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The Tłı̨chǫ Government and federal government are jointly investing more than $53 million to plant 12 million trees on Tłı̨chǫ land.
An initial project to plant one million trees was commissioned in 2023 and plenty of planting work is scheduled to take place this summer.
The new deal, announced in Behchokǫ̀ on Friday, includes cash for greenhouse facilities to launch a tree nursery, money to support training and jobs dedicated to long-term restoration, and funding to plant 12 million trees with seeds collected from local sources over the next seven years.
The federal government, which is contributing $44.8 million to the initiative, said the benefits would include “a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, increased resilience to the effects of climate change, and protection from future wildfires by using Firesmart principles for tree planting.”
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Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, whose government is contributing the remaining $8.3 million, said the Tłı̨chǫ Government would “take a leadership role to foster the healing of the land after devastating wildfires” in 2023.
“Together, we will work to counter climate change through the reforestation of vital wildlife habitat and support training and employment opportunities for those in our communities,” Lafferty was quoted as saying in a Friday news release.
