Washington (April 22) – Global ReLeaf, the tree planting arm of AMERICAN FORESTS, the nation’s oldest nonprofit conservation organization, will plant 4.8 million trees this year in 43 projects in 14 states and 10 countries to help restore forests important for endangered wildlife, clean water, and carbon sequestration.

Since the planting of the first Global ReLeaf project 20 years ago, more than 30 million native trees have been planted in more than 600 Global ReLeaf restoration projects. An interactive Global ReLeaf project map is online. (See 2010 project list below or online.)

“We are able to plant so many extraordinary projects because of the generous support of individuals and corporate sponsors,” said AMERICAN FORESTS’ Acting Executive Director Gerry Gray. “Support has been so strong that we are confident we can reach our goal to plant 100 million trees by 2020.” Every dollar donated online or though a sponsor promotion, results in the planting of a tree.

Nine of this year’s projects will plant trees to restore forests burned by intense wildfires in California, Montana, Colorado, and Idaho. Other projects will plant longleaf pine in Florida, red spruce in Maryland’s critical Central Appalachian Forest conservation area, and to aid the recovery of an iconic western tree that appears headed for the endangered species listing due to massive die off from an invasive disease and the explosion of mountain pine beetles, disease-resistant whitebark pine seedlings will be planted in Idaho.

More than a million trees will be planted in community forestry projects in 11 other countries from China to Costa Rica and Cameroon. In addition to these forest restoration projects, AMERICAN FORESTS will plant trees at a number of urban sites this year including the Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, and Miami regions.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first Global ReLeaf project, a 1990 planting of jack pine in Michigan’s Au Sable State Forest to aid the endangered Kirtland’s warbler, three large jack pine/warbler projects will be planted this year in Michigan National Forests. Global ReLeaf’s twentieth anniversary planting will occur May 15 at the Kirtland’s Warbler Wildlife Festival in Roscommon, Mich.

AMERICAN FORESTS’ spring magazine includes a special report on efforts to save whitebark pine -- and the Western alpine ecosystems so dependent upon these trees -- and a feature on planting efforts aiding the comeback of one of America’s rarest birds, the Kirtland’s warbler. The magazine issue is available online May 1st.

Global ReLeaf trees are planted by organizations and agencies who receive grants to plant trees on rural and urban sites damaged by development, disease, pests, natural disasters, and other causes. Applications for a second round of 2010 grants are available online, and must be submitted by July 1st. # # #

AMERICAN FORESTS has been an influential voice for conservation and the environment since its founding in 1875. Today the nation’s oldest nonprofit conservation organization works with individuals, communities, and policy makers to protect and restore forest ecosystems. Headquartered in Washington, the organization is online at www.americanforests.org and publishes the quarterly magazine, American Forests and the monthly e-newsletter, Forestbytes.

Cape Chiniak Reforestation Effort - Alaska Partner Organization: Leisnoi Inc. and the Forest and Land Management Inc. The continuation of this 2009 effort will plant 75,000 trees this year to reforest 2,600 acres of land to re-establish a Sitka Spruce forest.

The Chiginagak Volcano Valley Native Tree Restoration - Alaska Partner Organization: Keep America Eco-Clean And Green, Inc This project will plant 350,000 native trees to restore an area where a volcanic mudflow greatly decreased the wildlife population, destroyed much of the foliage, and contaminated the creeks with sulfuric acid.

Yellow-Cedar Common Garden Study - Alaska Partner Organization: Tongass National Forest This project will plant 8,000 yellow-cedar seedlings to replenish the species suffering from yellow-cedar decline, a phenomenon thought to be caused by a combination of factors associated with a warming climate, such as warmer air and soil temperature, and lower snow packs.

Angora Fire Restoration - California Partner Organization - Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, US Forest Service This project will continue to reforest areas burned in the 2007 Angora fire by planting 36,000 trees to reduce erosion and improve wildlife habitat.

Los Padres Reforestation Project - California Partner Organization: Los Padres National Forest This project will plant 192,000 trees to revitalize regions of the Los Padres conifer forests, which experienced intense wildfires in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Mountain Communities Wildfire ReLeaf - California Partner Organization: Mojave Desert Resource Conservation District 125,000 trees will go to restore forests in the San Bernardino Mountains, which have lost millions to drought, fires, and bark beetle epidemics.

San Bernardino Reforestation - California Partner Organization: San Bernardino National Forest 107,000 trees will be planted in the National Forest to improve habitat for federal- and state-listed species.

Sierra Reforestation Project - California Partner Organization: Sierra National Forest 41,000 trees will be planted in the Bass Lake Ranger District of the Sierra National Forest to re-stock diminished conifers.

Burn Canyon Fire Reforestation - Colorado Partner Organization: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests This continuing restoration from the 2002 Burn Canyon wildfire will plant 151,000 Ponderosa pines.

Gulf Islands National Seashore Tree Restoration Project - Florida Partner Organization: Southern Eco-Restoration Projects, Inc. This project will plant 120,000 native trees to stabilize sand dunes, create storm buffers, and recreate natural habitats after hurricane damage.

Hal Scott Longleaf Pine Planting Phase 3 - Florida Partner Organization: St. Johns River Water Management Distict 166,000 trees will be planted to increase longleaf pine density where it is now too low to support endangered Red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Reforestations Of Damaged Areas - Florida Anastasia State Park - Department of Environmental Protection This project will restore forests and wildlife habitat that was damaged by hurricane related winds, human traffic, insects and disease.

Po'o Ho'oho'o Nene Habitat Restoration Project - Hawaii Partner Organization: Ka 'Ahahui o Ka Nahelehele This project in the Wa’awa’a Forest Reserve will plant 10,000 trees to restore a forest with a variety of native trees, plants, shrubs and ferns.

Clearwater National Forest Restoration - Idaho Partner Organization: Clearwater National Forest This project will plant 150,000 trees to stabilize watersheds, restore forests, and increase biodiversity in 4 districts in the National Forest.

Powell Whitebark Pine Planting - Idaho Partner Organization: Clearwater National Forest This project will plant 34,000 trees to restore the whitebark pine, greatly declined due to white pine blister rust and mountain pine beetle.

Red Mountain & Sheep Trail Fire Reforestation and Wildlife Habitat Restoration - Idaho Partner Organization: Boise National Forest This project will plant 60,000 trees to rehabilitate the watershed and wildlife habitat after the Red Mountain Fires of 2006 and 2007.

Showerbath Wildfire Reforestation - Idaho Partner Organization: Salmon-Challis National Forest 63,000 Douglas fir and Lodgepole pines will be planted to protect wildlife habitat and improve watershed conditions.

Whitebark Pine Planting In Willow Burned Area - Idaho Partner Organization: Caribou/Targhee National Forest This project will plant 15,000 whitebark pines to restore the vital species that provides a food source for many local animals, supporting the local ecosystem’s food web.

Cache River Wetland Joint Venture Partnership Reforestation - Illinois Partner Organization: Shawnee Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc. This project will reforest 50,000 acres of a deforested wetland corridor in the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, providing habitat for over 100 threatened or endangered species.

The Glades Red Spruce Restoration II - Maryland Partner Organization: The Nature Conservancy This project will plant 4,000 red spruce across 600 acres of the oldest rainwater-fed, mountain peat bog in the eastern non-glaciated US to reestablish this conservation area, important habitat for black bear, fisher and neotropical migrant birds along and several threatened and endangered species.

2010 Kirtland’s Warbler Habitat Creation - Michigan Partner Organization: Huron-Manistee National Forest With the state of Michigan and the US Forest Service, this project will plant 402,000 trees over 369 acres in the Huron Manistee National Forest to restore habitat for the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler.

Arbutus Lake Kirtland’s Warbler Habitat Planting - Michigan Partner Organization: Hiawatha National Forest This project will plant 272,000 trees in the Hiawatha National Forest to provide habitat restoration for the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler.

Waiska Watersheds Headwater Riparian Conifer Planting - Michigan Partner Organization: Hiawatha National Forest This project in the West Branch Waiska Watershed will plant 17,500 White Pine and Hemlock trees over 50 acres of land to control competing vegetation and water quality after settlement, logging, wildfire, farming and trapping have degraded water quality and temperature.

Wall Kirtland’s Warbler Habitat Planting - Michigan Partner Organization: Hiawatha National Forest This project will plant 101,000 jack pines as part of the recovery management plan for the endangered Kirtland's warbler in the Hiawatha National Forest.

Cave Gulch-Maudlow Toston Fire Rehab - Montana Partner Organization: Helena National Forest This project will plant 130,000 trees in an area burned by wildfires in 2000 to improve the local watersheds and the streams which many species of wildlife rely on.

Kraft Springs Fire Rehabilitation - Montana Partner Organization: Custer National Forest 485,000 Ponderosa pines will be planted to restore an area burned by wildfires in 1988 and again in 2002, in which no natural regeneration is occurring.

North Flint Ponderosa Pine Restoration - Montana Partner Organization: Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest This project will plant 34,000 Ponderosa pines over 113 acres to improve wildlife habitat in the Beaverhead-Lodge National Forest, and to restore a watershed in which trees are being attacked by mountain pine beetle, leading to deforestation, and resulting in degraded soil stability and water quality.

WildEarth Guardians 2010 New Mexico Riparian Restoration - New Mexico Partner Organization: WildEarth Guardians WildEarth Guardians and American Forests will plant over 65,000 native shrubs and trees in the hopes of restoring function to four watersheds that have been degraded by overgrazing, destabilized streams, extreme temperature fluctuations, and other factors.

Wauseon Park Windbreak - Ohio Partner Organization: Maumee Valley RC&D Council A total of 1,600 trees will be planted to create a field windbreak at Biddle Park in order to provide wildlife habitat and improve the park’s overall aesthetic value.

Fridley Gap Trout Stream Restoration - Virginia Partner Organization: Department of Biology, James Madison University 240 seedlings will restore a headwater stream where eastern hemlocks are dying of woolly adelgids, threatening the stream’s stability.

Tree Army Restoration Project - Virginia Partner Organization: First Landing State Park This project will close off all unauthorized trails and reestablish trees and vegetation in the area by planting 3,000 trees.

Connecting Forest Fragments at Devils Lake State Park - Wisconsin Partner Organization: Hardwood Forestry Fund This project will plant 21,500 hardwood trees in an inactive agricultural field to provide larger habitats for wildlife and improve forest health.

Backyard Nursery Project - Reforestation Of Jivikhli, Armenia Partner Organization: Armenia Tree Project This project will plant 175,000 trees on 136 acres of land in the Armenian natural monument known as the Getik River Basin, which is home to several rare and endemic animal species, and over 22 endangered species of flora.

Nkor Watershed Regeneration - Cameroon Partner Organization: Apiculture and Nature Conservation The project will plant 45,000 trees to improve the degraded watershed of the Nkor village, as well as to replenish the forest that once provided them with many resources, including medicine and fuel.

China Mangrove Protection Project (Phase III) - China Partner Organization: Putian Green Sprout Coastal Wetlands Research Center The third phase will raise awareness of Mangroves’ importance, providing materials to local communities and planting 300,000 Mangrove trees.

Caribbean Slope Reforestation Program - Costa Rica Partner Organization: Ecology Project International Ecology Project International, which promotes conservation through a partnership between local students and scientists, will have students in Costa Rica plant 500 native seedlings on abandoned pasture land, and monitor the trees to collect data regarding their growth rate.

Trinidad Conservation Project – Honduras Partner Organization: Sustainable Harvest International This continuing Global ReLeaf project in the Santa Barbara District of Honduras will help 22 communities plant 35,000 trees, as well as to maintain these and trees in past plantings to ensure successful reforestation.

Community Forest, Villianur Commune - India Partner Organization: RISE This project will plant 150,000 trees to improve water conditions that have been degraded due to overuse, urbanization, and industrialization in the Union Territory of Pondicherry, India, which is currently undergoing a crisis of water planning.

Native Tree Reforestation In The East African Highlands - Kenya Partner Organization: Plans for Life International This project will plant at least 15,000 trees to restore the biodiversity and reverse soil degradation that comes from land overuse.

Migratory Bird Habitat Restoration, The Papaloapan Watershed - Mexico Partner Organization: Pronatura Veracrus, A.C. 120,000 trees will be planted across 5 distinct ecosystems, promoting biodiversity in the Papaloapan watershed, home to 272 neotropical migratory bird species.

Reforestation for Monarchs and Watershed Protection - Mexico Partner Organization: La Cruz Habitat Protection Project, Inc. This project will plant 200,000 trees to reforest a Monarch butterfly biosphere reserve, and protect the watershed around two highland lakes.

Reforestation and Conservation In Nicaragua - Partner Organization: Sustainable Harvest International Each of 260 families, from 26 communities, will work together with Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) field trainer to plant a total of 78,000 trees to restore flora and fauna habitat, protect water sources, and create nutrition.

Reforestation Of The Peruvian Coastal Belt - Peru Partner Organization: Trees For Cities The project will plant 3,000 trees to help stop desertification and soil erosion, and to improve soil quality and water tables in the forests surrounding the city of Ica in Peru’s southern coastal belt.