Coats Millstone Management Plan

Extracted text (beginning)

Coats Millstone Nature Reserve 
Property Management Plan 
Gabriola Island  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PREPARED BY 
Madrone Environmental Services Ltd. 
Duncan, BC 
 
APPROVED BY 
Islands Trust Conservancy Board on October 5, 2021 Resolution ITC-2021-041 
 Gabriola Historical & Museum Society on February 22, 2022 
Nanaimo Area Land Trust on January 26, 2022 
 
 
 
 

 
Coats Millstone Nature Reserve Management Plan 2021 Page 1 of 51 
i. Executive Summary 
 
Islands  Trust  Conservancy  acknowledges  and  respects  that Gabriola Island  is  within  the 
traditional  territory  of  Coast  Salish  Peoples, Cowichan  Tribes,  Halalt  First  Nation,  Lyackson 
First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, SEMYOME (Semiahmoo) First Nation, Snuneymuxw First Nation, 
Stz'uminus  (Chemainus)  First  Nation  and  Ts'uubaa-asatx  (Lake  Cowichan)  First  Nation. The 
historical relationship to the land, culture, and spirit of this place continues to this day. Islands 
Trust  Conservancy  is  committed  to  honouring  the  rich  history  of  Indigenous  stewardship  in 
the lands and waters of the Islands Trust Area and to building mutually respectful relationships 
between    Indigenous   and   non-Indigenous   partners    in    conservation.    Therefore,    this 
Management Plan for the Coats Millstone Nature Reserve is a living document that will evolve 
as opportunities for knowledge sharing arise and understanding grows
1
. 
 
The  Coats  Millstone  Nature  Reserve (CMNR) is  a relatively  small  (0.25  ha) site  of  unique 
historical value, with potential to provide high ecological values to a multitude of species. The 
property is an old sandstone quarry encompassing benches and cliffs sloping to the northwest. 
There are about 30 millstone pools on the rocky shelves on the eastern side of CMNR, which 
provide historical value to the site, as they represent the industrial history of Gabriola Island. 
The property is in the Coastal Douglas-fir moist maritime (CDFmm) biogeoclimatic zone and 
varies  in  structural  stage  due  to  disturbance  from  quarrying in  the  early  20
th
 century. The 
upper and mid portions of the property are steep and dry (except the millstone pools), while 
the lower portion of the property has deeper, moist soils. 
 
Wildlife  species  were  assessed  under  the  lens  of potential critical  breeding  habitat. This 
provides  management  efforts  a  focus  toward areas  directly  related  to  the  reproductive 
success of documented species of conservation concern. Species of conservation concern with 
confirmed, or future potential critical breeding habitat in CMNR include the Northern Pygmy-
owl, swarthi subspecies   (Glaucidium   gnoma   swarthi),   Band-tailed   Pigeon (Patagioenas 
fasciata),  Evening  Grosbeak  (Coccothraustes  vespertinus),  Northern  Red-legged  Frog  (Rana 
aurora), and the Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas).  
 
Ecological succession over the next number of decades will move this area into a designation 
of  hi

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