Waterfront reserves urged as part of Jordan River area land sale

The zoning of much of Western Forest Products' land now up for sale between Sooke and Jordan River would allow homes to be built on four-hectare lots, blocking off waterfront traditionally used for recreation.

The forest company is selling 2,300 hectares of land formerly included in a tree-farm licence. The parcels were first put up for sale in 2007, sparking community outrage and an attempt by the Capital Regional District to rezone the land to allow only much-larger lots.

Now, community groups and area residents, who have spent the past three years begging the province to protect areas such as the Jordan River waterfront, Sandcut Beach and the area adjacent to Sooke Potholes Regional Park, are furious that Bill Bennett, Minister of Community and Rural Development, is refusing to step in.

Bennett told the Times Colonist that, in a time of budget cutbacks, government has no appetite for spending taxpayers' dollars on acquiring private land.

Gordon O'Connor, forest campaigner for the Dogwood Initiative environmental group, said the provincial government "created this mess" by removing forest lands with enormous social and economic value from public oversight. Companies that put their private lands into tree-farm licences, with higher logging standards, were given access to Crown timber in that TFL.

O'Connor said buyers of the Western Forest Products lands should be aware of the controversy. "All potential buyers should know the community does not intend to allow their forests to be bulldozed for reckless development."

Meanwhile, Capital Regional District staff hope buyers look at alternatives to one house per lot, such as protecting important areas in return for development options. "Someone may propose something that involves a rezoning and then there could be parkland in exchange for different densities," said Bob Lapham, CRD general manager of planning.

CRD staff will meet Monday with sales company Colliers International to identify regional interests.

But the district's position remains that it wants the province to assist in acquiring some of the area as parkland, Lapham said.

Jeff Ward, CRD manager of planning and resource management development, said the parcel next to Sooke Potholes has been identified as having regional park potential, since it's an important link to complete the Sea to Sea Green-Blue Belt.

The area from Jordan River to French Beach has also been earmarked, but is not yet included in the parks master plan, Ward said.

Steve Frasher, president of Western Forest Products, said he knows the CRD is interested in some parcels, adding the company is willing to give the CRD time if necessary.

Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Keith Martin, who has a private member's bill in the works calling on the federal government to extend Pacific Rim National Park Reserve down the coast of Vancouver Island to Jordan River, said the province should offer the company a land swap.

Land between Jordan River and Port Renfrew could be swapped with a similar-sized piece of land in the Interior for Western Forest Products to log, he said.

"They should see this as an incredible opportunity to protect critical habitat and build an incredible legacy for future generations," Martin said.

Shirley resident Terri Alcock said she's frustrated that government has not acted during the past three years.

"The waterfront will be sold to people from elsewhere because it will be too expensive for locals. There will be million-dollar houses occupied for maybe two months of the year," she said.

"The average person who might want to come out here and enjoy nature is not going to be able to get at it. It just doesn't make any sense."

Half the land mass of Shirley is now up for sale, she said.

A major worry is what will happen to community watersheds when land is sold, especially as there is already a water shortage in the area, with wells running dry in summer, Alcock said. "No one is talking to us about protecting our watersheds and it's one of the big issues."