NOW: Looking for landowners interested in planting trees for Spring 2025!

Since 2016, Conservation Sudbury has been a Planting Delivery Agency (PDA) through Forest Ontario’s 50 Million Tree Program. Working in partnership with VETAC, Collège Boreal and local professional foresters, we have been able to offer this program to landowners living in the watersheds of the Vermilion, Wanapitei or Whitefish rivers, as well as areas west of, and including, Alban, Noelville, St. Charles and Markstay/Warren. To date, we have planted 338,000 trees in Sudbury and surrounding areas through this program and aim to plant 50,000 trees each spring.

By planting trees, you can help increase soil and water conservation, reduce the effects of storms, combat climate change, improve wildlife habitat and contribute to a greener, healthier Ontario. You can plant trees to create a forest, establish a windbreak, or create a buffer strip around a water course or wetland.

As a Planting Delivery Agency (PDA), Conservation Sudbury will work directly with landowners to determine site eligibility, create a planting plan, allocate funding and design and coordinate planting.

The program is designed to significantly reduce the landowner costs that would normally be required to complete large-scale tree plantings and thereby increase the number of trees planted.

Tree planting

Landowner and Site Requirements

Funding assistance is available to eligible landowners through the 50 Million Tree Program if you:

  • Have a productive area of at least 1 hectare (2.5 acres) in size;
  • Ensure land is open or mostly open and has not been a woodland since December 31, 1989 as defined by the provincial Forestry Act;
  • Sign a 15-year management agreement to conserve the trees;
  • Employ good forestry practices; and
  • Assume some of the additional costs for trees, to implement the plan, and/or to maintain the trees.

Apply

Landowner Resources

Learn about the benefits of planting trees on your property in the areas of field windbreaks, farmstead shelterbelts and living snow fences. View a series of videos about windbreaks created by OMAFRA. (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

Here is a guide to matching tree species with soil and drainage types and also a helpful seed zone map.

Did you know, through the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP), landowners who get their 4 hectare (9.88 acres) or greater forest classified as ‘Managed Forest’ pay 25% of the municipal tax rate set for residential properties!

We work closely with two Managed Forest Plan Approvers and can help to connect you to their services to help you complete your application!

More Information

Don’t forget that Conservation Sudbury will help plan your tree planting project.

Contact:
Jaimee Bergeron,
Water Resources and Stewardship Specialist
(705) 674-5249 x204
Email: jaimee.bergeron@conservationsudbury.ca