McKee Peak is a unique gem of nature in Abbotsford that is under immediate development pressure. A Public Hearing was held on March 6th to decide on the adoption of the McKee Neighbourhood Plan bylaw amendment. Now, we wait to hear Mayor and Council’s decision on March 27th.
If you love nature, and you feel that the needs of nature must be fully incorporated during the development planning process, your voice is still needed! Learn more about this important area and how you can help below.
The City of Abbotsford has created a Neighbourhood Plan for McKee Peak at the western end of Sumas Mountain. The future development will create homes for 20,000 people within 769 hectares, which is largely undeveloped and forested. It contains numerous streams, wetlands, and waterfalls, and provides habitat for wildlife, both common and rare.
The plan will have a huge impact on the forests, the wildlife that live there, and the beloved trail system used by outdoor enthusiasts from all over.
FVC Habitat Protection Committee
The area is heavily forested, with the highest percentage of tree canopy cover in all of Abbotsford.
Significant amounts of mature trees and soil will be negatively impacted – forests are nature’s best way of mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The trees, soil, and streams absorb and slow rain water before it enters the floodplains below.
Once removed, the beneficial services these established forests provide to the community will be lost forever.
Large tracts of habitat will be lost. The plan proposes to leave habitat hubs connected by narrow corridors to be used by the wildlife to live and move about. This will negatively impact their survival and increase human conflict.
Animals, both big and small – everything from bears and cougars to mountain beavers and frogs – will be forced to survive in these restricted spaces.
Further habitat fragmentation will occur during development, through the building of roads and detention ponds. This will reduce the limited function of these areas even more.
This area is considered a biodiversity hot spot by experts.
The unique geological conditions that created the spectacular views, caves, and water features also support a variety of species unlike anywhere else in the Fraser Valley.
The loss of biodiversity, in areas such as this, is contributing to our global extinction crisis.
Madrone Environmental Services Ltd. Report to the City of Abbotsford, 2006
Click on the actions below and pick the one that works best for you.
Get email updates on the McKee Neighbourhood Plan, public hearings, development applications, and more ways you can Speak for the Peak!
If you want to know more, you can follow this link to read the full McKee Neighbourhood Plan proposed by the City of Abbotsford.
Go here to see the whole planning process to date.
Questions can be directed to Mitch Comb, Senior Planner at the City of Abbotsford 604-864-5540 mcomb@abbotsford.ca
Check out our latest video exploring the McKee Neighbourhood Plan maps on our YouTube page! Let Joanne walk you through most important things you need to know about the plan’s lack of balance for the environment.
We have also outlined our five topics of concern with the plan in our McKee Neighbourhood Plan Response Info Guide.
Use the links within it to learn more about how the forests, climate, habitat, diversity, and hydrology will be affected.
Watch Joanne walk you through the McKee Neighbourhood Plan maps in detail below!
Joanne Neilson, FVC Executive Director
Send an email
