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e-4748 (Environment)

E-petition
Initiated by Brendon Samuels from London, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • The government has pledged to plant 2 billion trees across Canada by 2030;
  • Trees, through their ability to capture and store carbon, play a crucial role in combating climate change;
  • Canada’s capacity to meet tree planting targets and growing demand depends on availability of adequate tree stock;
  • Shortages in stock of native trees for planting are worsening across Canada, resulting in significant increases in the cost of trees;
  • Tree supply chains are impacted by rising operational costs, limited financial support for nursery startups, constraints on seed collection, extreme weather, and emerging pests and diseases;
  • 2023 was the worst season for wildfires in Canadian history with over 15 million hectares of boreal forest burned;
  • Regeneration of burned landscapes may require significant additional reforestation efforts;
  • Reforestation can be planned using methods that limit risks of future fires, prioritize biodiversity and promote Indigenous-led forest management practices;
  • Dispersal of seeds by wild birds is a vital natural process that helps vegetation in ecosystems to regenerate over time; and
  • Ecosystem services provided by birds are jeopardized by unmitigated threats including harmful pesticides and collisions with building windows.
We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Explain the strategy to increase capacity for growing tree supply, to reduce costs of trees and to meet targets for planting 2 billion trees;
2. Explain the plan to remediate forest ecosystems burned by wildfires that are worsening under climate change; and
3. Explain how the government is addressing leading threats to natural tree seed dispersal services by migratory birds, including population impacts caused by neonicotinoid insecticides and fatal collisions with building windows.
Open for signature
January 10, 2024, at 12:34 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
March 10, 2024, at 12:34 p.m. (EDT)
Photo - Arielle Kayabaga
London West
Liberal Caucus
Ontario