Earlier this spring, CFB Esquimalt fenced off large parcels of Macaulay Point Park to protect .

Now, the City of Victoria is seeking input into a much more ambitious restoration plan for the Dallas Road bluffs, which is also home to the plants, the dense-flowered lupine and purple sanicle.

The city has known about the existence of these rare species for a while, but was spurred to action in 2009 when a section of the bluffs slumped, or collapsed, said Todd Stewardson, VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 manager of parks construction and natural areas. Around the same time, the city was contacted by the federal department in charge of protected species and learned it was responsible for protecting this critical habitat.

B次元官网网址淲e werenB次元官网网址檛 entirely sure what they meant, because it varies with each species,B次元官网网址� Stewardson said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no clear, stock answer that goes from coast to coast.B次元官网网址�

The city enlisted the expertise of consulting engineering firm Kerr Wood Leidal.

More than two years later, it has a $6-million, five-year action plan to stabilize the bluffs and restore native vegetation by clearing invasive species and limiting recreational use in sensitive areas.

B次元官网网址淏y following this plan, the city is undertaking the kind of stewardship weB次元官网网址檙e looking for,B次元官网网址� said Ken Brock, head of protected areas and stewardship for the Canadian Wildlife Service. B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 require a local government to do it. If, however, protection is not in place, there is the option to put a federal regulation in place that will provide that protection. But we vastly prefer a stewardship-first approach.B次元官网网址�

The challenge for the city will be to slow the erosion without halting it completely.

Bluffs erode naturally, without interference from human forces, and some native species-at-risk require erosion to thrive.

B次元官网网址淭hey only grow on slightly eroded soils,B次元官网网址� Stewardson said.

Hard infrastructure, such as a retaining wall, isnB次元官网网址檛 up for consideration, he added. Instead, the city will plant strategically to let root structures do the work of slowing erosion.

The consultant also suggests a strategy called beach nourishment.

When waves lap the shore, they pull away at the beach, drawing sand, pebbles or other materials into the ocean, Stewardson explained. B次元官网网址淭he idea is to actually replace that beach material B次元官网网址� so the ocean has something to pull back and B次元官网网址榝eed on,B次元官网网址� so to speak.B次元官网网址�

Building up the beach in this way would slow erosion of the bluffs B次元官网网址� but itB次元官网网址檚 one of the most costly elements in the action plan, he said.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 something that as staff, weB次元官网网址檙e still chewing on.B次元官网网址�

Before the city makes such a big investment, staff also need to get a handle on the scope of the erosion problem. Previous reports from the 1970s through the B次元官网网址�90s have estimated it is receding anywhere from 0.01 to 0.1 metres per year.

B次元官网网址淗ow much do we need to slow it down?B次元官网网址� Stewardson asked.

Over at Macaulay Point, habitat restoration has so far consisted of $50,000 in fencing, paid for by CFB Esquimalt.

Whether Victoria city council will have an appetite to spend $6 million for habitat restoration in a time of fiscal restraint is the next question.

Coun. Chris Coleman, who represents the James Bay neighbourhood bordering the bluffs, said there is merit to the plan. While the city absolutely needs to do more to protect the bluffs, he said, Coleman admitted feeling some sticker shock at the price tag.

B次元官网网址淚f you allocate more money to an initiative on its merits, then what are you choosing not to be involved in?B次元官网网址� he asked.

Stewardson, however, says work will continue on the bluffs, whether or not the department is given extra money. Some of the project costs are already built in to the annual parks operating budget, such as money for the removal of invasive species.

The bluffs will simply move up this priority list. The $6 million is a B次元官网网址済rand wish list,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 budgeted for it, because up until now we had no idea how much this is going to cost.B次元官网网址�

rholmen@vicnews.com

Up next

B次元官网网址� The city will present its plan to the Fairfield community for input. The date for the public consultation has yet to be set. Check for updates.

What are bluffs?

A bluff is a steep cliff or bank.

The Lekwungen name for the bluffs is Heel-ng-ikum, meaning B次元官网网址渇alling away bankB次元官网网址� according to First Nations research done by consultant Dave Murray of Kerr Wood Leidal.

The waterfront bluffs that run along Dallas Road are part of a broader Garry oak ecosystem, marked by a Mediterranean climate, loose soil and a relatively treeless maritime meadow, said Ken Brock, head of protected areas and stewardship with the Canadian Wildlife Service.

B次元官网网址淭hese ecosystems occur B次元官网网址� every once in a while, all the way down the West Coast of North America,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hat weB次元官网网址檙e seeing is the northern extent of this ecosystem B次元官网网址� It just kind of pokes its nose into Canada here.B次元官网网址�