Provincewide Tree Planting Starts in Neighbourhoods Affected by Wildfire

Press Release

August 21, 2024

Some neighbourhoods in Upper Tantallon/Hammonds Plains are getting new trees planted to replace many that were burned in the May 2023 wildfire.

“We’ve committed to planting 21 million trees in Nova Scotia as part of a national effort to support biodiversity, carbon capture and quality of life in our communities. This work also supports ecological forestry and green jobs to boost our rural economy,” said Kent Smith, acting Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “Along with our federal partners, we’re funding tree-planting projects across the province. I’m very happy that some of the first are helping restore neighbourhoods that were devastated by last year’s wildfire.”

Residents in the Westwood Hills, Highland Park and Perry Pond neighbourhoods formed groups to apply to Thriving Forests – the program co-ordinating tree planting in Nova Scotia. About 118,000 trees will be planted this fall on residential properties and in municipal parks in these neighbourhoods.

These projects are among 23 around the province that have been approved to date. In total, more than 570,000 trees will be planted this fall with about $974,000 in funding. The trees are a mix of red and white spruce, white pine, tamarack, hemlock, red and sugar maple, yellow birch and red oak.

The Clean Foundation is running the Thriving Forests program on behalf of the Province. It is open to governments, not-for-profit organizations, businesses, and Indigenous organizations and communities. Private landowners with about two hectares of land are also eligible. Application information is available at: https://cleanfoundation.ca/thriving-forests/

Planting 21 million trees is a commitment in Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth. The plan aims to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all Nova Scotians. It includes initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, switch to clean energy and transportation, create a clean economy, make homes and buildings energy efficient and able to stand up to the impacts of climate change, and help Nova Scotians adapt to the changing climate.

Quotes:

“Trees are essential to our lives: they clean the air we breathe, the shade they provide makes our urban spaces more enjoyable, they give new habitats for wildlife, and they help us adapt to our changing climate. The funding announced today will play an important role in bringing these benefits to Nova Scotians and will help achieve our federal government’s ambitious goal of planting two billion trees over the next decade. Through this project, we are showing how collaborative work between federal and provincial governments can ensure that the right tree is planted at the right place at the right time for the benefit of all Canadians.”
— Jonathan Wilkinson, federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“The Clean Foundation and Thriving Forests program are helping our community and environment heal as we continue to recover from last year’s Upper Tantallon/Hammonds Plains wildfire. We’re grateful to have the trees replanted this fall, and watching the saplings take root where burnt trees once stood will be an important step toward regaining a sense of normalcy.”
— Kristi McKee, resident, Westwood Hills

“We are grateful to be part of the Thriving Forests program and for the commitment to further enhance our existing Forest of Hope trail in the community of Potlotek First Nation. This October, 1,000 trees will be planted during our Forest of Hope event, which will include 250 each of red spruce, white pine, red maple and red oak, which for us is a symbol of rebirth and regrowth.”
— Veronica Bernard, organizer, Forest of Hope, Potlotek First Nation

“We have learned how vital a role healthy forest ecosystems play in tackling climate change. Our team at Clean has been working hard with landowners, local seed suppliers and forestry professionals across Nova Scotia to ensure we plant the right tree in the right space. We are looking forward to getting the first seedlings into the ground this fall.”
— Scott Skinner, President and CEO, Clean Foundation

Quick Facts:

Thriving Forests is supporting the federal government’s commitment to plant two billion trees across the country by 2031
the federal and provincial governments have an agreement to each invest more than $20 million in the program
several provincial government departments, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, and the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources worked together to develop the provincial program
the Province’s tree planting commitment is action 16 in Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth

Additional Resources:

2 Billion Trees Commitment: https://www.canada.ca/en/campaign/2-billion-trees.html

Ecological forestry: https://novascotia.ca/ecological-forestry/

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf

Natural Resources and Renewables on the X platform: https://twitter.com/NS_DNRR

The first 23 Thriving Forests projects are led by:

ACAP Cape Breton, Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Arisaig Provincial Park, Antigonish County
Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Inverness and Victoria counties
private landowner, Margaree, Inverness County
private landowners, Sundridge, Pictou County
Highland Park residents, Halifax Regional Municipality
Perry Pond residents, Halifax Regional Municipality
private landowner, Debert, Colchester County
Potlotek First Nation, Richmond County
Saint Mary’s River Association – one project with six sites in Guysborough and Pictou counties and one project in Stillwater, Guysborough County
Shannex – projects in Dartmouth, Sydney and Truro
Strait Area Trails Association, Inverness County
Town of Mahone Bay
Town of New Glasgow – three projects at Forbes Lake, Martin Avenue and A.G. Baillie Memorial School
Town of Stellarton
private landowners, Union Square, Lunenburg County – two projects, one in a forest and one in a field
Westwood Hills residents, Halifax Regional Municipality