B.C. plants its 10-billionth tree in Surrey

B.C. is celebrating the 10-billionth tree planted since reforestation programs began in 1930, with two billion of those trees planted in the past seven years.
Last year, 305 million seedlings were planted in B.C. forests. One of these seedlings was the 10-billionth planted since work began almost a century ago. In honour of this milestone, MLA Bruce Ralston planted a ceremonial tree in Surrey’s Green Timbers Urban Forest Park. The park, dubbed the “birthplace of reforestation,” is home to the Province’s first reforestation efforts in 1930.
“Ten billion seedlings planted is a remarkable achievement in making sure our forests are with us for generations to come,” Ralston said. “It’s easy to get lost in the number, but there’s a very human story here, too. Planting 10 billion trees means 10 billion carefully wielded shovels by 20 billion hands across almost 100 years. This is an accomplishment we can all be proud of, and it’s an honour to play a small part in that number by planting this tree today.”
The provincial Forest Investment Program has yearly targets to plant 40 million to 50 million seedlings. The program aims to reduce or sequester greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of two million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year through forest investment activities, such as planting and fertilization.