12 million more trees to be planted on Tłı̨chǫ lands following $53M investment

A total of 13 million trees are now expected to be planted on Tłı̨chǫ lands in the N.W.T. in the coming years following a joint investment of $53 million from the federal and Tłı̨chǫ governments. 

The Tłı̨chǫ government signed an agreement with Tree Canada and Let's Plant Trees in 2023 to plant one million trees over the course of three years around Behchokǫ̀, with half the money  flowing from the federal government and the other half being raised through sponsorships. 

Work has already been underway since last year to harvest seeds from local tree species and to grow them in nurseries in the South.  

On Friday, the Tłı̨chǫ and federal governments announced a new deal to plant another 12 million on Tłı̨chǫ lands over the next seven years from locally-harvested seeds. This time, Canada's 2 Billion Trees program is putting nearly $45 million into the project while the Tłı̨chǫ government is pitching in more than $8 million. 

The money will also be used to build greenhouses for a tree nursery, incorporate cultural values into the project, and to provide training for long-term restoration activities, reads a news release from Natural Resources Canada. 

The goal of the project is to restore ecosystems, create jobs and bring back boreal caribou habitat. The release said it's also expected to have other long-term benefits like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing resilience to climate exchange and providing protection from future wildfires. 

"The Tłı̨chǫ government is pleased to take a leadership role to foster the healing of the land after devastating wildfires," said Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty in the release. "Together, we will work to counter climate change through the reforestation of vital wildlife habitat and support training and employment opportunities for those in our communities."

Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's minister of energy and natural resources, said in a statement that the funding will play an important role bringing benefits to the Tłı̨chǫ territory, and help the federal government's goal of planting two billion trees over the next decade. 

"Through this project, we are showing how collaborative work with First Nations can ensure that the right tree is planted at the right place at the right time for the benefit of all Canadians," he said.