VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will conduct a limited-scope compliance audit of stand-level biodiversity practices and block reserve management by BCTS and two forestry licensees in the North Island Natural Resource District, beginning Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. The audit area is within the North Island Timber Supply Area, extending from Brooks Bay to Port McNeill and encompassing the northern portion of Vancouver Island that is subject to the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan. Port McNeill and Port Hardy are the principal communities in the audit area. The audit will examine the practices of BC Timber Sales’ Seaward-tlasta Business Area, North Island Community Forest and Western Forest Products. Auditors will review harvest planning and on-the-ground practices and reporting, including the establishment and management of wildlife tree-retention areas (WTRAs), to determine compliance with legal requirements. …The audit area overlaps the territories of numerous First Nations. It includes areas covered by the Maa-nulth and Tla’amin modern treaties.