Yellowknife (Feb 13/06) - Willard Hagen has been chosen interim chairman of the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.

Already a member of the board through his role as chair of the Gwich'in Land and Water Board, Hagen takes over from Todd Burlingame on April 1.

"I agreed to serve for up to two years or until the federal minister decides he wants to make a change," said Hagen. "Two years was the amount of time left in Todd Burlingame's term."

A controversial selection as chairman, former Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Andy Scott raised the ire of many Northerners when he ignored the recommendations of the board and appointed Burlingame.

"He (Burlingame) did do a very good job," said Larry Wallace, who sits on the Mackenzie Valley board as the chairman of the Sahtu Land and Water Board.

Hagen said he is more than qualified to fill the vacant leadership job.

"If you look at the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, it's my signature on there," he said, adding the board will eventually put one to three names forward to the minister who then makes the final decision.

"Traditionally the candidates are drawn from the board," said Hagen. "The last time was the first time we looked outside and the minister went with his own candidate."

A committee has been struck to re-examine this idea before the next names go forward to Scott's replacement, Minister Jim Prentice.

"I don't know why we get so much attention," said Wallace. "What we do is really quite geeky."