Sudbury to see 45K new trees planted in the region this spring

More than 45,000 thousand trees are currently being planted in the Sudbury area as part of an effort to put more than 2.8 million trees in the ground across Ontario.

The project is led by Forests Ontario, a not-for-profit group dedicated to re-greening the province through
the support of tree planting, forest restoration, stewardship, education and awareness.

The group's CEO, Rob Keen, says the tree-planting program is drawing interest.

"Trees are one of the best organisms out there, the best tools to sequester carbon dioxide. And so they're fantastic for mitigating climate change," he said.

"People also recognize all the other values that trees provide, whether that be wildlife habitat or recreational opportunities."

Keen says the group is working with Conservation Sudbury to determine where the trees will be planted.

"A lot of the time, the trees are planted on private property, sometimes municipal properties. We work with local agencies, in this case, it's the local conservation authority. They have professionals that come out, assess a site, figure out what the best species is for that site."

Tree planting, deemed an essential service in March 2020 by the province, is time-sensitive.

"Unfortunately, tree seedlings are quite perishable and need to be planted soon after coming from the nursery – careful timing and fine-tuned logistics are required," Keen said.

To continue with spring tree planting while keeping landowners and tree planters safe, Forests Ontario has distributed COVID-19 field work recommendations and guidelines that include physical distancing, the use of personal protective equipment, and frequent sanitization of touch points.

Since 2008, more than 180,000 trees have been planted in the Sudbury District through Forests Ontario's 50 Million Trees Program. The program provides financial and technical assistance to landowners who wish to plant a
minimum of 500 trees on their property.