Tree Groves to be Planted in Honor of 9-11 Victims

From: American Forests
Thursday, January 31, 2002

WASHINGTON, DC — NEWS
Contact: Stevin Westcott 202-955-4500, ext. 234FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Memorial Tree Groves to be Planted in Honor of 9-11 Victims and Heroes
Thousands of Trees to be Planted in DC and VA, New York City and PA WASHINGTON, DC (January 31, 2002) – News conferences were held today in Washington, DC, and New York City for the unveiling of the national Memorial Tree Groves, funded by Eddie Bauer, which will plant thousands of trees in honor of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and for the firefighters, policemen, and other heroes who responded that day. Specialty retailer Eddie Bauer is pledging to raise $500,000 to support the nonprofit AMERICAN FORESTS and its efforts to plant thousands of trees in Washington, DC, Virginia, New York City, and Pennsylvania – one tree for every victim of 9-11. Today’s news conferences were held in the Mayor’s Press Briefing Room in the nation’s capital and at Hudson River Park in New York City – just five blocks from the World Trade Center site. Participating in the DC news conference were: Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Washington, DC; Jim Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Chris Zimmerman, chairman of the Arlington County Board, Arlington, VA; Deborah Gangloff, executive director of AMERICAN FORESTS; Mark Rey, undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and the environment, USDA; and Darin George, manager of the Eddie Bauer store in Georgetown. Attending the event was Joyce Johnson, whose husband Lt. Col. Dennis Johnson died at the Pentagon. Also attending were fire chiefs from the District of Columbia and Arlington County and rescue personnel from Fairfax County, VA. At the news conference in Washington, DC, Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced efforts to plant 3,000 memorial trees in the District of Columbia to honor every man, woman, and child who died during the September 11th attack on the United States. The Mayor explained how the District is working with a number of entities including the DC Commission on National and Community Service to support AMERICAN FORESTS, Eddie Bauer, Casey Trees Endowment Fund, Green Spaces for DC, Urban Forest Council, U.S. Department of Agriculture and others to organize memorial tree-plantings in the city. Eddie Bauer’s Memorial Tree Groves will sponsor the planting of 184 trees in the District – one tree for every life lost at the Pentagon – recognizing the city’s proximity to the Pentagon and the national scope of the tragedy. The Memorial Tree Groves program also will sponsor the planting of 184 memorial trees in Arlington County, Virginia. During the news conference in DC, Arlington County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman outlined the county’s plans to plant 184 trees on public land and 184 trees on private property in remembrance of the people killed at the Pentagon on September 11th. Additionally, Memorial Tree Groves will be planted with more than 3,000 trees in New York City and 40 trees in Somerset County, PA, in honor of those killed.Eddie Bauer has pledged to fund the groves by collecting donations at its stores and online. Citizens across the United States are invited to support the program by contributing $1 or more at any one of Eddie Bauer’s 500-plus stores, online at www.eddiebauer.com, or through catalog purchases.“The act of planting trees is an act of faith,” said Deborah Gangloff of AMERICAN FORESTS. “With the help of Eddie Bauer and citizens across the United States, AMERICAN FORESTS and its tree-planting partners will plant memorial groves that will offer a place where people can reflect and connect with nature, and serve as symbols of healing and hope for the future. The trees we plant this year will not only stand as living legacies, they will provide environmental benefits like clean air and water for future generations.”AMERICAN FORESTS, Eddie Bauer’s long-time tree-planting partner, is currently working with local groups and officials in the four areas to designate specific sites where memorial groves will be planted. In 2002, these trees, approximately 6 – 10 feet tall, will be delivered to the designated sites and planted during special ceremonies. AMERICAN FORESTS’ Historic Tree Nursery is growing the trees that will be planted.Eddie Bauer’s Memorial Tree Groves program is part of AMERICAN FORESTS’ Memorial Trees Campaign, which is planting memorial groves in communities across the country. AMERICAN FORESTS invites individuals, organizations, and corporations to join the campaign. Eddie Bauer was the first corporate sponsor to participate in the project. Other partners include Earth Share through its Tribute Trees workplace giving initiative and Earth Day Network, which is introducing Trees Across America to its thousands of network partners. More information is available at www.americanforests.org. AMERICAN FORESTS and Eddie Bauer encourage citizens across America to become involved in their communities by organizing local memorial tree plantings.

AMERICAN FORESTS, the nation’s oldest nonprofit conservation organization and a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration, has conducted memorial tree-planting ceremonies since 1921 when First Lady Harding helped AMERICAN FORESTS plant trees in honor of American soldiers killed in World War I. AMERICAN FORESTS has planted more than 19 million trees in tree-planting projects since 1990. These trees clean the air we breathe and the water we drink, and provide habitat for wildlife. The organization will plant its 20-millionth tree during a special ceremony this spring.
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Founded in 1875, AMERICAN FORESTS is the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizen conservation organization. AMERICAN FORESTS is a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration, a pioneer in the science and practice of urban forestry, and a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forests. AMERICAN FORESTS is on the World Wide Web at www.americanforests.org. Since the mid-1990s, Eddie Bauer and its customers have planted close to 5 million trees through the company’s Add a Dollar, Plant a Tree program.

Web site: http://www.americanforests.org




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