Ten Million Trees Planted in U.S., Canada, Europe Since 2006

ST. LOUIS, April 21, 2015 /CNW/ -- For the tenth consecutive year, the Arbor Day Foundation is using funding from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation to plant 1 million trees throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany as part of the Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge.

The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand, which is part of the world's largest car rental provider – as measured by revenue, fleet and employees. Enterprise Rent-A-Car also is part of a global three-brand network exceeding 8,600 offices and 1.5 million vehicles throughout more than 70 countries and territories. The 50 Million Tree Pledge was established to specifically thank customers for their loyalty and long-term support. 

To date, more than 9 million trees have been planted through this unique public-private partnership, which – in addition to the Arbor Day Foundation – also includes the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service, Tree Canada, Trees Ontario, the U.K.'s Woodland Trust and the German Forest Protection Association (Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald). By the end of 2015, 10 million trees will have been planted through the program in forests across Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Canada, Germany, the U.K. and Scotland.

"We are now in the tenth year of this unprecedented partnership," said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. "So far, the 10 million trees we've planted together have helped restore critical watersheds in California, Colorado, Florida, Canada, the U.K. and dozens of other forests here at home and around the globe. Through the next 40 years, thanks to the vision and commitment of Enterprise, the next 40 million trees will be planted wherever they will best serve people, our environment and water resources for generations to come."

An interactive map of the plantings is on Enterprise's sustainability website, DrivingFutures.com. This year, the Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge accounts for approximately 20 percent of the Arbor Day Foundation's annual reforestation plantings. To date, Enterprise has supported more than 80 reforestation projects, planting more than 50 different species across 15 states. In fact, ten million trees can absorb more than 10 million pounds of carbon, produce oxygen for up to 40 million people per day and provide an estimated $27 billion worth of environmental benefits in only ten years.

In Colorado, for example, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation has funded the planting of 860,000 trees in Pike National Forest over a period of three years – and 20,000 more are planned for 2015. Pike National Forest was severely damaged by fire in 2002, severely impacting the health of the South Platte watershed, which provides more than 60 percent of Denver's drinking water.

"We are proud to be part of a strategic international initiative like this, especially since it expresses our gratitude and appreciation for many years to come," said Pam Nicholson, President and Chief Executive Officer at Enterprise. "In addition, we're maximizing the overall investment because Arbor Day Foundation's reforestation plantings are professionally managed and thus have a higher-than-average survival rate."

2015 Plantings

In addition to the 20,000 trees being in Colorado, the 50 Million Tree Pledge planting projects for 2015 include:

• 250,000 trees in Bastrop State Park, Texas
• 200,000 trees in Huron-Manistee National Forests, Michigan
• 150,000 trees in Indian Lake State Forest, Florida
• 100,000 trees in Modoc National Forest, California
• 100,000 trees in Webb Wildlife Center, South Carolina
• 30,000 trees in Flight 93 Memorial, Pennsylvania
• 100,000 trees to the Woodland Trust in the United Kingdom, specifically in Pentlands, Edinburgh & Lothians, North Yorkshire, Northern Ireland and Wiltshire
• 40,000 trees in District of 100 Mile House, Canada
• 10,000 trees to Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald in Germany, specifically in Nordaschsen

For the third consecutive year, Enterprise employees also volunteered their time to help plant donated trees at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. The 2,200- acre park is a permanent, living tribute that includes 40 groves of trees to commemorate the 40 men and women who lost their lives there on Sept. 11, 2001.

More information about Enterprise's sustainability initiatives can be found at www.drivingfutures.com.

This press release and car rental industry news are available in the Enterprise Holdings Press Room.

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Founded in 1957 and known for an extensive network of convenient locations, affordable rates and outstanding customer service, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand. With more than 5,500 fully staffed branch offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, Enterprise Rent-A-Car not only offers short-term vehicle rentals for insurance replacement, weekend getaways and special occasions, but also provides local transportation alternatives and Virtual Car® options. In addition, when severe weather strikes, the Enterprise neighborhood network plays an integral role in mobilizing local disaster recovery efforts of insurance providers, emergency response organizations and repair shops.

The Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand is owned and operated by Enterprise Holdings, the world's largest car rental company. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the highest-ranked car rental brand in the J.D. Power 2014 North American Rental Car Satisfaction Study(SM) and was ranked on BusinessWeek magazine's annual list of "Customer Service Champs" for four years in a row. Enterprise is named after the USS Enterprise, one of the aircraft carriers on which company founder Jack Taylor served as a U.S. Navy pilot during World War II, and the most decorated warship in U.S. military history. Today, Enterprise's support of the military focuses on three key areas – recruitment and hiring, local operations and community relations. Other transportation services marketed under the Enterprise brand name include Enterprise CarShare, Enterprise Rideshare, Enterprise Car Sales, Enterprise Commercial Trucks and Zimride by Enterprise.

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SOURCE Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Lisa Martini, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, [email protected], http://www.enterpriseholdings.com