Forest Practices Board to audit BCTS operations near Hazelton
HAZELTON - The Forest Practices Board will audit the forest planning and practices of BC Timber Sales (BCTS) and timber sale licence holders in the Kispiox Timber Supply Area (TSA) portion of the Skeena Business Area, starting Monday, June 1, 2026.
The audit will examine harvesting, roads, silviculture, protection activities and associated planning. These activities will be assessed for compliance under the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act.
BCTS operates throughout the Kispiox TSA, within the Skeena Stikine Natural Resource District. Activities in the audit area are administered from the Hazelton Field Office.
The audit area overlaps the territories of the Gitxsan, Wet'suwet'en, Gitanyow, Nisga'a, Lake Babine Nation, Kitselas, and Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha First Nations.
The Kispiox TSA surrounds the confluence of the Skeena and Bulkley rivers and includes the Babine and Kispiox rivers. The area includes mountainous terrain, rivers and lakes that support recreation, wildlife habitat and important fish populations, including several salmon species, bull trout, Dolly Varden and lake trout.
Once the audit is complete, the board will prepare a report. Any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have an opportunity to respond before the report is finalized. The board's final report and any recommendations will be released to the public and government.
The Forest Practices Board is B.C.'s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices. The board audits forest and range practices on public lands, as well as the appropriateness of government enforcement. Auditees are selected using a modified random sampling method and are not chosen based on past performance or public complaints.
Contact:
Tanner Senko
Communications Manager
Forest Practices Board
tanner.senko@bcfpb.ca
250-889-8211 / 1-800-994-5899
