B.C. governments plant 125M trees in major reforestation push

British Columbia and Canada are launching a major reforestation effort that will plant more than 125 million trees across the province, with combined government funding exceeding $355 million.

The provincial government is contributing approximately $155 million, while the federal government is providing more than $200 million through several restoration and tree-planting programs. A large portion of the funding will support reforestation in areas affected by recent wildfires, with the program expected to plant nearly 54 million trees on public lands by 2027.

Part of the funding comes from the federal government's 10-year "2 Billion Trees" program, first announced in 2023, which supports projects designed to restore critical wildlife habitat. The investment package includes more than $99 million for the B.C. Forest Investment Program, which already receives annual provincial funding to support forest renewal and sustainability projects. Additional funding will be directed toward habitat restoration projects and riparian recovery work.

First Nations will also have access to dedicated funding for habitat restoration, with up to $13.3 million earmarked for Indigenous-led projects. This builds on the 400 million trees that have been planted in B.C. since 2017. In 2026 alone, it is expected that over 233 million trees will be planted on public lands, including over 48 million seedlings.

The reforestation effort strengthens B.C.'s forest health and biodiversity at a time when wildfire recovery has become critical to the province's ecological future.