They are going to plant 2 billion trees....

[AlbertaFarmer5]

If you insist that this wide space be returned to its historical setting, get use to a devoid of trees.

How true. Was recently talking to the curator at the Fort Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site about the earliest picture of the fort. Not a tree in sight. As far as they know this was a combination of regular forest fires, the need for wood for construction and firewood, room for camping and security.
He commented that everytime he wants to cut down a few trees for a new project he gets pushback that he needs to keep it authentic, to which he responds, OK, we will just remove them all so it is historically accurate, and they allow him to remove the few. Same is true for early pictures of other western towns and forts.

According to the old timers, the earliest settlers to this area didn't have to deal with forests at all, they were all burnt recently, and never got to the age and size that they do now thanks to regularly recurring forest fires. Settling this part of the world now and having to clear bush by hand would be monumental to say the least, considering the size and density of the forests.

Jazz, I think you missed some zero's with your figure of 60 trees per acre, that would be trees 27 feet apart in every direction. Google told me a white spruce forest in Nova Scotia has seedlings up to 200,000 per acre, and expect 5 to 6000 to survive to be 15 years old.

[chuckChuck]

Most of the tree planting is planned for cities! Do you guys not read?

Lots of farmers planted trees and still keep their field windbreaks. In dry parched areas trees trap snow, reduce wind speeds and erosion. And the shelter belt land lost to trees makes the adjacent land more productive.

[chuckChuck]

WTF? Why would anyone argue against planting trees in cities?

How many farmers when at a barbecue try to find a cool shady tree to sit under? Or would you rather sit out in the hot sun? LOL

[jazz]

Why go to all that trouble to plant trees when you can just shut down the softwood industry. Problem solved.

[sumdumguy]

Small communities have by- laws dictating that when you build a new house you pay a $1500 deposit that you get back if you plant 100 or 150 bushes or trees. That seems like a lot but really it is doable and the developments green up pretty fast.

[chuckChuck]

Trudeau announced this initiative as a measure to capture more carbon. Trees have many other benefits as well.

Unfortunately farmers are left out of this approach. Why not encourage and reward farmers for using practices that capture carbon, protect the environment and improve the soil?

The political problem is that farmers overwhelmingly vote Conservative, so all the parties including Conservatives don't have to offer anything to farmers to secure their support.

[farmaholic]

Trudeau announced this initiative as a measure to capture more carbon. Trees have many other benefits as well.

Unfortunately farmers are left out of this approach. Why not encourage and reward farmers for using practices that capture carbon, protect the environment and improve the soil?

The political problem is that farmers overwhelmingly vote Conservative, so all the parties including Conservatives don't have to offer anything to farmers to secure their support.

Translated, that means they don't want to pay us for something we are already doing!

[sumdumguy]

How hard is it to plant 2000 trees from Indian Head? Flatlanders would love todo it- prolly northerners not so much. All our local RM’s used to have tree planters. So it only takes a million farmers - no problem 🥴 That would be the fly in the ointment. Maybe we gotta plant 5000 trees each, we’ll be roto-tilling all summer but won’t get into much other trouble.

[bucket]

How hard is it to plant 2000 trees from Indian Head? Flatlanders would love todo it- prolly northerners not so much. All our local RM’s used to have tree planters. So it only takes a million farmers - no problem 🥴 That would be the fly in the ointment. Maybe we gotta plant 5000 trees each, we’ll be roto-tilling all summer but won’t get into much other trouble.

Won't have to rototill if you lay down plastic ...probably get a grant to retrofit the tree planters with a plastic wrap in front and a slot maker for the saplings....hahaha

[jazz]

Translated, that means they don't want to pay us for something we are already doing!

Translated they wont recognize something we already do and Canada already has, so its put in schemes they know wont work, publish some bogus studies and the tax goes up next year. They don't want it to work. If they did there are a 100 better ways to cut emissions like halting immigration from warm countries to cold ones.

[chuckChuck]

Translated, that means they don't want to pay us for something we are already doing!

I dont think draining wetlands, breaking up vulnerable grasslands and pushing bush qualify as protecting the environment. Unfortunately some farmers still continue to do a lot of all 3.

In Europe some of the subsidy support programs are tied to providing ALUS. That provides a strong incentive to to follow BMPs.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Won't have to rototill if you lay down plastic ...probably get a grant to retrofit the tree planters with a plastic wrap in front and a slot maker for the saplings....hahaha

Can't do that, he already banned single use plastics. I'm sure I should follow that up with a joke about drink box water bottle kinda things.