Canadian Tree Nursery Association Calls for National Action on Post-Wildfire Forest Restoration Gap

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.”