British Columbia achieved a major landmark yesterday (Monday), with the planting of the ten-billionth tree since provincial reforestation efforts began in 1930.
The pace has picked up in recent years, with two-billion of those new seedlings planted since 2017.
Forests Minister Bruce Ralston calls the program one of the province’s most important mega-projects, and will ensure the forests are with us for generations to come.
“Ten billion seedlings planted is a remarkable achievement in making sure our forests are with us for generations to come,” Ralston said.
“It’s easy to get lost in the number, but there’s a very human story here, too. Planting 10 billion trees means 10 billion carefully wielded shovels by 20 billion hands across almost 100 years. This is an accomplishment we can all be proud of, and it’s an honour to play a small part in that number by planting this tree today.”
Last year, 305 million seedlings were planted in B.C. forests. One of these seedlings was the 10-billionth planted since work began almost a century ago.
Forest tenure holders have been legally required to undertake reforestation efforts since 1987.
“The planting of 10 billion trees in our province is one of B.C.’s most important mega projects,” said John Betts, executive director, Western Forestry Contractors’ Association.
“Besides the hard work involved, it’s an act of optimism where the full benefits won’t be realized until well into the future. It’s a fine legacy for all the thousands of nursery workers, planters and foresters involved over the years.”
In 2024, 235 million of the 290 million seedlings expected to be planted will be done through forestry companies, with an additional five million planted by First Nations.
