The Department of Natural Resources revealed the government’s plan to plant two billion trees would not plant anywhere near that many trees.“So why is it called the two billion trees program?” asked Conservative MP Michael Kram (Regina-Wascana, SK).According to Blacklock’s Reporter, department managers said the target would not be reached when speaking at the Commons Environment committee.This statement came after an April 20 report Financial Support For Planting Two Billion Trees. In the report, Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco said the two billion trees program was “unlikely to succeed.”“It has become a tree counting program, not a tree planting program,” testified DeMarco. “They are slow off the mark. They have got a long way to go.”“There are problems,” said DeMarco. “They count the same tree twice with different programs.”“Will the government plant two billion trees through their original program on time?” asked Conservative MP Dan Mazier (Dauphin-Swan River, MB). “I would say no,” replied DeMarco.In the 2019 election, the Liberal Party platform Forward: A Real Plan for the Middle Class said they would plant two billion trees within a decade as part of their plan.The Department of Natural Resources did not finish setting up the program until 2021.“We already have planted 110 million of those trees toward that commitment,” testified Monique Frisson, the department’s director general responsible for tree planting. “We have agreements signed or under negotiation to plant 370 million trees by 2031.”Kram questioned the government’s arithmetic. “How many trees is the two billion trees program supposed to plant?” asked Kram.“I mean, 1.85 billion, 1.9 billion of those two billion trees,” said Frisson.“The two billion trees program is not going to plant two billion trees? That is no longer the intent of the program?” asked Kram.“The intent all along, because it is a whole-of-government commitment, was to include trees that were planted not only under this program but also under other government programs…” said Frisson.“So why is it called the two billion trees program? Why not rename it the billion-and-a-half tree program or the one billion tree program?” asked Kram.“Yes, it’s a good question. For us, it was trying to be clear about the intent and the whole-of-government commitment to try to rally interest among Canadians,” said Frisson.“How many public servants are currently working on this program?” asked Conservative MP Branden Leslie (Portage-Lisgar, MB). “I would say it’s about 50,” replied Frisson.Bloc Québécois MP Monique Pauze (Repentigny, QC) told the Environment committee the “only conclusion I can draw is it was just an election ploy.” The Department of Natural Resources showed Canada already has over 300 billion trees. Also, forestry companies plant many more trees to replace the ones they cut down.“The targets will not be reached, that’s quite clear,” said Pauze. “How could the government claim for years its two billion trees program would help us achieve the 2030 targets?”
