![Updated - Province approves $60M forest tenure transfer from Canfor to Interfor](https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/1605/files/2019/07/BC-Forest.jpg)
The B.C. Government has approved a $60-million forest tenure transfer of cutting rights in the North Thompson from Canfor to Interfor.
Canfor offered to sell its cutting rights after it shut down its mill in Vavenby last summer, and local governments had been waiting since the fall for a decision from the Ministry of Forests.
The government says forestry workers, contractors and First Nations in and around Clearwater, Vavenby, and Adams Lake will benefit with this forest tenure transfer.
“Under the previous government, companies could trade tenure like they were hockey cards, and the people impacted were often the last to find out – even when it resulted in the loss of hundreds of jobs,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, in a statement.
“Our government brought in changes so that the needs of Indigenous Nations, workers and communities would have to be considered before a transfer would be approved. The official Opposition voted against those changes. That says a lot about where their priorities lie, which isn’t with rural communities in B.C.”
As part of the tenure transfer, Canfor will create a $200,000 legacy fund in the District of Clearwater. In addition, it will also give $150,000 over five years to the United Way and will provide $500,000 in funding to the Wells Gray Community Forest.
Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell says time was ticking both for forest companies and their employees, noting that companies generally like to start most of their early spring-summer cut in January.
He says he’s hoping that that Interfor has started doing some of that work behind the scenes.
“I’ve heard that Canfor has kept a lot of their planners on board as well to help with that transition in the last little while so I’m hoping that they can hit the ground running and put people back to work as quickly as possible,” he told NL News.
He says the months that followed after the closure has been a struggle in his community as food bank usage was up 49 per cent just last month alone.
“A lot of people in this town that have trucks and have log contracting businesses have left town to go work elsewhere temporarily,” noted Blackwell. “When you watch your bank account start to drain out because your are not working, that was a huge concern. So the longer this went on the more stressful it becomes.”
Meanwhile, the MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson Peter Milobar says he is relieved to finally see a decision noting its disappointing that it took Forests Minister Doug Donaldson several months to make a decision.
“I think people are happy to know that there’s a bit of certainty with what’s going to actually happen with the tenure space moving forward,” said Milobar.
“And now it will be awaiting commentary from the various parties whether or not this was what they were expecting to have happened or if there was something different at the eleventh hour thrown into the mix.”
Milobar says its also good to see that Canfor will have to create a legacy fund in Clearwater and make donations over several years.
The two licences being transferred today have a combined allowable annual cut of approximately 349,000 cubic metres per year. This includes approximately 164,500 cubic metres per year from Tree Farm Licence 18 and approximately 184,500 cubic metres per year from replaceable forest licence A18688.
“Transfer of these tenures provides a stable wood-fibre supply for the Adams Lake sawmill and Interfor’s Adams Lake division that will help those operations continue to provide jobs in the region for years to come,” said Ravi Kahlon, the Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, Lands, and Natural Resources.
The province says Interfor will also be required to continue discussions with secondary and value-added manufacturers in the North and South Thompson on log purchasing and wood-fibre supply agreements. The company also has to also work with displaced employees on further job opportunities.
This is the second forest tenure transfer approved by Minister Donaldson, the first being a transfer between Hampton and Conifex in Fort St. James last fall.
– With files from Colton Davies and Jeff Andreas