Key Takeaways
- Canada’s current reforestation programs cover only a small share of forests lost to recent wildfires, according to The Canadian Tree Nursery Association – Association Canadienne des Pépinières Forestières.
- More than 7.3 billion seedlings would be needed to restore just 15% of forests burned between 2023 and 2025.
- Declining natural forest regeneration is increasing reliance on active replanting.
- Seedling production capacity is falling in several provinces amid funding instability.
- The Canadian Tree Nursery Association is calling for a National Post-Wildfire Forest Restoration Program.
Canada Faces Widening Gap in Post-Wildfire Forest Restoration
The Canadian Tree Nursery Association – Association Canadienne des Pépinières Forestières (CTNA-ACPF) has issued a call for urgent action from provincial and federal governments, warning that Canada’s current forest restoration efforts fall far short of what is required following recent wildfire seasons.
Speaking at the Western Forest Contractors Association Annual General Meeting and Conference, Rob Keen, Executive Director of the CTNA-ACPF, highlighted new data showing that more than 7.3 billion seedlings would be needed to restore only 15% of forests destroyed by wildfires between 2023 and 2025. This figure is more than ten times Canada’s current annual seedling production capacity.
“The crisis is compounded by a troubling biological trend—the declining ability of forests to regenerate naturally after more frequent and higher-intensity wildfires,” said Keen. “Without a massive, coordinated planting effort, we risk losing public assets, biodiversity, and the carbon sequestration benefits these forests provide for generations.”
Declining Capacity Undermines Restoration Efforts According To The Canadian Tree Nursery Association
Funding Instability and Production Challenges
According to the CTNA-ACPF, restoration efforts are being constrained by unstable funding and declining nursery output. In British Columbia, seedling production is projected to drop from 300 million in 2024 to 226 million by 2026. Quebec’s annual planting is expected to decline from 143 million seedlings in 2023 to 125 million by 2026. In Saskatchewan, recent wildfires have severely impacted production forests, yet proactive restoration measures have not been implemented.
At the federal level, the association noted that the dismantling of the Two Billion Trees Program has removed a key source of support for large-scale reforestation initiatives.
“Planning and growing the right tree for the right site takes two to four years,” Keen said. “A multi-year biological process cannot be managed through stop-and-go funding cycles.”
CTNA-ACPF Proposes National Restoration Framework
Coordinated Response and Long-Term Investment
To address the shortfall, the CTNA-ACPF is calling for the creation of a National Post-Wildfire Forest Restoration Program. Proposed measures include establishing a national task team with provincial, federal, Indigenous, and regional representation; identifying priority areas where natural regeneration is no longer viable; coordinating logistics across seed collection, nursery production, planting, and monitoring; and integrating Indigenous knowledge with western science.
The association also recommends granting “Major Project” status to large-scale reforestation initiatives to ensure long-term stability and economic growth.
“Our nurseries are vital employers in rural Canada,” Keen said. “Tree planting is not a discretionary program—it is a nation-building investment.”
The CTNA-ACPF is urging the Prime Minister, provincial premiers, and ministers responsible for forests to act swiftly to secure the future of Canada’s Crown forests.
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