Forests Ontario to plant more than 7 million trees over three years as part of Canada's 2 Billion Trees Commitment
BARRIE, ON, Nov. 29, 2022 /CNW/ - Forests Ontario, the province's leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation, and maintenance of forest and grassland habitats, has partnered with the Government of Canada's 2 Billion Trees program to plant 7.2 million trees over three years.
On November 23, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, alongside Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, and Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph, announced a $12.7 million contribution to Forests Ontario through the 2 Billion Trees program, which aims to plant two billion trees over 10 years.
"Forests Ontario and our partners have developed the expertise and infrastructure to grow and track tree planting from seed to successful forests and are the only Canadian charity with this capability," Rob Keen, Chief Executive Officer of Forests Ontario, and Registered Professional Forester, says. "We don't just plant trees, we grow forests, and it is exciting to be contributing to the 2 Billion Trees program as partners with the federal government. The 2 Billion Trees program will benefit communities across our country for generations to come."
Creating healthy, new forests is one of the most effective, nature-based solutions in combating climate change and these trees will sequester significant amounts of carbon and mitigate the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather and flooding.
"Today's announcement in Ontario represents a major step towards our goal of planting two billion trees to deliver cleaner air, enhanced biodiversity, and climate action across Canada. Forest Ontario's contribution to this effort includes the planting of over 7.2 million trees over three years to support biodiversity in communities across the country while creating sustainable jobs," Wilkinson says.
Through our comprehensive network of partners and programs, Forests Ontario has planted more than 41 million trees to date, resulting in 20,500 hectares of new forest created across more than 8,300 project sites.
About Forests Ontario & Forest Recovery Canada
Forests Ontario is the province's leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation, and maintenance of forest and grassland habitats. Our ambitious, large-scale tree planting initiatives, extensive educational programs, and decades of community outreach result in millions of trees being planted each year.
Together with our national division, Forest Recovery Canada, we work with our many partners across the country to plant native trees and ensure our efforts today thrive and grow into tomorrow's diverse, healthy, and resilient forests.
Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests.
Visit www.forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario to find out more.
SOURCE Forests Ontario
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Matthew Brown, Communications Manager, Forests Ontario / Forest Recovery Canada, Cell: 519-471-4751, E-mail: [email protected]
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