State Farm, Arbor Day Foundation Announce Tree-Planting Collaboration
(CBS Detroit) — Last year, an estimated one million trees were destroyed in the U.S. due to natural disasters.
To help fix this issue of tree loss that has impacted several communities, State Farm and the Arbor Day Foundation are working together to replant trees and build more resilience in disaster-impacted areas.
State Farm is committing one million dollars to the Arbor Day Foundation to use for planting trees and reforestation projects throughout the remainder of 2021.
"Trees play a vital role in the stability of our communities and their resilience against disaster," said State Farm Vice President of Administrative Services Jenny Greminger, who oversees the company's environmental sustainability team. "Replanting in a strategic way will help impacted areas recover and potentially better withstand severe weather in the future."
The Arbor Day Foundation found that 15 states include key areas that natural disasters have impacted. These states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.
There will be reforestation, tree planting, and tree giveaway events starting in the spring and happening through the fall in these key areas. These events will be announced as they are confirmed.
One of the planned projects will be an "urban heat island" tree planting event this fall in Detroit.
This collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation follows State Farm committing to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by the end of 2030 and after State Farm released its first Environmental, Social, and Governance report.
State Farm's efforts are a part of its "Good Neighbors. Better World." initiative in which the company is emphasizing the importance of social and environmental responsibility.
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