Tłı̨chǫ Government Signs Agreement for Largest Tree Planting Project in the Northwest Territories

According to Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on Wednesday (10-18-23) between the Tłı̨chǫ Government, Tree Canada, and Let’s Plant Trees Ltd. to launch a three-year agreement to plant one million trees on Tłı̨chǫ land. The project represents the most ambitious reforestation project ever undertaken in the Northwest Territories (NWT) and encompasses significant employment and capacity building opportunities.

The MOU to plant one million trees aims to restore vital Boreal Caribou habitat in the region and is an active response by the Tłı̨chǫ Government to the unprecedented wildfires this summer. The project represents a significant opportunity to combat climate change and support ecosystem restoration and economic development through green jobs.

Working with Tree Canada and Let’s Plant Trees Ltd., the Tłı̨chǫ Government will begin work this fall to harvest cones from local trees. The cones will be processed to extract their seeds, and the seeds will be grown into saplings over the next 18 months before being planted in the summers of 2025 and 2026.

The project incorporates the Tłı̨chǫ philosophy of “Strong Like Two People,” as it is guided to a large extent by Tłı̨chǫ Traditional Knowledge and is supported by western science.

Community elders, environmental monitors, and forestry and silviculture experts are working to identify priority planting areas and trees species best suited for caribou habitat reforestation. Following the devasting forest fires this summer, “FireSmart” planting will be a significant component of the project and help protect communities well into the future.