Knox Mountain Park Management Plan 2011 - City of Kelowna

CITY OF KELOWNA COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY
2.0 INTRODUC TION
The 2011 Knox Mountain Park Management Plan (“the
Management Plan”) guides the overall direction for Knox
Mountain Park over the next 10 to 15 years. The Management
Plan provides sound guidance for park managers within the
City of Kelowna and seeks to engage community partners and
individuals in efforts to achieve the Vision for the park.
The Management Plan is a strategic, forward-looking document
that provides an integrated and sustainable approach to park
planning. It is designed to sustain and improve the environmental
health of Knox Mountain Park for future generations while
enhancing visitors’ experiences within the park. The
Management Plan provides a framework for investment in
environmental conservation and reversing environmental
degradation, investment in the park’s recreational attributes,
and investment in improvements that draw attention to the
park’s natural and cultural features and the surrounding
landscape of the Okanagan Valley.
Solid groundwork for the 2011 Management Plan was set in 1999
through the preparation of the first Management Plan for Knox
Mountain Park (Companion Document 1: 1999 Knox Mountain
Park Management Plan). Since that time, the park boundaries
have been significantly expanded (and although the 1999 plan
embodied a similar values framework for Knox Mountain Park as
the plan within, the update provides an opportunity to breathe
new life into the goals and objectives set by the 1999 plan and
to establish current priorities for implementation). The updated
Management Plan benefits from what we have learned since
the 1999 plan was prepared, including the rich knowledge of
current environmental conditions in the park, the information
and direction of studies and plans completed since 1999 and the
insights of today’s park users and the public. The Management
Plan responds to current pressure on the park from park users
and is proactive in planning for the higher volumes of users
anticipated in the future.
Two parkland acquisitions have occurred since 1999 (i.e. a
1.2 hectare parcel in Magic Estates, and a 81.5 hectare parcel
around Kathleen Lake). The City owned parcels 23 and 24 on
Grainger Road (74.14 ha) have also been designated as parkland.
A range of tools are drawn upon to make the Management Plan a
reality. The City of Kelowna, as the property owner, and ultimate
manager and steward, retains the primary responsibility on
behalf of the citizens of Kelowna to manage park infrastructure,
operating and maintenance spending, and to create and enforce
operating regulations. Through the Management Plan process,
the City has sought input from stakeholder groups, park users,
and the general public on the Management Plan; as part of the
direction to implementation the Management Plan emphasizes
the key roles these stakeholders need to play as park stewards.
As individuals and groups these stakeholders have the potential
to participate in semi-annual meetings, in educational outreach
activities and in the restoration and monitoring of the park’s
ecological health.
KNOX MOUNTAIN PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN
may 2011
5