I think the majority of people value sustainability and conservation. Here is the poll results done by an independent polling company as part of the development of the CVRD parks and greenways plan. It shows that 76% of people are willing to increase their taxes by $20 per year to fund purchase of land for parks... go to the link below and check out page 4 for the results. David then provides this link to the full report (it's a PDF, but thankfully you don't have to download it). I've copied and pasted the survey report highlights here (page 3? - the report isn't paginated so I'm guessing). |
Highlights
- The first question residents were asked was whether they would support a new property tax to help buy parkland in the Comox Valley. Reactions are divided. Specifically, 39% say they support the idea, 42% say they are opposed, while 16% say it depends on the tax amount and 3% are undecided. Opposition tends to be more strongly held than support, with 32% “strongly opposing” the new tax versus 19% who “strongly support” it.
- This strong initial opposition is most prominent among residents who are infrequent/non- users of the existing parks and trails in the CVRD (i.e. 47% of those who use the parks/trails less frequently than once or twice a month are strongly opposed versus 32% in total).
- Regardless of their initial support for or opposition to the new property tax in response to the first question, if the proposal to buy parkland proceeds, the majority of residents (76%) say they would be willing to pay $10 per year in additional taxes for this purpose. At a yearly increase in taxes of $20, 67% of residents are on board, but at an additional $35 per year in taxes willingness to pay is 39%. One-quarter of residents are not willing to pay any increase in taxes to allow the District to buy parkland.
- Current park/trail usage is highly correlated with the willingness to pay additional taxes to allow the District to buy parkland. Not surprisingly, the more frequently residents use the parks and trails the greater their willingness to pay additional taxes to fund the purchase of more parkland.
- From a list of six types of parkland, residents put top priority on the protection of rare ecosystems (such as Garry Oak meadows, sand dunes, wetlands, mature forests or wildlife corridors). Specifically, 30% of residents say protecting rare ecosystems is the most important priority and 54% in total think it is at least of some importance.
- The next most important priority for residents is new trail corridors (like a trail from Royston to Cumberland), with 18% prioritizing this over other types of parkland and 46% giving it at least some level of importance.
- Of the least importance to residents are special recreation features (like the climbing area at Comox Lake or the swimming area at Stotan Falls).
- While there is no clear consensus on the issue, residents tend to lean towards a park acquisition approach that ensures that the majority the parkland purchased by the District has trails and is open and accessible to the public. Currently, 45% want the majority of parkland acquired to have trails and be open to the public, while 26% think that the majority of parkland acquired should have limited recreation opportunities and no or few trails to protect sensitive ecosystems. Another 16% want all parkland acquired to have trails and be fully accessible to the public. Residents who initially opposed the acquisition of parkland by the District are more apt to want all parkland purchased to be fully accessible to the public (28% versus 6% who initially supported the proposal).
- A large number of residents use parks and trails in the Comox Valley Regional District on a regular basis – 74% use parks and trails once or twice a month or more often. Specifically, 20% use a park or trail almost daily, 35% once or twice a week, and 19% once or twice a month. 9% only use parks and trails twice every six months, 4% once a year or less, and 13% rarely or never.
Check out the full report here. Post your feedback on the Comox Valley Regional District Facebook page. Be warned: you'll have to hijack a recent post of theirs as they don't allow us to post, even when we "like" the page. CVRD's Facebook practices also mean that even if you @tag them in a post, it won't show on the CVRD "wall." Nevertheless, post your comments wherever you can, and please do use the @tag. Perhaps someone is noticing and will change this policy.
17 February 2011
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