Eco-project aims for 20 million trees.AMERICAN FORESTS American Forests is a nonprofit conservation organization that promotes healthy forests and urban tree planting. The organization was established in 1875 as the American Forestry Association, by physician/horticulturist John Aston Warder and a group of like-minded citizens joined Coleman Natural Foods at a Washington, DC, Arbor Day tree planting to announce a decade-long environmental program aimed at planting 20 million trees over the next 10 years. The first beneficiary of the Coleman Eco-Project 2015 is the Nez Perce tribe, which received $60,000 to restore 8,000 acres of Idaho forest destroyed by the 2003 Mile Post 59 Fire. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "We've undertaken our land-based ecosystem program to improve and preserve our environment," said Mel Coleman Jr., chairman of the nation's largest natural meat company. He pledged to plant 1 million trees on behalf of Coleman Foods and challenged Coleman customers to join him to plant the other 9 million. The U.S. Forest Service will match each tree planted for a total of 20 million trees. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The trees planted across the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. this year will have a special emphasis on wildfire, with sites in Alabama, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Texas, and Wyoming. Joining Coleman and AMERICAN FORESTS' Executive Director Deborah Gangloff at the April 22 event were: Mark Rey, USDA USDA, n.pr See United States Department of Agriculture. under secretary for natural resources and the environment: Sally Collins, U.S. Forest Service associate deputy chief; Andrew Johnson, Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee chairman; and Douglas P. Wheeler, chairman of the American Farmland Trust American Farmland Trust (AFT) is an organization founded to preserve farmland in the United States and to promote sustainable farming practices. Farmers and ranchers founded AFT in 1980, partly in response to the 1979 report of the National Agricultural Lands Study, titled . American Farmland Trust is a partner in the Eco-Project, which will also restore 50 million acres of sustainable farm and ranch land, address the nation's critical forest restoration needs, and institute educational and training programs to protect working farms and ranches. Johnson, of the Nez Perce tribe, offered a tribal blessing before helping plant a 10-foot Colorado blue spruce blue spruce n. A Rocky Mountain tree (Picea pungens) having silvery-blue or blue-green, four-angled, needlelike leaves and cylindrical cones. It is extensively cultivated as an ornamental. Also called Colorado blue spruce. . The 2003 Idaho wildfire devoured 60 percent of the tree life of the forestland for·est·land n. A section of land covered with forest or set aside for the cultivation of forests. , part of the Nez Perce forestland watershed within the Clearwater National Forest The Clearwater National Forest is located in North Central Idaho in the northwestern United States. The forest is bounded on the east by the state of Montana, on the north by the Nez Perce National Forest, and on the south and west by the Salmon and Snake River canyons. . The Clearwater River, which serves as the tribe's water source, borders the area. The Nez Perce believe water to be the "blood vein of the earth," and they drink it before and after a feast in order to give thanks. The forest is home to several threatened or endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. , such as the gray wolf, which the Nez Perce tribe continues to work to remove from the endangered species list. The restoration of this land through tree planting will save the landscape and maintain the Clearwater River's water quality. "We sincerely hope others throughout the country will join us to reach our 20 million tree planting goal," Coleman told those assembled at the Arbor Day announcement. You can contribute to the challenge by donating a dollar at the checkout of such natural/organic grocery retailers as select A & P stores, Dorothy Lane Markets, Knowlan's, the Mid-Atlantic and North-Atlantic regions of Whole Foods Markets, and Wild Oats Markets Wild Oats Markets is the operator of natural foods stores and farmers markets in North America. The stores offer dry grocery, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, frozen, prepared foods, bakery, vitamins and supplements, health and body care, and household items. . Additional contributions can be made online at either www.americanforests.org or www.colemannatural.com |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion