OTTAWA, ON, Growing Canada's forests and improving their health are a critical part of the Government of Canada's strategy to address and mitigate the effects of climate change. Forests are a nature-based climate solution: trees conserve biodiversity, protect and conserve water resources, and lower emissions by capturing and storing excess carbon. Planting the right tree in the right area at the right time enhances our ability to fight against climate change.
That's why the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced today more than $2.2 million in funding to ALUS to plant more than 400,000 trees on marginal farmland in 13 communities across Canada. The contribution is through the 2 Billion Trees program, which supports program recipients in planting two billion trees for a better tomorrow.
Through this project, ALUS communities will support local farmers and ranchers across Canada to plant trees on marginal farmland that's uneconomic or difficult to farm but ideal for trees. Planting trees on marginal or uneconomic farm land provides benefits to the farm, local communities, the surrounding ecosystem and Canada as a whole.
These trees will improve air quality, water security and soil quantity on land in communities across Canada. These tree planting projects have a range of positive benefits for communities and ecosystems — trees control erosion, mitigate extreme weather impacts like floods and droughts, and provide natural water filtration and retention. The trees themselves provide both carbon sequestration and cleaner air.