Ottawa, province announce over $71M for tree planting in N.B.

The federal and provincial governments announced more than $71 million will be spent on tree planting projects in New Brunswick.

Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Greg Turner and federal Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor made the announcement in Moncton's Centennial Park Friday morning.

The plan is for the province to plant over 52 million climate-resilient trees on publicly-managed land.

"We are the steward of more 30,000 square kilometres of forest," said Turner during the announcement. "We not only depend on the forest for things like cleaning our air and our water, but currently 30,000 species live in it and depend on it."

Turner said the province is pleased to partner with the federal government on its 2 Billion Trees Program, which is part of Canada's approach to nature-based climate solutions.

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In a news release accompanying the announcement, Petitpas Taylor said spending on the future of the environment is an investment in the health of all Canadians.

"In collaboration with our provincial partners, this initiative will help restore and enhance biodiversity by planting climate-resilient native trees. In the face of a changing climate, we are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our magnificent and diverse forests in New Brunswick," said Petitpas Taylor.

The MP for Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe also announced federal grants for other projects to advance climate-resilience.

The New Brunswick Environmental Network will receive $295,000 to train individuals and organizations on seed collection, tree planting and techniques for restoration.

The other grant of $33,000 will go to the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance to help identify and care for tree-planting sites in the City of Dieppe.

The 52 million climate-resilient trees that will be planted on public lands is the equivalent of planting over 60 trees for each resident in the province.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.