A non-profit is going to replant millions of trees burned in wildfires across B.C., including in the West Kelowna and Kamloops areas.

Forests Canada is a charity that’s teaming up with the forestry consulting firm Cariboo Carbon Solutions to plant 100,000 trees in North Shuswap and Criss Creek in the spring. The goal is to keep planting and get 2.2 million trees in the ground around the province over the next five years, according to a press release issued, Sept. 4.

After the North Shuswap and Criss Creek plant this spring the partnership turned its attention to West Kelowna, Kamloops, 100 Mile House, Princeton and Williams Lake.

“Canada is currently facing a devastating wildfire crisis, with active fires burning from coast to coast to coast. A warming climate, drought, past fire-suppression practices, and the impacts of insect outbreaks have contributed to the increase of dry fuel in the landscape, creating the perfect storm of destructive fires,” chief operating officer of Forests Canada Elizabeth Jarrett said in the release.

The tree planting initiative is in response to major fires like the 2023 Bush Creek East fire and McDougall Creek fire.

Cariboo Carbon Solutions is going to give private landowners and First Nations professional reforestation services for their properties.

“While fires are a natural part of our forested landscapes, the intensity and severity of them is starting to impact how quickly a forest can naturally recover. This new partnership will enable us to support restoration efforts where nature needs a helping hand,” Jarrett said.

Landowners in West Kelowna, Kamloops, 100 Mile House, Princeton and Williams Lake can reach out to Forests Canada online here to find out about any reforestation support available to them.

“We feel this partnership with Forests Canada gives landowners hope and an ability to restore their land that they didn’t have before,” operations manager with Cariboo Carbon Solutions Andrew Steeves said in the release.

“Our vision is to play a part in a sustainable future by developing projects like this that enhance the health and functionality of British Columbia’s ecosystems and help reinstate ecological balance and support native biodiversity.”