Milestone comes after surpassing 2024 goal
of 25,000 donated trees
AKRON,
Ohio, Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of
its commitment to the environment and sustainability, FirstEnergy
Corp. (NYSE: FE) has planted its 100,000th donated tree.
The milestone comes less than five years after the company launched
its tree planting and donation program in 2020.
With nearly 34,000 trees planted so far this year, FirstEnergy's
Green Teams have significantly surpassed their 2024 goal of 25,000
trees. The Green Teams, who lead tree planting and donation events
across FirstEnergy's six-state service territory, are employees
from roles across the organization who volunteer their time
together to environmental causes.
Jessica Shaffer, Advanced
Scientist and Lead of FirstEnergy's Green Teams: "This
program began in 2020 with a modest goal of planting 10,000 trees.
The incredible success of the past five years is a testament to the
commitment of our Green Team volunteers, the love our teams have
for their communities and FirstEnergy's dedication to building a
sustainable future."
After planting 1,000 trees in 2020, the program has grown each
year, having now planted more than 101,000 trees at nearly 300
different planting and donation events. This year alone,
nearly 650 FirstEnergy Green Team members have volunteered more
than 3,000 hours at nearly 150 tree-planting events, achieving
impressive results:
- Ohio: More than 10,000 trees
donated and planted
- Pennsylvania: More than 9,000
trees donated and planted
- West Virginia: More than 6,700
trees donated and planted
- Maryland: More than 5,000
trees donated and planted
- New Jersey: About 3,000 trees
donated and planted
More than half of FirstEnergy tree-planting events were held in
underserved areas, which include communities chosen based on income
level, education access or environmental issues such as proximity
to Superfund sites, abandoned mines or poor air quality.
In addition to environmental benefits, FirstEnergy's
tree-planting program also enhances community landscapes through
the greenery, shade and other benefits offered by trees. Native
tree species are donated, and the location for each planting is
selected to ensure a safe distance from power lines and to minimize
the need for pruning in the future. Among the donations are various
varieties of fruit trees, which will be harvested by local schools
and non-profits for donations to food banks.
FirstEnergy's Green Teams will continue to partner with state
park systems, watershed and recycling groups, garden clubs, schools
and other environmentally focused organizations to support the
company's commitment to building a brighter and more sustainable
future.
For more information about FirstEnergy's environmental and
corporate responsibility efforts, visit
fecorporateresponsibility.com.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, West Virginia,
Maryland and New York. The company's transmission
subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission
lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow
FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com and on
X @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Photos of FirstEnergy tree planting
events are available for download on Flickr. A video about
FirstEnergy's tree planting program is available on YouTube.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.