The federal government has launched its initiative to plant two billion trees in 10 years with an investment of $3.16 billion. The announcement followed a report by The Canadian Press, which uncovered that as of November 2020, “not a single dime” had been allocated to the 2019 election promise.

According to The Canadian Press, the pledge for two billion trees would add to the 600 million already planted each year in Canada, which means that over the nine years left to fulfill the campaign promise, the government has to plant at least 37 million more a month.

The government’s plan will get trees in the ground starting this spring in urban areas across Canada. When completed, the initiative will reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 12 megatonnes by 2050. In the meantime, it will create up to 4,300 jobs.

“Canadians want cleaner air, cleaner water, and good, secure jobs when we recover from the pandemic,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “Planting two billion trees is an important part of our government’s plan to do just that. These trees will absorb pollution, clean our air and water, and help communities adapt to the effects of a changing climate.”

According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN), this approach will increase the amount of trees being planted in both urban and rural areas across the country by 40%. In 10 years, the additional two billion trees will cover over 1.1 million hectares, an area twice the size of PEI.

The December press release stated: “There is no path to net-zero emissions that does not involve our forests. Planting trees is a natural climate solution that reduces emissions while providing other benefits such as improved air and water quality, particularly in urban settings, decreased risk of wildland fire to rural communities, and support for biodiversity.”

“Planting two billion trees is more than a plan for climate action. It’s a plan for creating thousands of good, green jobs,” Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources stated. “We’re confronting the urgency of climate change and getting trees in the ground.”

Yet, the task will be difficult. The tree planting process takes several years. The December news release said the process must see expanded nursery capacity, identifying and preparing available land in both cities and rural settings for adequate access and soil conditions, monitoring the health and survival of the planted seedlings, and reporting on the carbon they sequester.

Derek Nighbor, president and CEO of FPAC, said the Canadian forest sector is ready. “Each and every year, Canada’s forest sector oversees among the most robust tree planting efforts in the world. We have a tried, tested, and true network of partners and world-leading know-how right here in Canada to get large-scale tree planting done right.”

With COVID-19 as an added challenge, the project will proceed and improve upon the current tree planting programs already in place. The initiative will rely on long-term partnerships to carry out the full tree-planting plan. These will include partnerships with Indigenous organizations and communities; provincial, territorial, and municipal, and Indigenous governments; forest industry companies and associations; farmers and agricultural stakeholders; programs and organizations with established tree planting programs; corporate and philanthropic organizations with an interest in supporting large-scale tree planting and greening initiatives; and others.

In a February press release, NRCAN stated that the government is launching two initiatives to seek information on organizations with immediate access to land or trees and those who are interested in collaborating on tree planting initiatives to help Canada realize its 10-year target: future participants and early start projects.

The press release seeks potential future participants to share their vision and capacity to contribute to large-scale, single- or multi-year tree planting projects across Canada. The information received will help facilitate collaboration with various partners on future tree-planting projects. Response forms will be accepted until May 27, 2021 at 5:00 pm (EDT).

The government is also accepting expressions of interest from potential early start project to help identify new, shovel-ready tree planting projects across Canada for the 2021 growing season. Eligible organizations must demonstrate that they have access to trees and land as well as proven capacity and experience in delivering large, cost-shared tree planting projects that would result in at least 5,000 new trees this year. This includes monitoring tree survival and reporting on project outcomes starting this spring, while adhering to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Organizations have until March 25, 2021, at 5:00 pm (EDT) to submit their expression of interest.

More information on the initiative can be found at www.canada.ca/en/campaign/2-billion-trees.html.

“Canadians take pride in our forests,” Sudbury MP and NRCAN Parliamentary Secretary Paul Lefebvre stated in an op-ed for the Sudbury Star.“ After all, our national flag is a maple leaf. We are the second biggest country in the world, and more than 35% of our land mass is made up of forests. To put that in perspective, that is nearly equal to the size of all three Canadian territories combined – Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.”

He added: “For decades to come, generations of Canadians will recognize the importance of this initiative. Our country, our planet, and our kids and grandkids will be better off because of it.”