Residents in Hammonds Plains and Upper Tantallon, N.S., who were affected by the 2023 wildfire, recently received a donation of trees from Northern Pulp. Tricia Murray-D’eon, chairperson of the Highland Park Ratepayers Association, announced that 6,200 trees, including sugar maples, yellow birch, and red spruce, were delivered to the communities.

“We had almost 100 families opt-in to receive the tree donation. So, everybody received up to 80 trees depending on their property size,” said Murray-D’eon.

“In Highland Park, 71 homes were destroyed, 38 were heavily damaged, and many others had property damage, including the loss of hundreds of trees. Our community has changed significantly. As we rebuild homes and people move back, we are focusing on reforestation in the affected areas.”

Professional tree planters were on site to demonstrate the proper techniques for planting and spacing trees. MLA for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville, Ben Jessome, praised the turnout for the initiative, stating, “Northern Pulp’s support for our community with trees is very important. It symbolizes the rebuilding and regeneration of our forested area and reminds us that while families are starting to return, our recovery is ongoing. We must continue to highlight the challenges that many are still facing as we work to rebuild.”

Nova Scotia is aiming to plant over 100,000 trees to replace those lost in the 2023 wildfire in Upper Tantallon and Hammonds Plains. Residents of Highland Park, Perry Pond, and Westwood Hills have applied to the Thriving Forests tree-planting program, which aims to plant about 118,000 trees on residential properties and in municipal parks this fall. A total of 23 tree-planting projects are planned under the Thriving Forests program across the province.

Source: CTV News, Government Of Nova Scotia