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Arbor Day Foundation Launches Campaign to Bring Trees Back to Tornado-Battered Alabama

date 06/28/11

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Nebraska City, Neb. (June 28, 2011) – In the wake of the devastating tornadoes that battered Tuscaloosa and communities throughout north Alabama, the Arbor Day Foundation, in collaboration with the Alabama Forestry Commission, launched a new campaign to bring trees to families throughout the area.

The new Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign has been launched in response to proactive efforts of the Alabama Forestry Commission to spearhead recovery of the area's trees and forests and the requests of concerned Arbor Day Foundation members and supporters across the country.

While the cleanup and rebuilding will continue for years to come, people can help the healing process now. Anyone can help with an online donation at www.arborday.org/Alabama. For every dollar donated, the Arbor Day Foundation will deliver a tree to an Alabama resident affected by the April tornadoes.

The Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign aims to help families restore their homes and neighborhoods. The new trees bring beauty, healing, and hope. With people's support to the Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign, the tree-lined streets, shaded parks, and beautiful neighborhoods that have always been part of Alabama can return.

The Arbor Day Foundation will deliver native trees selected to thrive in the area at the best time for planting. Distribution of the trees to awaiting Alabama families and communities will be coordinated by the Alabama Forestry Commission in February 2012.

"The Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign is an important effort to distribute trees to Alabamians who had homes destroyed in the April tornado outbreak," said Governor Robert Bentley. "This campaign will help restore our communities and I am appreciative to the Alabama Forestry Commission and Arbor Day Foundation for coming together on this project."

"The trees lost in the recent tornado outbreak provided millions of dollars in environmental, economic, and social benefits," said Linda Casey, the Alabama State Forester. "This campaign can go a long way toward putting our communities and surrounding areas on the path to recovery."

The Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign is the newest initiative in the Arbor Day Foundation's Trees for America program. Other initiatives include delivering more than 120,000 trees to Gulf Coast families who were victims of Hurricane Katrina, and replanting more than 20 million trees in national forests devastated by disease and fire.

About the Arbor Day Foundation:

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization with more than one million members nationwide. More information about the Foundation and its conservation programs can be found at www.arborday.org.

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