been consulted in the development of the SMEMP, even though their properties would be affected by this plan. City staff claims they have consulted with stakeholders (which would include Metro Vancouver, the gravel pits, the nature clubs, and the Fraser Valley Conservancy) but their definition of stakeholder does not include property owners
  
  
• a PowerPoint version of the plan states that "property owners should provide corridors connecting the Park's two flanks" --- the question of property rights comes to mind

If you're wondering how the SMEMP was developed, it is partly based on the Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory Mapping study and map which they commissioned in 2010 (here is a copy of it). In the City's "Strategic Directions - Key 2010 Initiative Accomplishments Summary" document it states the following:

CONSERVE IMPORTANT NATURAL AREAS
Key 2010 Initiative Accomplishments:

• Taara Environmental hired to complete sensitive Ecosystem Inventory Mapping on Sumas Mountain;
• Watercourse mapping was completed in Area H and Sumas Mountain;
• Fraser Valley Conservancy (FVC) working hand in hand with staff from city hall to facilitate their outreach and stewardship activities which contribute to the protection and restoration of ecosystems;
• FVC worked closely with staff as part of Sumas Mountain Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping project;
• Working on overall conservation strategy for the entire of Sumas Mountain.

As to the city's claim that 40 species are at risk on Sumas Mountain, it is important for us to know what "at risk" actually means. As to the quality of their Species at Risk data and where they obtained it, we are still trying to find that out. A portion of it likely comes from the CDC (BC Conservation Data Center) --- a joint project between the provincial government and the private sector.

What's driving all this? Part of the "big picture" for the Sumas Mountain Environmental Management Plan is that it facilitates Metro Vancouver's vision for a vast green space on Sumas Mountain. Part of Metro Vancouver's mandate is to acquire extensive land holdings in order to have more "green space" within the lower mainland.

Further to this, Abbotsford's lands adjoining the Sumas Mountain Regional Park have been turned over to Metro Vancouver, and has now been rebranded as the Sumas Mountain Inter-regional Park. Simultaneously, Metro Vancouver has also acquired extensive private land holdings on Sumas Mountain, which it says will also be used for parkland.

Additionally, the City of Abbotsford recently announced the "disposition" of several hundred acres of city-owned land on Sumas Mountain as a 99-year lease to Metro Vancouver, for consideration of one dollar.

Although it is known that Metro Vancouver is interested in expanding its land holdings on Sumas Mountain, it has not been disclosed which parcels they want to purchase, or the extent to which they plan to use Abbotsford's SMEMP map to inform their acquisition targets, although it has been reported in the newspapers that Metro Vancouver has no money to carry out its plans (see newspaper articles here and here).

There are many questions about the Sumas Mountain Environmental Management Plan, but very few answers so far. We will do our best to post our findings in the weeks to come.