ST. LOUIS, Feb. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation - the philanthropic arm of Enterprise Rent-A-Car - is pledging $2 million to fund 40 community tree-planting events in neighborhoods across the United States. The program, called the Enterprise Urban Tree Initiative, was kicked off in fall 2018 and will continue throughout spring 2020. This initiative is in addition to the 50 Million Tree Pledge, Enterprise's ongoing partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation.
The Enterprise Urban Tree Initiative invests in cities that have been devastated by hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, hailstorms and other natural disasters. Each project is selected to prioritize immediate reforestation needs and to help restore damaged ecosystems.
"In 2018, we reinforced our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening the communities where we do business," said Carolyn Kindle Betz, President of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation. "Our neighborhood network is the foundation of our success, and the Enterprise Urban Tree Initiative complements the critical role our business plays in aiding disaster recovery efforts."
The strength and reach of the Enterprise neighborhood network uniquely position Enterprise to meet the demands of government agencies, insurance companies and collision repair centers when disaster recovery is priority No. 1. The company is always prepared to respond and move vehicles into affected areas as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Each regional Enterprise Holdings subsidiary has an Emergency Action Plan to ensure each branch office makes the right number and types of vehicles available during disaster recovery.
In 2018, more than 3,000 trees were planted or distributed at eight community tree-planting events staffed by local Enterprise employees, including the distribution of more than 1,000 trees at Kendall Soccer Park in Miami. Miami-Dade County's tree canopy took a tremendous hit in 2017, losing 30 percent of its trees to Hurricane Irma. Enterprise employees worked with Million Trees Miami to help restore and grow a more wind-resistant tree inventory at the park. Last year, Enterprise employees also partnered with Trees for Houston to plant more than 50 trees at Pin Oak Middle School. The school lost much of its tree canopy to multiple natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey.
Other events took place in Atlanta, Cleveland, Delray Beach, Fla., Detroit, Jacksonville, Fla., and Philadelphia.
This spring, Enterprise will fund 12 additional tree-planting events in Baton Rouge, La., Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Denver, Easton, Pa., Louisville, Ky., Minneapolis, Oahu, Hawaii, Portland, Ore., St. Louis, Salt Lake City, and the U.K.
50 Million Tree Pledge: 2018 Highlights
Since 2006, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation has funded the planting of 1 million trees every year as part of the Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge, a unique public-private partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation that will continue through 2056. Established in honor of the company's 50th anniversary, the program has led to the planting of more than 13 million trees around the world.
"We are incredibly grateful for Enterprise's continued support," said Dan Lambe, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. "This long-term initiative continues to greatly help our efforts to restore forests and preserve habitats for endangered species."
The 1 million trees planted in 2018 represent 15 projects throughout Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland and the U.K. - as well as in diverse forests in eight U.S. states: California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon.
Notable 2018 projects included:
- Planting 250,000 native tree species in Florida'sWashington and Bay Counties to preserve drinking water sources;
- Replanting 229 acres of forest land burned by the 2012 Ash Creek Fire at Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana;
- Reestablishing a critical habitat for area wildlife, including the northern spotted owl and endangered Coho salmon, by planting 30,000 trees in the Klamath National Forest in California;
- Restoring 59 acres of forest lands in Southwestern France that were significantly impacted by storm damage; and,
- Enriching the Irish landscape by planting 50,000 trees at 13 different sites to provide sustainable and valuable environmental benefits for current and future generations.
50 Million Tree Pledge: 2019 Plantings in Progress
Enterprise and Arbor Day have planned 16 vital 2019 tree-planting projects totaling 1 million trees:
- 200,000 trees in the Econfina Creek Wildlife Management Area, Florida
- 155,000 trees in the Michigan State Lands, Michigan
- 130,000 trees in Sierra National Forest, California
- 103,000 trees in The Nature Conservancy Wildlife Management Areas, Georgia
- 100,000 trees in Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota
- 75,000 trees in Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana
- 50,000 trees in the U.K. and Scotland
- 45,000 trees in Willamette River Basin, Oregon
- 35,000 trees in Ireland
- 30,000 trees in Landes Forest, France
- 25,000 trees in Pike National Forest, Colorado
- 25,000 trees in Swan Lake First Nation Indian Reserve, Canada (Manitoba)
- 13,000 trees in Markkleeberger, Germany
- 5,000 trees in Fort McMurray, Canada (Alberta)
- 5,000 trees in Kahikinui Region, Hawaii
- 4,000 trees in Spain
Through the Arbor Day Foundation, the Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge works with a variety of partners in North America, including the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. National Park Service and the National Association of State Foresters, as well as Tree Canada and Forest Recovery Canada. In Europe, partners include the U.K.'s Woodland Trust, France's Reforest'Action, and the German Forest Protection Association (Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald).
The 50 Million Tree Pledge is one of several global philanthropic initiatives supported by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation to make a difference in local communities. Among these initiatives, totaling more than $180 million, is the Routes & Roots: Enterprise Health Rivers Project, a partnership with The Nature Conservancy to address watershed conservation challenges, and Fill Your Tank, one of the largest donations aimed at fighting hunger.
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