Deadline: 17-Feb-22
The Government of Canada has announced an open call for 2 Billion Trees (2BT) Program to motivate and support new tree planting projects.
Over the next 10 years, up to $3.2 billion will be invested in tree planting efforts to support provinces, territories, third-party organizations (for and not-for profit) and Indigenous organizations to plant two billion trees across Canada.
If you are a provincial or territorial government looking to be involved, please contact the 2 Billion Tree program team.
What projects are eligible?
- This call for proposals includes two different types of funding: one for cost-shared tree planting projects and one for capacity building grants.
- Where trees can be planted:
- on public and private lands across the country
- in remote, rural, suburban and urban areas
- via afforestation – the creation of new forest cover on lands that currently do not have trees (e.g. abandoned lands)
- via reforestation – the regeneration of forests that have temporarily lost their tree cover through natural disturbances (e.g. wildland fire) or in areas where commercial disturbances (e.g. forestry roads and landings, mining or seismic lines) have occurred but for which there is no current legal requirement to plant trees
- to restore forest habitat, including under recovery strategies for species at risk, conservation agreements and related planning processes (e.g. range plans)
- Tree planting projects must comply with provincial, territorial and federal laws that have authority over the management of most forested land in their jurisdictions.
- Where trees can be planted:
- Where trees cannot be planted:
- lands where other ecosystems provide unique habitats for plants and animals
- The 2 Billion Trees Program will also not fund projects:
- that help organizations meet their legal obligations to regenerate forests such as a legal obligation to regenerate after harvesting under sustainable forest management regimes
- for which funding from 2BT would replace/displace other secured funding
- that regenerates forests on private lands as part of business-as-usual commercial forestry activities
- The 2 Billion Trees Program currently also will not fund projects that will seek carbon offset credits.
Why is it important to plant trees?
- Tree planting under the 2 Billion Trees program will help Canada exceed its 2030 Paris Agreement greenhouse gases emissions reduction target and establish the building blocks to get to net zero by 2050.
- Planting trees will also contribute to the restoration of habitat and provide a multitude of other social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits.
- To maximize the benefits to Canadians, the right trees must be planted in the right place and monitored to ensure survival.
- The 2 Billion Trees program will generate many long-term benefits such as contributing to the restoration of habitat, increasing biodiversity, cleaning air and water, creating green jobs, reducing community risks to natural disasters, cooling cities and enhancing the well-being of Canadians for generations to come.
For more information, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/campaign/2-billion-trees/2-billion-trees-program.html