Little Mountain Preservation Project
Mt. Shannon, Chilliwack North
The Little Mountain Preservation Project is a grassroots initiative aimed at preserving one of the last remaining private forested areas in North Chilliwack.
Little Mountain also happens to be within a 10 minute bike ride for over 40,000 people living in Chilliwack Proper.
Our goal is to work with the City of Chilliwack to transform a combination of city and private land into an urban forest park that all can enjoy for generations.
To become part of the Little Mountain Preservation Project, donate today and write to your city council / MLA. To learn more about our plan, who it benefits and where your donation goes, keep reading below.
For donations requiring a tax receipt, please contact us directly.
Photos by Jenna Hauck, Courtesy of The Chilliwack Progress
How We Got Here
There is an old forest in Chilliwack that very few people know about. Within this wooded area are some of the best trails to explore nature, to breath, to ride, to hike, and to wander. Located on "Little Mountain" (Mt. Shannon), it is the LAST and ONLY urban forest on the north side of Chilliwack. And it is mostly privately owned.
Little Mountain Preservation Project is raising funds to buy this land in cooperation with the City of Chilliwack to preserve this forested green space for a future park. This project includes protecting what is left now: the trees, the trails, the land, the wildlife, and it’s connecting pathways. This project is bringing people of all generations together with nature, educating each other. Preserving this forest now and conserving it for the future is what propels the Little Mountain Preservation Project.
A group of residents in the the surrounding community have come together with their concerns for this land, which is scheduled for development. In December 2019, clearcutting started on a parcel covering 30% of the forested area. By February 2020, not one tree was left standing. The City of Chilliwack has minimal tree protection bylaws, in contrast to Vancouver and Surrey.
This part of Little Mountain’s Forest was home to its oldest trees, the biggest, and the tallest. Now they are gone. Seeing these magnificent trees disappear motivates us to protect what remains.
Aerial image of Little Mountain and surrounding urban areas.
Chilliwack residents Anne Russell and Daryl Rose (1993). Courtesy of the Chilliwack Progress.
The land between this new construction area and Chartwell Drive has recently been sold. Will this area be clearcut as well? Will a connecting road bring more traffic from both sides of the mountain?
These questions are not new - Anne Russell and Daryl Rose, long time residents of Little Mountain, successfully advocated for the preservation of this forested area almost 30 years ago. At that time, preserving areas for an urban forest went against the grain of a pro-development community (see headline).
Today we have a much better understanding of how the creation of nature parks can significantly impact mental health in a positive way.
The Plan
The west and north faces of the mountain are owned by both the City of Chilliwack and private land owners. There is a significant area on the outer edges of the mountain where development is difficult, and where the city has already conceptualized a green belt in their 2020 Greenspace Plan.
The Little Mountain Green Belt concept utilizes the remaining undevelopable areas of private land around the North, West and South faces of the mountain. Note that the development in the middle of the map has already begun. The large area west of the development (to the north and east of area 3 - City Property Reservoir) is part of two parcels of land that our group aims to raise money to purchase for City parkland.
Image Source: City of Chilliwack 2020 Greenspace Plan
The initial concept for the park includes multiple access points, an accessibility trail, viewpoints and a trail network for both walking & biking.
The concept takes into account protected habitat areas of he Oregon Snail and other protected or important animal / plant species integral to the ecosystem.
Initial Park and Trail Network Concept (LMPP / CPS)
By acquiring portions of the private land, the Chilliwack Park Society aims to facilitate creation of a connected urban forest park with walking and biking trails for families, seniors and school field trips. Our Society has already created two well used parks in the Eastern Hillsides, Chilliwack Community Forest and Lexw Qwo:m Park. Chilliwack Park Society is a non-profit that "promotes and maintains parks and trails in and around Chilliwack, and advocates for physical activity outdoors. We strive to shape our community into the outdoor destination it has the potential to be."