Conservation

On April 4, 1996 the Government of British Columbia established the 1,528 hectare park featuring the 47 km Juan de Fuca Marine Trail converted from a rugged life saving trail following Victoria’s 1994 commonwealth games (Purpose Statement and Zoning Plan, 2003)..The goals of establishing the park covers various aspects of environment and human use with a primary objective of protecting the shoreline along the Salish Sea and the habitat of cougars, black bears, otters and seals from Sooke to Port Renfrew (Purpose Statement and Zoning Plan, 2003). The park features recreational sites for campers and day users alike such as trails, bridges, pit toilets and camping platforms at beach access sites (Info, 2015). In addition to  the park aims of protecting environment, cultural sites of the Ditidaht and Pacheedaht first nations are also protected, correlating with the first treaty negotiation between the Ditidaht and the government in 1996 (Ditidaht First Nation and Pacheedaht First Nation Amended Framework Agreement, 1997). This protection includes shellfish middens, marine harvesting areas, a summer village site and a sacred waterfall at Sombrio beach. Though the park was implemented for conservation, the recreational impact as a popular destination for hikers, campers and surfers has caused park management issues. With increased use, trampling of species such as barnacles in tidal areas and over harvesting of shellfish and plant life by recreational and commercial harvesters diminish biodiversity (Purpose Statement and Zoning Plan, 2003). Additionally the sacred waterfall was recently featured in Island Times Magazine, attracting tourists who have damaged natural features of the waterfall by carving into the sandstone walls (Naylor, D. 2014). While the park was implemented to conserve the environment and habitat, the increase in recreation use has the potential of environmental and cultural harm.

Through the Juan de Fuca strait, there is heavy tanker and vessel traffic and the strait serves as a gateway for vessels to the Pacific Ocean and to main dockyards in Victoria and on the mainland in Vancouver. The waters here are rated at “very high” risk of oil tanker spillage by the recent government commissioned risk analysis report.