Mission Chamber of Commerce
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APRIL 2015
The Mission Record Friday, April 10, 2015 19
STAVE WEST MASTER PLAN for the MISSION INTERPRETIVE FOREST Recent history of the Stave West area In the 1950s the local government established Tree Farm License No.26 (TFL#26). Since that time the District of Mission has developed that resource as a working forest and a semi-wilderness playground in Mission’s back yard. Six years ago, the preliminary feasibility study for the western part of TFL#26 recognized that, developed carefully, the Mission Interpretive Forest could become “a major destination recreation area creating local employment, fostering community involvement, protecting the environment and attracting visitors to enjoy a safe semi-wilderness area close to the Lower Mainland” Today this 50 square kilometre area is still mostly unregulated for recreation use, and this has led to issues with land-use conflict and a weakened reputation. Opportunities in Stave West for the Community The Stave West Master Plan was developed with extensive consultation and collaboration with the citizens of Mission, local First Nations, Provincial Ministries and Crown Corporations, education and busi-
ness partners, and user groups and associations from across the region and British Columbia. Based on balanced social, environmental and economic principles, it builds on the potential to
environmental stewardship, and honouring culture and heritage. The Master Plan sets out a goal of transformational change for the large area directly north of the community currently identified as Stave
held by the District of Mission and referred to as “Stave West”) has been an evolution and collaboration of many efforts involving input and guidance from municipal and provincial levels of government,
provide a world-class tourism and recreation destination while generating jobs and economic development for the District of Mission and local First Nations. This development is framed within the overarching themes of respect for the land,
West, Mission’s Interpretive Forest. It is in the acknowledged traditional territory of the Kwantlen, Matsqui, and Leq’amel First Nations. Developing the Master Plan for the Mission Interpretive Forest (provincial crown forestry tenure
local First Nations, user and educational groups and several others including the Chamber of Commerce. Looking at this area to expand and enhance regional tourism, forestry and natural resource industries was identified as a top regional prior-
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ity by the community, business and First Nations during the provincially supported North Fraser Regional Economic Investment Pilot. Ideally, the Stave West Master Plan is intended to be a road map to guide future developments and opportunities in areas of recreation, cultural tourism, education, forestry, economic and environmental stewardship that promotes partnership and working in collaboration to ultimately balance and respect the various interests at play in this region. It is recognized that the potential of planning and partnership that can be established at Stave West, with its foundations in this Master Plan, between the province, the District of Mission, First Nations, user groups, educational partners, and others is significant with the potential to be precedentsetting in British Columbia, particularly with respect to collaborative and sustainable land use planning and development. The Stave West Master Plan will be presented at a special public meeting of the District of Mission Municipal Council on Thursday April 16 from 7 to 9pm at the Mission Leisure Centre.
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