Minister Wilkinson Celebrates International Day of Forests With Over 400,000 More Trees to Be Planted Across Canada Français
OTTAWA, ON, March 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Growing Canada's forests and improving their health are a critical part of the Government of Canada's strategy to address and mitigate the effects of climate change. Forests are a nature-based climate solution: trees conserve biodiversity, protect and conserve water resources, and lower emissions by capturing and storing excess carbon. Planting the right tree in the right area at the right time enhances our ability to fight against climate change.
That's why the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced today more than $2.2 million in funding to ALUS to plant more than 400,000 trees on marginal farmland in 13 communities across Canada. The contribution is through the 2 Billion Trees program, which supports program recipients in planting two billion trees for a better tomorrow.
Through this project, ALUS communities will support local farmers and ranchers across Canada to plant trees on marginal farmland that's uneconomic or difficult to farm but ideal for trees. Planting trees on marginal or uneconomic farm land provides benefits to the farm, local communities, the surrounding ecosystem and Canada as a whole.
These trees will improve air quality, water security and soil quantity on land in communities across Canada. These tree planting projects have a range of positive benefits for communities and ecosystems — trees control erosion, mitigate extreme weather impacts like floods and droughts, and provide natural water filtration and retention. The trees themselves provide both carbon sequestration and cleaner air.
The 2 Billion Trees program is one of the many measures the Government of Canada is taking to restore nature. This International Day of Forests, let's celebrate the trees and forests in Canada — some of our most powerful allies in the fight against climate change as Canada works toward its climate goals and getting to net zero by 2050. Planting two billion trees across the country will help Canada's efforts to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss while providing Canadians with cleaner air where they live, work and play.
"Canada is dedicated to helping restore and expand Canada's forests from coast to coast. Trees are essential to our lives: they capture carbon, improve air quality and support wildlife, and they are important allies in our fight against climate change. Today's investment will support the planting of trees on marginal, uneconomic farmland. This will produce numerous benefits for farmers and rural communities, including the creation of good, sustainable and local jobs while also ensuring lower emissions and providing cleaner air."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Natural Resources
"The 2 Billion Trees program funding is critical to building forest ecosystems across Canada's working landscape, reducing the impacts of climate change and reversing biodiversity loss. The ALUS tree planting projects supported by 2 Billion Trees will help build resilience in Canada's agricultural sector by reducing soil erosion, attracting beneficial insects and wildlife, and protecting against extreme weather while also generating vital ecosystem services, like carbon sequestration, water filtration and flood mitigation, that benefit all Canadians."
Bryan Gilvesy
Chief Executive Officer, ALUS
- ALUS
- 2 Billion Trees Overview
- #2BillionTrees: How we will get there together
- 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy
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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada
Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100, [email protected]; Keean Nembhard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 613-323-7892, [email protected]; ALUS, Nadine Mercure, Director of Communications, [email protected]
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