1 00:00:03,661 --> 00:00:05,790 Hi everyone, Sevrenne Sheppard. 2 00:00:05,790 --> 00:00:08,460 I'm a Policy Analyst with the Canadian Forest Service 3 00:00:08,460 --> 00:00:10,794 and I'm joining you today from Montreal. 4 00:00:10,794 --> 00:00:12,990 So yeah, I'm gonna speak a bit about 5 00:00:12,990 --> 00:00:14,730 our 2 Billion Trees Program, 6 00:00:14,730 --> 00:00:17,340 which supports climate change, mitigation, biodiversity 7 00:00:17,340 --> 00:00:19,440 and human wellbeing today. 8 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,490 So first bit of an overview of our program. 9 00:00:23,490 --> 00:00:25,920 I can get the slide change, there we go. 10 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:27,270 So 2 Billion Trees 11 00:00:27,270 --> 00:00:30,840 is part of Canada's Natural Climate Solutions Fund. 12 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,720 So in 2019, Canada pledged 13 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:35,580 to use Nature-based climate solutions 14 00:00:35,580 --> 00:00:37,682 to provide carbon emissions reductions 15 00:00:37,682 --> 00:00:39,900 while also providing important co-benefits 16 00:00:39,900 --> 00:00:42,690 for human wellbeing and biodiversity. 17 00:00:42,690 --> 00:00:44,924 Are you able to still hear me? 18 00:00:44,924 --> 00:00:48,527 (background chatters) 19 00:00:48,527 --> 00:00:52,890 It's just a bit of background noise from the rooms. 20 00:00:52,890 --> 00:00:53,810 I'm not sure if... 21 00:01:02,293 --> 00:01:04,431 Okay, can everyone hear me? 22 00:01:04,431 --> 00:01:06,000 [Participants] Yes. 23 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:07,500 Okay, sorry about that. 24 00:01:07,500 --> 00:01:09,993 Always fun to do these hybrid meetings. 25 00:01:11,250 --> 00:01:15,960 So yeah, the result of that pledge was the implementation 26 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:19,170 of the Natural Climate Solutions Fund in 2021, 27 00:01:19,170 --> 00:01:21,630 and the fund includes 2 Billion Trees, which is led by us, 28 00:01:21,630 --> 00:01:24,630 the Canadian Forest Service, that Natural Resources Canada 29 00:01:24,630 --> 00:01:26,730 and the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund as well, 30 00:01:26,730 --> 00:01:29,340 which is led by Environment and Climate Change Canada, 31 00:01:29,340 --> 00:01:31,860 as well as the agricultural climate solutions 32 00:01:31,860 --> 00:01:34,290 led by Agriculture and AgriFood Canada. 33 00:01:34,290 --> 00:01:35,760 So the goal of these programs 34 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:37,560 is to leverage the power of nature 35 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,410 to reduce the effects of and adapt to climate change, 36 00:01:40,410 --> 00:01:42,840 all while supporting biodiversity. 37 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,510 Of course emissions reductions for nature-based solutions 38 00:01:45,510 --> 00:01:48,900 take a lot of time, planting trees or restoring wetlands. 39 00:01:48,900 --> 00:01:50,550 That's with the other programs 40 00:01:50,550 --> 00:01:53,220 that can take decades to reap the full benefits. 41 00:01:53,220 --> 00:01:54,900 So the way we are thinking about these programs 42 00:01:54,900 --> 00:01:57,480 is that if our children and our grandchildren 43 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,850 are to benefit from the shade of the trees in the future, 44 00:01:59,850 --> 00:02:02,010 we need to be planting those trees now. 45 00:02:02,010 --> 00:02:04,170 So the ultimate goal is really to plant trees 46 00:02:04,170 --> 00:02:05,370 for generations to come. 47 00:02:07,740 --> 00:02:10,710 2 Billion Trees was launched as I mentioned in 2021. 48 00:02:10,710 --> 00:02:14,640 So we're only a couple years old and the aim is to motivate 49 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:17,400 and support new tree planting projects across the country. 50 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,190 So trees that would've otherwise not been planted. 51 00:02:20,190 --> 00:02:22,770 Over a period of 10 years by 2023, 52 00:02:22,770 --> 00:02:25,800 up to $3.2 billion will be invested in tree planting efforts 53 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,170 to support province's, territories, 54 00:02:28,170 --> 00:02:31,680 30 party organizations, and indigenous organizations 55 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,181 to plant 2 Billion Trees across Canada. 56 00:02:34,181 --> 00:02:36,390 Projects funded by 2 Billion Trees 57 00:02:36,390 --> 00:02:39,570 will contribute to our country's GHG emission reduction 58 00:02:39,570 --> 00:02:41,700 and net zero emissions targets. 59 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:45,630 And we also aim to achieve certain co-benefits. 60 00:02:45,630 --> 00:02:47,970 So that includes long-term restoration 61 00:02:47,970 --> 00:02:50,250 and maintenance of forest for species at risk 62 00:02:50,250 --> 00:02:52,050 and other species of interest, 63 00:02:52,050 --> 00:02:54,600 increasing forest diversity and climate resilience 64 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,540 and enhancing the wellbeing of Canadians 65 00:02:57,540 --> 00:02:59,580 for generations to come. 66 00:02:59,580 --> 00:03:02,070 Over the past two years we've been working on developing 67 00:03:02,070 --> 00:03:04,890 an approach to measure the impacts of funded projects 68 00:03:04,890 --> 00:03:07,650 on biodiversity and human wellbeing specifically 69 00:03:07,650 --> 00:03:09,600 since those are sort of the less tangible 70 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,760 outcomes of our program. 71 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:13,710 And some other challenges for the program 72 00:03:13,710 --> 00:03:15,360 is to work with nature schedule 73 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,720 to make sure that we align all actors in the supply chain 74 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,790 and to make sure that our benefits 75 00:03:20,790 --> 00:03:23,670 are really being felt across the country. 76 00:03:23,670 --> 00:03:24,990 In the first year of our program, 77 00:03:24,990 --> 00:03:27,780 our focus was really building a strong foundation 78 00:03:27,780 --> 00:03:29,070 for long-term success. 79 00:03:29,070 --> 00:03:30,600 And then since last year 80 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:32,828 the focus has shifted more to be on establishing 81 00:03:32,828 --> 00:03:36,120 these longer term multi-year agreements 82 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,940 and ramping up the supply chain, tree planting capacity, 83 00:03:38,940 --> 00:03:41,940 as well as collaborating with provinces and territories, 84 00:03:41,940 --> 00:03:44,370 especially to support forest adaptation, 85 00:03:44,370 --> 00:03:46,893 habitat restoration for species at risk. 86 00:03:48,210 --> 00:03:51,060 So 2 Billion Trees funds are shared, 87 00:03:51,060 --> 00:03:53,700 or distributed through a cost shared partnership model. 88 00:03:53,700 --> 00:03:57,663 So although the program was allocated $3.2 billion 89 00:03:57,663 --> 00:03:59,603 over 10 years, which is a lot, 90 00:03:59,603 --> 00:04:02,670 it's still only enough to plant half the amount of trees 91 00:04:02,670 --> 00:04:04,050 that we have as our goal. 92 00:04:04,050 --> 00:04:06,030 So through our cost shared model, 93 00:04:06,030 --> 00:04:09,180 we're looking to support organizations that have, 94 00:04:09,180 --> 00:04:10,590 you know, established capacity 95 00:04:10,590 --> 00:04:13,633 rather than directly entering agreements with individuals. 96 00:04:13,633 --> 00:04:15,990 But we are encouraging our applicants 97 00:04:15,990 --> 00:04:17,760 to work with private landowners 98 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,060 and individuals in their projects. 99 00:04:20,060 --> 00:04:22,498 Our intent is also to work with a variety of partners 100 00:04:22,498 --> 00:04:24,780 to ensure that the trees are planted 101 00:04:24,780 --> 00:04:27,650 in both rural and urban areas across Canada. 102 00:04:27,650 --> 00:04:30,420 So that includes on private lands, public lands, 103 00:04:30,420 --> 00:04:34,260 with indigenous peoples and in municipal settings. 104 00:04:34,260 --> 00:04:37,214 So each of these areas involves some specific considerations 105 00:04:37,214 --> 00:04:39,173 and really requires dedicated partnerships 106 00:04:39,173 --> 00:04:41,610 to make sure it's done right. 107 00:04:41,610 --> 00:04:44,430 We also recognize that leadership by indigenous communities 108 00:04:44,430 --> 00:04:46,483 and organizations is really critical for this initiative 109 00:04:46,483 --> 00:04:49,650 and for our success, particularly when it comes to ensuring 110 00:04:49,650 --> 00:04:52,170 biodiversity and wellbeing benefits. 111 00:04:52,170 --> 00:04:54,120 So we've developed, or we've co-developed 112 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,100 a distinctions based funding stream 113 00:04:56,100 --> 00:04:57,330 for indigenous life projects. 114 00:04:57,330 --> 00:05:01,200 So we can distribute to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit, 115 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,400 the three major indigenous groups in Canada. 116 00:05:05,100 --> 00:05:07,170 And finally we provide a bit of funding as well 117 00:05:07,170 --> 00:05:08,880 for research that supports science 118 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:10,950 for improved planting outcomes. 119 00:05:10,950 --> 00:05:13,770 So this research is guided by our recipients priorities 120 00:05:13,770 --> 00:05:15,930 and by our external advisory committee 121 00:05:15,930 --> 00:05:17,760 and aims to ensure the viability 122 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:19,950 and the sustainability of the trees that are planted. 123 00:05:19,950 --> 00:05:22,440 So scientists at the Canadian Forest Service 124 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,360 are engaging with our partner departments 125 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,167 to coordinate and collaborate on research, 126 00:05:26,167 --> 00:05:29,553 all in the support of nature-based climate solutions. 127 00:05:30,660 --> 00:05:32,670 We fund three main types of projects. 128 00:05:32,670 --> 00:05:35,310 So there's definitely some afforestation 129 00:05:35,310 --> 00:05:36,990 but there's also reforestation as well 130 00:05:36,990 --> 00:05:38,700 and habitat restoration. 131 00:05:38,700 --> 00:05:40,080 And we're looking to fund projects 132 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,200 with a demonstrable greenhouse gas sequestration benefit. 133 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,900 That's really one of the main goals of this program. 134 00:05:45,900 --> 00:05:50,190 But as was discussed earlier in the plenary, 135 00:05:50,190 --> 00:05:51,570 it's really important to make sure 136 00:05:51,570 --> 00:05:54,540 that we're not having that be our only goal. 137 00:05:54,540 --> 00:05:56,820 We're trying to maximize that goal 138 00:05:56,820 --> 00:06:01,410 just for the sake of meeting a certain target that we have. 139 00:06:01,410 --> 00:06:04,530 We wanna be able to balance it as well with the human health 140 00:06:04,530 --> 00:06:07,710 and wellbeing and the biodiversity co-benefits 141 00:06:07,710 --> 00:06:10,385 and really make sure that it's site specific 142 00:06:10,385 --> 00:06:14,100 and makes sense for the organization. 143 00:06:14,100 --> 00:06:16,200 We also wanna make sure that we're distributing funding 144 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,660 to organizations that have the expertise to plant 145 00:06:18,660 --> 00:06:21,360 the right tree in the right place for the right reasons 146 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,760 and really have that established capacity. 147 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:25,920 And we're looking to fund where possible 148 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,053 multi-year and long-term agreements. 149 00:06:29,220 --> 00:06:31,230 Since our program began in 2021, 150 00:06:31,230 --> 00:06:33,982 we've received over 440 applications. 151 00:06:33,982 --> 00:06:37,950 I think the count is now 489, so getting up there. 152 00:06:37,950 --> 00:06:40,839 And we've supported the planting of 110 million trees 153 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,940 at 2,900 sites across the country. 154 00:06:43,940 --> 00:06:47,070 More than 220 tree species have been planted 155 00:06:47,070 --> 00:06:48,660 and 21% of our proposals 156 00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:50,730 have been from indigenous-led projects 157 00:06:50,730 --> 00:06:53,130 and 26 from urban projects. 158 00:06:53,130 --> 00:06:56,280 And we really expect the number of trees 159 00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:58,290 and the number of sites to really ramp up 160 00:06:58,290 --> 00:06:59,280 over the next decade. 161 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:01,373 This is just the first two years of planting, 162 00:07:01,373 --> 00:07:04,078 where we're still developing supply chain capacity. 163 00:07:04,078 --> 00:07:08,190 So we're looking forward to grow quite significantly 164 00:07:08,190 --> 00:07:09,693 in the next few years. 165 00:07:10,950 --> 00:07:12,660 So for the next couple of slides, 166 00:07:12,660 --> 00:07:15,570 I just wanted to focus on sharing some stories of projects 167 00:07:15,570 --> 00:07:18,480 that we've funded that have a focus on restoration 168 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,550 of forest habitat for wildlife. 169 00:07:20,550 --> 00:07:24,840 So the program has $400 million in dedicated funding 170 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,260 for actions to specifically restore habitat 171 00:07:28,260 --> 00:07:30,570 for species at risk or species of interest 172 00:07:30,570 --> 00:07:31,980 with provinces and territories. 173 00:07:31,980 --> 00:07:35,940 So proposals received under the restoration umbrella 174 00:07:35,940 --> 00:07:38,430 are jointly evaluated by us at the Forest Service 175 00:07:38,430 --> 00:07:40,650 as well as by the Canadian Wildlife Service. 176 00:07:40,650 --> 00:07:42,690 And there's a bit of a higher cost share 177 00:07:42,690 --> 00:07:45,510 by the federal government just to account for the complexity 178 00:07:45,510 --> 00:07:48,390 and expense that often comes with these projects. 179 00:07:48,390 --> 00:07:50,550 So 2 Billion Trees is supporting a lot of projects 180 00:07:50,550 --> 00:07:52,437 that have this restoration focus 181 00:07:52,437 --> 00:07:55,860 and have these ecosystem and biodiversity benefits 182 00:07:55,860 --> 00:07:57,540 that come along with it. 183 00:07:57,540 --> 00:07:59,520 And as we're funding projects, 184 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,860 we're also having the opportunity to meet face-to-face 185 00:08:01,860 --> 00:08:04,410 with some of the organizations that are leading the planting 186 00:08:04,410 --> 00:08:06,990 and to visit the planted sites. 187 00:08:06,990 --> 00:08:08,700 One of these great example 188 00:08:08,700 --> 00:08:10,860 is Community Forest International. 189 00:08:10,860 --> 00:08:13,140 So they currently have a four year agreement 190 00:08:13,140 --> 00:08:14,940 with 2 Billion Trees to plant trees 191 00:08:14,940 --> 00:08:18,090 as part of a restoration project in New Brunswick 192 00:08:18,090 --> 00:08:21,425 and Nova Scotia in Atlantic Canada. 193 00:08:21,425 --> 00:08:24,330 This project supported by 2 Billion Trees 194 00:08:24,330 --> 00:08:27,360 includes planting of degraded lands that will be stewarded 195 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,540 for long-term climate resilience and carbon storage. 196 00:08:30,540 --> 00:08:34,530 And CFI usually works on a mix of management plans 197 00:08:34,530 --> 00:08:37,200 for mature forest and then restoration plans like this 198 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,953 for recently harvested sites. 199 00:08:39,953 --> 00:08:41,640 The funding that we provided to them 200 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:43,233 was to undertake site preparation, 201 00:08:43,233 --> 00:08:45,008 planning, and planting activities 202 00:08:45,008 --> 00:08:50,008 and they planted 250,000 trees on previously clear cut land 203 00:08:50,656 --> 00:08:53,841 located on the Chignecto Isthmus 204 00:08:53,841 --> 00:08:56,760 and restored degraded wildlife habitat. 205 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:01,110 So it's really cool to see this project come to life 206 00:09:01,110 --> 00:09:02,940 'cause this is such a critical land corridor 207 00:09:02,940 --> 00:09:05,340 connecting New Brunswick and Nova Scotia 208 00:09:05,340 --> 00:09:06,330 and it's been identified 209 00:09:06,330 --> 00:09:08,917 as a really high priority conservation area 210 00:09:08,917 --> 00:09:12,120 both in Canada and internationally. 211 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:13,795 So really interesting to see 212 00:09:13,795 --> 00:09:17,070 where our funding can go in these projects. 213 00:09:17,070 --> 00:09:19,200 Another example is our partnership 214 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,150 with Redfish Restoration Society. 215 00:09:21,150 --> 00:09:23,340 So this is on the other side of the country 216 00:09:23,340 --> 00:09:25,740 on Vancouver Island in British Columbia 217 00:09:25,740 --> 00:09:29,070 and we worked with a few First Nations 218 00:09:29,070 --> 00:09:34,070 to plant 51,000 trees along the banks of the Tranquil Creek 219 00:09:34,140 --> 00:09:37,290 and Atleo Rivers in partnership with Redd Fish 220 00:09:37,290 --> 00:09:40,290 as well in as well as in the Hilsya harbor. 221 00:09:40,290 --> 00:09:42,960 So the aim of this work was to accelerate 222 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,060 the recovery of the three watersheds, 223 00:09:45,060 --> 00:09:48,420 which were damaged by historical logging operations 224 00:09:48,420 --> 00:09:50,610 and specifically to restore critical spawning 225 00:09:50,610 --> 00:09:52,890 and rearing habitat for endangered wild Chinook 226 00:09:52,890 --> 00:09:55,710 and chum salmon through a holistic and innovative approach 227 00:09:55,710 --> 00:09:58,260 that incorporates traditional knowledge. 228 00:09:58,260 --> 00:09:59,730 We have a nine year agreement with them 229 00:09:59,730 --> 00:10:01,650 to plant trees for habitat restoration. 230 00:10:01,650 --> 00:10:03,900 So really looking forward to seeing 231 00:10:03,900 --> 00:10:06,423 how this project evolves over time. 232 00:10:07,380 --> 00:10:09,870 As the project or as the program continues 233 00:10:09,870 --> 00:10:12,150 to fund more and more projects like this, 234 00:10:12,150 --> 00:10:13,763 we're really looking ahead to ways 235 00:10:13,763 --> 00:10:16,020 of sharing some of the last tangible impacts 236 00:10:16,020 --> 00:10:19,036 like I mentioned on biodiversity and human wellbeing. 237 00:10:19,036 --> 00:10:21,240 So one direction that we're exploring 238 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,070 is taking more of a storytelling approach 239 00:10:23,070 --> 00:10:24,510 since we're doing these site visits 240 00:10:24,510 --> 00:10:26,010 and we're getting these beautiful photos 241 00:10:26,010 --> 00:10:28,260 and stories of funded projects 242 00:10:28,260 --> 00:10:29,400 and the impacts they're having, 243 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,290 we really wanna find ways of sharing that 244 00:10:31,290 --> 00:10:32,640 through presentations like this. 245 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:35,520 And on our website we're developing a story map, 246 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,770 some infographics, that type of thing, 247 00:10:37,770 --> 00:10:41,062 just to visually communicate exactly what these projects 248 00:10:41,062 --> 00:10:44,970 are doing in their communities and really share that 249 00:10:44,970 --> 00:10:46,140 with the public as well. 250 00:10:46,140 --> 00:10:47,910 So we're continuing to gather feedback 251 00:10:47,910 --> 00:10:49,950 from our project partners to support this work 252 00:10:49,950 --> 00:10:51,900 and refine our approach to make sure 253 00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:53,370 that these important co-benefits 254 00:10:53,370 --> 00:10:56,223 are accurately captured and communicated. 255 00:10:57,156 --> 00:10:59,010 Just to wrap up my presentation, 256 00:10:59,010 --> 00:11:01,110 I wanted to share our website so you can go there 257 00:11:01,110 --> 00:11:02,899 to learn more information about the program 258 00:11:02,899 --> 00:11:05,070 and if you have questions as well, 259 00:11:05,070 --> 00:11:06,090 if you wanted to follow up, 260 00:11:06,090 --> 00:11:09,240 I've included our email address 261 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:12,120 so you can reach out to our team directly. 262 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:13,500 Thank you very much. 263 00:11:13,500 --> 00:11:14,400 And for the questions, 264 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:15,710 it's a little hard to hear in the room, 265 00:11:15,710 --> 00:11:17,970 so I'm not sure if there's a way they could be 266 00:11:17,970 --> 00:11:20,730 like repeated directly into the mic or put in the chat. 267 00:11:20,730 --> 00:11:21,963 But just a heads up. 268 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:34,410 [Moderator] We'll try for some questions 269 00:11:34,410 --> 00:11:37,388 and we'll speak up and then repeat our questions, yes. 270 00:11:37,388 --> 00:11:38,755 [Attendee] I have a question. 271 00:11:38,755 --> 00:11:41,670 I don't know if I missed this 272 00:11:41,670 --> 00:11:44,010 and if she had said that they fund 273 00:11:44,010 --> 00:11:46,050 for planting on private lands, 274 00:11:46,050 --> 00:11:48,180 but I was just wondering how do you ensure 275 00:11:48,180 --> 00:11:50,100 that the trees that people plant 276 00:11:50,100 --> 00:11:53,490 don't get mowed down five years later? 277 00:11:53,490 --> 00:11:54,900 Yeah, that's a really good question. 278 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:56,370 It's something we've discussed a lot 279 00:11:56,370 --> 00:11:59,225 because our program really only has jurisdiction 280 00:11:59,225 --> 00:12:04,178 over 10 years, so we can't really follow up with monitoring 281 00:12:04,178 --> 00:12:06,229 beyond the date of the program. 282 00:12:06,229 --> 00:12:08,408 But we only fund projects 283 00:12:08,408 --> 00:12:12,060 that have the intention for permanent tree cover. 284 00:12:12,060 --> 00:12:14,880 And so there's a lot that goes into creating these proposals 285 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:16,830 and you know, sharing the plans 286 00:12:16,830 --> 00:12:18,810 for why the trees are being planted, 287 00:12:18,810 --> 00:12:19,770 where they're being planted, 288 00:12:19,770 --> 00:12:21,690 what the intention is for them long-term, 289 00:12:21,690 --> 00:12:24,189 what the monitoring plan is for them long-term. 290 00:12:24,189 --> 00:12:27,630 So the expectation there when they're being evaluated 291 00:12:27,630 --> 00:12:30,480 is that the proposal does include a plan 292 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,484 for the trees to be as permanent as possible. 293 00:12:33,484 --> 00:12:36,450 We also don't allow any planting 294 00:12:36,450 --> 00:12:41,117 where the intention will be to harvest the timber, 295 00:12:42,990 --> 00:12:44,640 and we don't allow planting 296 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:47,220 where there's a legal obligation to replant. 297 00:12:47,220 --> 00:12:49,410 So it's really looking at trees 298 00:12:49,410 --> 00:12:52,470 that are gonna be part of Canada's long-term forest cover 299 00:12:52,470 --> 00:12:55,950 and sequester carbon and are going to be incremental 300 00:12:55,950 --> 00:13:00,510 to what would normally be planted by either provinces 301 00:13:00,510 --> 00:13:02,883 and territories, or by private landowners. 302 00:13:05,250 --> 00:13:06,264 [Moderator] Yes. 303 00:13:06,264 --> 00:13:07,710 [Attendee] Here in the US, 304 00:13:07,710 --> 00:13:11,145 I've noticed a huge interest in tree planting 305 00:13:11,145 --> 00:13:15,600 and thus the demand for nursery stock and seedlings 306 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,134 has been lagging behind that demand. 307 00:13:19,134 --> 00:13:22,950 You referenced building capacity in the supply chain. 308 00:13:22,950 --> 00:13:24,960 Can you tell us a little bit more about how you did that 309 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,300 to ensure that these new seedlings 310 00:13:27,300 --> 00:13:29,430 will be available for planting? 311 00:13:29,430 --> 00:13:31,290 Yeah, that's also a really great question 312 00:13:31,290 --> 00:13:33,030 and it's something we've been working on 313 00:13:33,030 --> 00:13:35,460 since even before the program was officially launched. 314 00:13:35,460 --> 00:13:39,420 So a huge part of that is just being regularly 315 00:13:39,420 --> 00:13:41,130 conducting sort of stakeholder engagement 316 00:13:41,130 --> 00:13:42,870 and consultation with the nurseries 317 00:13:42,870 --> 00:13:44,640 to make sure that they're prepared 318 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:46,020 for this increase in demand. 319 00:13:46,020 --> 00:13:48,325 I think it's something like 40% increase 320 00:13:48,325 --> 00:13:51,529 over normal demand is created just by having this program 321 00:13:51,529 --> 00:13:53,760 over the 10 year period. 322 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,947 So we started very early engaging those stakeholders. 323 00:13:57,947 --> 00:14:01,372 We also provide capacity building grants 324 00:14:01,372 --> 00:14:03,417 for certain organizations. 325 00:14:03,417 --> 00:14:05,610 A lot of them have been indigenous organizations 326 00:14:05,610 --> 00:14:07,350 that are looking to build capacity 327 00:14:07,350 --> 00:14:08,310 not just for tree planting, 328 00:14:08,310 --> 00:14:11,670 but also for contributing to the supply chain 329 00:14:11,670 --> 00:14:13,410 or engaging with the supply chain. 330 00:14:13,410 --> 00:14:17,130 And we're exploring some other potential avenues 331 00:14:17,130 --> 00:14:20,160 to sort of engage a little bit more 332 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:22,890 with the actual nurseries and build their capacity. 333 00:14:22,890 --> 00:14:25,290 Just trying to figure out what that looks like 334 00:14:25,290 --> 00:14:26,970 with the funding that we have now 335 00:14:26,970 --> 00:14:28,200 and with our jurisdiction. 336 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,270 But yeah, it's definitely... 337 00:14:30,270 --> 00:14:33,810 It's part of why we're not planting, 338 00:14:33,810 --> 00:14:37,530 you know, exactly 10% of the trees every single year. 339 00:14:37,530 --> 00:14:39,600 There's this huge ramp up that has to happen 340 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,406 just because of the time that it takes to produce the stock. 341 00:14:42,406 --> 00:14:46,320 So we're gonna see in the next few years I think 342 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,050 quite a bit more planting just because the nurseries 343 00:14:49,050 --> 00:14:50,880 will have caught up a bit more with the demand 344 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:52,980 and we'll have established these long-term agreements 345 00:14:52,980 --> 00:14:56,820 that really help them be able to predict what is needed 346 00:14:56,820 --> 00:14:59,497 and to have sort of a consistent supply, 347 00:14:59,497 --> 00:15:01,803 which is really essential for these projects. 348 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,320 I'm not sure if there's time for another question, 349 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:11,580 but that was really great 350 00:15:11,580 --> 00:15:14,100 and if you want to reach out for sure, 351 00:15:14,100 --> 00:15:15,780 email us and we can get back to you 352 00:15:15,780 --> 00:15:17,423 with any other questions you have.