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Tree project will benefit Driftpile
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James Dorigo, left, Executive Director of Dorigo Tree Farm, Tomahawk, Alberta measures the length of a seedling with June Laboucan, project coordinator for the Driftpile Tree Project.
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Darlene Rae, Executive Director Raezen Tree Farm, Calgary, Alberta, takes soil samples for the initiation of their tree farm.
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David Dorigo, Executive Director of D&G Dorigo Tree Farm, Drayton Valley, Alberta takes soil samples for the initiation of their tree farm guided by GGSSI.
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Theresa Seraphim
For Spotlight
The four million poplar trees being planted at Driftpile over a four-year period will not only bring money to the community but will also help the environment, according to Frankline Mbikwa Agbor.
Agbor, the greenhouse gas emissions manager for Greenhouse Gas Separation Systems Inc. (GGSSI), which is undertaking the project, said poplars were the obvious choice.
“They’re the fastest-growing tree in that area,” he said.
The GGSSI web site says the firm is a Canadian environmental technology and technical services company established primarily to commercialize a new patent pending process for the elimination of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as carbon dioxide (C02), nitrogen gases (N02) and methane.
Agbor said the initiative, called the Driftpile Tree Project or DITREP, began when community members felt a desire to give back to the community. While 700,000 white spruce seedlings were planted between 1970 and 1990, 100,000 were destroyed by fire, so there was lots of motivation for doing something about the situation.
“The forest of Driftpile provides herbs to the community (and) maintains the quality and quantity of the waters of the lake whose outlet flowing stream is the main fishing point for the village. The forest also provides materials for native art and cultural heritage like drums for events like the .. Pow Wow,” said Agbor.
Other forest-related items are camping sites and materials, as well as spices for traditional dishes and wood for home construction, he said.
“Key components of DITREP will be site selection, soil testing, site assessment, species selection, industrial tree planting; and quantification of carbon stored in the trees and trading of the carbon on the carbon market,” said Agbor. The carbon credit will benefit Driftpile by sustaining cash flows, giving incentive for forest mainteance and monitoring, paying project staff and creating more jobs.
“Forest regeneration by DITREP will enhance the conservation of biodiversity, tackle climate change and foster sustainable development in (the) community,” said Agbor.
He expects Driftpile to get the same benefits as other locations have from the program.
“It has been a success in other places of the world,” and also locally, said Agbor.
“The Driftpile Tree Project has generated a lot of interest within two months, leading to four other tree projects springing up from the mother project.”
Driftpile chief Rose Laboucan said the project is slated to begin in November or December and will have many impacts on the community.
“It would mean our continuing to help out the environmental issue – climate change,” said Laboucan.
The project would also create employment for the community and tie in with the Aboriginal tradition of giving back when something is taken.
“We will give back to Mother Earth and do right by her,” said Laboucan.
Community members will be doing the tree planting.
“It’s the first time for a First Nation (for such a project),” said Laboucan.
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