From staff reports

 

Through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery Campaign — a partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation and International Paper— the City of Orange will distribute 1,000 trees to homeowners in Orange and surrounding areas beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 26 at the Riverfront Pavilion, 601 W Division in Orange.

These new trees will be free of charge for residents and will help to replace trees damaged and destroyed by recent years of weather devastation.  

“The people of Orange have suffered great personal and physical loss,” said Dan Lambe, Arbor Day Foundation president. “By replanting, we strive to bring healing and hope to the people and the communities in which they live, as well as help return the beauty and the value trees bring back to their properties.” 

“Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery program is continuing the process of recovery in Orange, and we are honored to be a part of building a better future for this community,” said Ed Barr, International Paper’s Orange mill manager. “These trees will add beauty and benefits that will brighten all our lives.” 

The Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery, a national program underwritten by FedEx and Foundation members, aims to replace trees in communities affected by natural disasters throughout the United States. 

Community trees are a critical element of urban life. In addition to providing natural beauty, these trees reduce air pollution, lower urban temperatures, help to manage stormwater runoff, improve the health and well-being of residents, reduce crime, and bolster community pride, according to its official website.

The program has held more than 775 events, distributing more than 5 million trees since its inception in 2012.

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters, and valued partners. Their vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty, and hunger. As one of the world’s largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. 

International Paper is a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based packaging, pulp, and paper products with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa, India and Russia. It produces corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable world-wide commerce; pulp for diapers, tissue, and other personal hygiene products that promote health and wellness; and papers that facilitate education and communication. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., it employs more than 52,000 colleagues and serves more than 25,000 customers in 150 countries. Net sales for 2018 were $23 billion.