{"id":386,"date":"2023-06-22T17:44:57","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T17:44:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/?p=386"},"modified":"2023-06-23T11:36:27","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T11:36:27","slug":"nature-canada-brings-together-100-groups-calling-for-a-more-accessible-and-biodiversity-friendly-2-billion-trees-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/22\/nature-canada-brings-together-100-groups-calling-for-a-more-accessible-and-biodiversity-friendly-2-billion-trees-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Nature Canada brings together 100 groups calling for a more accessible and biodiversity-friendly 2 Billion Trees Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Unceded Algonquin Territory \u2013 Ottawa, ON \u2013 June 21, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nature, climate, faith, and Indigenous groups from across Canada are urging Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to adopt measures in the 2 Billion Trees Program that would increase accessibility and support for biodiversity.<\/p>\n

Since it began in 2021, the 2 Billion Trees program\u2019s high minimum tree-planting requirements have prevented the participation of smaller local organizations who have \u201cshovel-ready\u201d and \u201cshovel-worthy\u201d projects. Consequently, uptake of the program is currently being dominated by larger organizations and plantations, many of which have been impermanent monocultures, which will be harvested again in the future.<\/p>\n

An open letter released today, signed by over 100 nature and community groups, stresses the importance of making the program more accessible to grassroots organizations and more supportive of biodiversity measures in order to progress faster towards meeting the tree-planting targets in a sustainable and ecologically effective manner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Liberals\u2019 2 Billion Tree promise could be the most impactful nature restoration effort in history,\u201d says David Wallis, the Reforestation Policy and Campaign Manager at Nature Canada. \u201cHowever, without listening to the over 100 nature groups who say the program needs serious changes, it could turn into one of their greatest failures.\u201d<\/p>\n

The letter outlines a number of recommendations to increase the program\u2019s accessibility to prospective applicants, which include implementing multi-year planting agreements, allocating more funding towards capacity-building streams and establishing regional aggregators. The letter also suggests adopting measures that support biodiversity such as allowing a greater percentage of funds to be used to plant shrubs, allowing for greater flexibility between the urban and rural planting streams, and implementing more specific and transparent measures to ensure that trees are permanently protected.<\/p>\n

With a goal of reaching its planting targets by 2031, the 2 Billion Trees Program has the potential to effectively advance our country\u2019s climate change adaptation and biodiversity objectives. The program has recently been criticized by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development in a report citing the program\u2019s lack of progress in meeting its tree-planting targets and lack of biodiversity in some of the approved projects.<\/p>\n

As our letter points out, there needs to be improved accessibility for prospective applicants to the program and greater support for biodiversity measures in order for the 2 Billion Trees Program to be a success for nature.<\/p>\n

Read the letter<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The letter was signed by 100 nature, climate, faith, and Indigenous groups from across the country including:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nature Nova Scotia<\/p>\n

Bruce Trail Conservancy<\/p>\n

Nature Saskatchewan<\/p>\n

Greater Victoria Greenbelt Society<\/p>\n

New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance<\/p>\n

Ontario Headwaters Institute<\/p>\n

Climate Action for Life long Learners<\/p>\n

HealthyYEG<\/p>\n

GentleWays for OurPlanet<\/p>\n

Bee City Canada<\/p>\n

Garden City Conservation Society<\/p>\n

York Simcoe Nature Club<\/p>\n

London Environmental Network<\/p>\n

Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc.<\/p>\n

Green Communities Canada<\/p>\n

Saugeen Nature<\/p>\n

Sustainable Orillia<\/p>\n

One School One Farm Shelterbelt Project<\/p>\n

Green Ummah<\/p>\n

Hamilton-Wentworth Green Venture<\/p>\n

Nature NB<\/p>\n

Lions Bay Bird Friendly City<\/p>\n

Ecology Ottawa<\/p>\n

ClimateFast<\/p>\n

McKellar Island Bird Observatory<\/p>\n

For Our Kids Toronto<\/p>\n

Blomidon Naturalists Society<\/p>\n

Toronto Field Naturalists<\/p>\n

Association foresti\u00e8re des deux rives<\/p>\n

Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara<\/p>\n

Kamloops Naturalist Club<\/p>\n

Staniforth and Associates<\/p>\n

Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour<\/p>\n

BC Conservation Foundation<\/p>\n

Elk River Alliance<\/p>\n

ReForest London<\/p>\n

The Nashwaak Watershed Association<\/p>\n

Island Nature Trust<\/p>\n

Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society<\/p>\n

Nature Regina<\/p>\n

ecoCaledon<\/p>\n

Nanaimo Science and Sustainability Society<\/p>\n

Community Forests International<\/p>\n

Tree Trust Stratford Perth<\/p>\n

Nature London<\/p>\n

Wildcoast Ecological Society<\/p>\n

Nature Vancouver<\/p>\n

Nature Alberta<\/p>\n

Water & Environmental Protection for Albert County<\/p>\n

Sudbury Naturalists<\/p>\n

Mind Your Plastic<\/p>\n

Seedlings Forest Education<\/p>\n

Trout Unlimited Canada<\/p>\n

Wilder Climate Solutions<\/p>\n

rare Charitable Research Reserve<\/p>\n

Shrubscriber<\/p>\n

Sustainable Milton<\/p>\n

Clean Air Partnership<\/p>\n

South Simcoe Streams Network, Nottawasaga Futures<\/p>\n

Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve Association<\/p>\n

SOS Trees Coalition<\/p>\n

Sydenham Field Naturalists<\/p>\n

Manitoba Eco-Network<\/p>\n

Friends of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society<\/p>\n

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation<\/p>\n

BC Nature \u2013 Federation of BC Naturalists<\/p>\n

Guelph Urban Forest Friends<\/p>\n

Reep Green Solutions<\/p>\n

Prince Albert Model Forest Association Inc.<\/p>\n

Souris and Area Branch of the PEI Wildlife Federation<\/p>\n

Yukon Conservation Society<\/p>\n

Prince Edward County Field Naturalists<\/p>\n

Fredericton Nature Club<\/p>\n

False Creek Watershed Society<\/p>\n

WWF-Canada<\/p>\n

Friends of Semiahmoo bay Society<\/p>\n

Friends of Clayoquot Sound<\/p>\n

Nature Qu\u00e9bec<\/p>\n

Camp Kitigay<\/p>\n

Grassroutes Ethnoecological Association<\/p>\n

Bird Friendly Calgary<\/p>\n

LEAF<\/p>\n

Nanaimo & Area Land Trust<\/p>\n

K&C Silviculture Ltd.<\/p>\n

Southern Alberta Group for Environment (SAGE)<\/p>\n

Dougan and Associates Ecological Consulting and Design<\/p>\n

Calgary Urban Species Response Team<\/p>\n

Calgary Climate Hub<\/p>\n

Eco-Elders For Climate Action<\/p>\n

Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc.<\/p>\n

West Kootenay Climate Hub<\/p>\n

CAFES<\/p>\n

Muskeg Lake Cree Nation<\/p>\n

Salal + Cedar<\/p>\n

Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition<\/p>\n

Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance<\/p>\n

Nova Scotia Salmon Association<\/p>\n

West Lake Community Association (WLCA)<\/p>\n

BurlingtonGreen<\/p>\n

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Nature Canada is Canada\u2019s voice for nature. For 80 years, Nature Canada has helped protect over 110 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species. Today, Nature Canada represents a network of over 130,000 members and supporters and more than 1,300 nature organizations.<\/em><\/p>\n

-30-<\/p>\n

For more information contact:
\nScott Mullenix
\nmedia@naturecanada.ca<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

The post Nature Canada brings together 100 groups calling for a more accessible and biodiversity-friendly 2 Billion Trees Program<\/a> appeared first on Nature Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unceded Algonquin Territory \u2013 Ottawa, ON \u2013 June 21, 2023 Nature, climate, faith, and Indigenous groups from across Canada are urging Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to adopt measures in the 2 Billion Trees Program that would increase accessibility and support for biodiversity. Since it began in 2021, the 2 Billion Trees program\u2019s high minimum […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":387,"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386\/revisions\/387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/brightpuff.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}