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Canada calls for proposals to support 2 Billion Trees program

Planting two billion trees across the country will help Canada’s efforts to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Trees capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, improve air and water quality, support biodiversity and create and support thousands of good jobs.

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that Canada is launching the next call for proposals toward our commitment to plant two billion trees. Building on the Early Start Projects Expression of Interest announced earlier this year, this call for proposals will result in long-term agreements with eligible partners from across the country, including municipalities, non-profit organizations, and Indigenous communities and organizations, and build a strong foundation for the ramp up of tree planting efforts.

Specifically, it will support two different types of projects: tree planting projects and capacity building projects. Together, these will help Canada realize its 10-year target.

1. The Tree Planting Fund will be divided into three streams: the Mass Planting Stream (minimum of 500,000 trees per year), the Small-scale Planting Stream (minimum of 50,000 trees per year), and the Urban and Suburban Planting Stream (minimum of 10,000 trees per year). All three streams are open to Indigenous communities and organizations, as well as for-profit and non-profit organizations.
2. The Capacity Building Stream seeks to support organizations by improving their capacity to make sound decisions in the planting and management of trees and forests. Municipalities, local governments and their agencies, non-profit organizations, and Indigenous communities and organizations are all eligible to participate.

Growing seedlings to plant trees takes time. By signing long-term agreements with partners from across the country, this call for proposals will help create demand for new trees and will spur sustainable investments by nurseries in their infrastructure to meet the growing demand, providing partners with a reliable supply of trees to meet our planting goals. From here, the number of trees planted will gradually increase from one year to the next as the number of available trees grows.

Minister Wilkinson also provided Canadians with an update on the 2 Billion Trees program, alongside this call for proposals. In 2021, the 2 Billion Trees program is on track to plant 30 million trees, through over 500 projects across the country. Today’s call for proposals builds on that early momentum.

The 2 Billion Trees program is a key component of Canada’s efforts to use nature-based solutions to fight climate change, restore nature and protect biodiversity. The trees planted as a result of this program will represent a 40 percent increase in the number of trees planted in Canada, the equivalent of 1.1 million hectares, an area twice the size of Prince Edward Island. Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program will create up to 4,300 jobs across the country, while making a significant contribution toward our emissions reductions targets and ensuring a safe, sustainable environment for future generations.