The Mayor of Clearwater says his community was a guinea pig in the new tenure transfer process under Bill 22, after the approval of the forest tenure transfer in the North Thompson from Canfor to Interfor last Friday.

“You know, I wouldn’t want to wish this on anybody, this process. Hopefully, the government has figured out how to speed it up for any future transfers,” said Merlin Blackwell.

“However, I’m kind of glad that it happened for us after Bill 22 and not before Bill 22.”

That’s because Blackwell says there is $850,000 in community benefits coming to his town, something he told NL News he is glad to see.

“There’s also the $200,000 for us at the District of Clearwater, $150,000 for the United Way, and $500,000 towards the Wells Gray Community Forest,” he said. “There’s some transfer of tenure hopefully to the Simpcw First Nation and our community forest. I mean, none of that would have happened before Bill 22.”

The new tenure transfer process under Bill 22 has now seen two approvals – the other being a transfer of tenure from Conifex to Hampton Lumber in Fort St. James.

BC’s Parliamentary Secretary for Forestry, Ravi Kahlon, previously told NL News that this Canfor to Interfor forest tenure transfer strikes a good balance for all of the affected communities.