FIVE MILLION TREES PLANTED TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE

Five million seedlings have been planted through a groundbreaking agreement between Saskatchewan Environment and SaskPower intended to fight climate change. The agreement's five millionth seedling was planted this spring in the province's Porcupine Provincial Forest.

"The province remains committed to the renewal of our forest ecosystems, and to maintaining their long-term sustainability," Environment Minister David Forbes said. "This agreement has allowed us to enhance our existing forest renewal program while also addressing the important issue of climate change."

Under the Carbon Sequestration Agreement, signed in 1999, SaskPower provided $6 million to plant seedlings on portions of the northern forest, to establish Forest Carbon Reserves - existing forests to be left unharvested - and to fund a monitoring program. In return, SaskPower receives credit for the carbon that these forests are sequestering from the atmosphere. This carbon can then be used to offset the corporation's overall fossil fuel emissions. To date, SaskPower has received credit for 3.6 million tonnes of carbon generated by tree planting and Forest Carbon Reserves. The remaining 2.4 million tonnes required by the contract will be transferred by December 2007.

"Planting five million new trees is a significant achievement, and one that fits in very well with SaskPower's commitment to the environment, and to the fight against climate change," Minister responsible for SaskPower Frank Quennell said. "Carbon offsets represent one important way SaskPower can contribute to the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide, while continuing to supply our customers with the electricity they need."

The five million trees have been planted on 3,200 hectares of provincial forest in northeast Saskatchewan. This is in addition to Saskatchewan Environment's existing forest renewal program, which plants between two and four million trees each year. The forest industry plants about 16 million trees in the province annually.

The Carbon Sequestration Agreement was the first of its kind in Canada to be reviewed by a national scientific organization, the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Trading Pilot (GERT). The GERT panel endorsed the project in 2002.

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For More Information, Contact:

Al Willcocks Environment Prince Albert Phone: (306)953-2486 Cell: (306)961-7866