The US Department of Agriculture plans to plant one billion trees over the next ten years to help restore millions of acres of burned forests in the American West.
"Forests are a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. Nurturing their natural regeneration and planting in areas with the most need is critical to mitigating the worst effects of climate change while also making those forests more resilient to the threats they face."
- Tom Vilsack, Secretary of US Agriculture
Only 6% of the land devastated by fires, pests, and severe weather events has been reforested, leaving a backlog of 4.1 million acres.
Last year, the Forest Service replanted about 60,000 acres of trees, that amount will rise to around 400,000 acres every year in the following years.
Spending on reforestation will also increase, from around $100 million this year to as much as $260 million.
Wildfires are the primary cause of forest destruction and account for 80% of reforestation as of 2021, according to the Forest Service.
This year, fires have already consumed 5.6 million acres in the US, twice as much as the same period in 2021 and three times as much as in 2020.
