Canada To Plant 1.5Mln Trees In Alberta's Edmonton - Natural Resources Ministry

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th July, 2023) The Canadian government will plant 1.5 million trees in Alberta's capital city of Edmonton in a C$47.8 million ($36.3 million) investment, Natural Resources Canada said on Monday.

Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, and Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi announced $47.8 million in Federal funding ... This funding will support the planting of 1.5 million trees in Edmonton and is matched by $47.8 million in municipal funding," the ministry's statement reads.

Edmonton seeks to increase 300 hectares of the surface of its urban forest canopy, notably by planting 2 million trees by 2031 in naturalized areas, boulevards, parks, and other spaces.

The newly allocated federal and municipal funds are part of the country's 2 Billion Trees program which finances provinces and territories aiming at planting said amount of trees by 2031.

With the 2BT, the federal government aims at supporting new tree planting projects nationwide and is expected to unlock up to C$3.2 billion ($2.43 billion) for use by provinces, territories, and Indigenous associations, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

So far, under the 2BT program, the federal government has provided support to several parts of the country to plant nearly one billion trees.