B.C.'s forests minister says more than 280 million trees were planted in forests across the province in 2024, with efforts focused on fire-damaged areas. 

"2024 was a banner year for tree planting in B.C., including celebrating 10 billion trees planted since 1930," said Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar in a Dec. 23 media release. "Our government's commitment to sustainable forests has seen us lead the country by planting more than two billion trees since 2017."

This year, the province selected 13 different native tree species to help preserve natural ecosystems with an emphasis on key traits, such resilience to climate change.

As well as focusing on fire-damaged areas, work was also undertaken by forest tenure holders as part of their legal requirements to regenerate harvested areas, the province said.

John Betts, executive director of the Western Forestry Contractors' Association, said forests in the province are in good shape.

This is due to some strong years, along with the "government's commitment to tackling the impacts of climate change through adaptation and keeping reforestation programs at a level to help regrow forests," Betts said.

"Our members have been adapting to the concept of a restoration economy targeting ecosystem resilience through all kinds of different planting programs," he said.  

B.C. Timber Sales (BCTS), a division of Ministry of Forests responsible for managing vast areas of forested public land, also marked a milestone this year. More than one billion trees have been planted since the organization was founded in 2003.

BCTS supports local employment and communities by awarding around 40 tree-planting contracts to small business operators across the province each year.