America’s National Forest System spans 193 million acres and provides immeasurable benefits to our country. Our forests sustain more than 3,000 species of wildlife and 10,000 species of plants. More than 160 million Americans benefit from recreation, leisure time and exercise in our national woodlands. These visitors spend $13.5 billion on our economy annually, sustaining nearly 223,000 jobs in forest gateway communities. Trees within our forests hold and purify water and stabilize soil, helping creeks and rivers run free—which is vital for the thousands of American communities who depend on forests for their water supply.
Perhaps most critically, trees convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and remove harmful pollutants from the air. They effectively act as a natural filter against greenhouse gases, preventing them from accumulating in the atmosphere and warming our planet. A healthy, vibrant forest system is our best, natural defense in the fight against climate change.
For this reason, the National Forest Foundation (NFF), the nonprofit arm of the U.S. Forest Service, has made planting trees and reforestation a top priority. Record wildfire seasons in recent years have destroyed millions of trees in forests around the country. Many areas have been burned so severely that natural regeneration is not possible, making replanting necessary. More than one million acres of forest land are in need of some form of replanting and reforestation.
By planting the right species of trees in the right areas, NFF is working to restore the health of national forests and make them more resilient against natural disasters such as wildfires. Planting and replanting trees will help conserve wildlife habitats, ensure healthy watersheds and robust recreational areas for all Americans, and provide one of the best defenses in our planet’s critical fight against climate change.
50 Million for Our Forests Campaign
Unfortunately, much of the U.S. Forest Service budget has been diverted to simply fighting recent massive wildfires, with much less funding left for reforestation. To help fund the planting and replanting needed to restore our national woodlands, NFF has launched the 50 Million For Our Forests Campaign. The NFF invites Americans—businesses and individuals alike—to join in a campaign to plant 50 million trees throughout our National Forest System.
The concept is simple: $1 plants one tree in a National Forest in need of tree planting. For every $1 invested, the U.S. Forest Service provides $2 of value in project support and implementation.
For companies, this is an opportunity to do more than pay lip service to environmental sustainability. We need to be good corporate citizens and take responsibility for the stewardship of our planet. To make a truly world-changing impact, businesses must take significant steps to combat climate change. That means helping to mitigate the carbon footprint generated by our business operations.
A single tree planted in our National Forest System can store a half ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
iGPS is committed to sponsoring the planting of 100,000 trees in protected United States forests over the next three years. Planting new seedlings in our nation’s forests will help restore damage caused by wildfires and natural disasters, conserve endangered wildlife habitats, and significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. The 100,000 trees planted through iGPS’s sponsorship will collectively absorb about 50,000 tons of carbon emissions from the atmosphere over the course of their lifetimes, and will help offset our company’s own carbon footprint.
By partnering with NFF, we can be part of the natural solution to climate change through large-scale reforestation and tree planting on public lands. Thanks to help from companies like iGPS, tens of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat will be restored, from the longleaf pine forests of Florida to the cedar groves of Alaska. Our partnership will ensure our forests will remain robust for future generations, while benefiting Americans now.
Companies who understand the importance of fighting climate change use iGPS plastic pallets for all their shipping needs. Our pallet pooling program limits greenhouse gas emissions and reduces Total Cost of Business. For more information, contact us at 1-866-557-0047, email a specialist at switch@igps.net, or visit our contact page.
