February 2026 Updates
We hope you’re having a great start to the year. In this February edition of our newsletter, we’re excited to share some of the latest developments, highlights, and upcoming activities from CTNA-ACPF.
Canada’s 2 Billion Trees Program: What Its Cancellation Means
Our Executive Director, Rob Keen, contributed to a recent Corporate Knights article discussing the end of the 2 Billion Trees program and what it means for Canada’s forest restoration efforts. Rob emphasized the importance of sustained investment across the restoration pipeline, especially as wildfire impacts continue to rise.
Canada’s reforestation capacity is at a critical moment
At the Western Forestry Contractors' Association Conference, Rob Keen, Executive Director of CTNA-ACPF announced new findings: Over 7.3 billion seedlings are required to restore just 15% of wildfire-impacted forests from 2023–2025. With natural regeneration declining and nursery production tightening across the country, the gap is widening.
This is a national challenge — and a national opportunity. Our nurseries grow the trees that grow Canada’s future forests.
This work cannot wait.
The Western Forestry Contractors' Association Conference and Trade Show
The CTNA-ACPF team had an excellent time at the WFCA Conference and Trade Show in Victoria, connecting with leaders across the tree planting, nursery, and silviculture sectors.
Staff Kaylen Foley, Rob Keen, and Douglas Hevenor were proud to represent the association and engage in valuable conversations with members, partners, and colleagues from across the country.
We were grateful for the opportunity to meet with many of our western nursery members and sector partners, and we extend a sincere thank you to John Betts and the entire WFCA team for hosting another outstanding conference. The program featured strong speakers, including an opening address by Ravi Parmar, and timely discussions on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of forest management in British Columbia and beyond.
A highlight of the conference included our Executive Director, Rob Keen, and CTNA-ACPF founding director Scott Formaniuk having the opportunity to meet with Ravi Parmar, BC’s Minister of Forests, alongside WFCA President Timo Scheiber, reinforcing the importance of ongoing dialogue between government and the forest restoration and contracting community, and the value of a more unified voice across the sector. Just as important were the conversations between sessions—connecting with forestry professionals with decades of field experience and grounding policy discussions in practical, on-the-ground realities.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, shared insights, and continues to support Canada’s tree nursery and forest restoration community. We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing the collaboration in the months ahead.
B.C.’s forestry industry raises alarm about trees lost to forest fires.
After CTNA-ACPF announced over 7.3 billion seedlings are required to restore just 15% of wildfire-impacted forests from 2023-2025, the conversation was recently covered in CHEK Media in the article “B.C.’s forestry industry raises alarm about trees lost to forest fires.”
CTNA-ACPF proudly voiced the nursery and reforestation sector’s perspective.
This coverage highlights the scale of our collective challenge and the need for meaningful, sustainable, coordinated action on restoring forests destroyed by wildfire.
Strengthening a National Voice for Forest Restoration
Following the Western Forest Contractors Association Conference in Victoria, we wanted to share a brief update on several encouraging developments. CTNA-ACPF participated in productive discussions with contractors, forest sector partners, and government representatives focused on strengthening a more unified national voice for forest restoration.
There was strong alignment around the need for a coordinated, long-term national post-wildfire forest restoration program, supported in part by federal funding and delivered collaboratively with provinces, Indigenous partners, and the forest restoration sector. We have also received positive feedback on CTNA-ACPF letters sent to all provincial ministers, which have already led to follow-up meetings with several jurisdictions.
At the conference, CTNA-ACPF met with Ravi Parmar, BC Minister of Forests and Chair of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, to emphasize the critical role of nursery production, seed supply, and workforce readiness in any large-scale restoration effort. We were also invited to continue these discussions, with the potential to present to forest ministers later this spring.
The message we continue to hear is clear: nurseries are essential infrastructure in Canada’s forest restoration economy, and a strong, representative membership is key to ensuring our sector’s voice is heard.
We encourage current members and supporters to remain engaged as this work continues, and we welcome new members and supporters who want to be part of shaping the future of forest restoration in Canada. The coming months represent an important window to ensure the nursery sector is fully recognized, supported, and embedded in national restoration solutions.
Thank you for your continued support as we advance this important work together.