Soccer Kids to Help Plant More Than 800,000 Trees In Arizona Forests

American Forests
Friday, 7 February 2003

Nonprofit to help restore damage from recent devastating fires

AMERICAN FORESTS (americanforests.org), the nation's oldest nonprofit conservation organization and a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration and the Arizona Futbol Club (AZFC), a nonprofit that supports the development of young soccer players in Arizona, have partnered to plant at least 800,000 trees over the next five years for Wildfire ReLeaf.

The year 2002 was the worst wildfire season in recent history as millions of acres of forest in the West were damaged by record-breaking wildfires. By last November, more than 6.5 million acres of forests were destroyed, and the increase in the size and intensity of last summer's wildfires has caused a more urgent need to plant trees for restoration. In response, American Forests has partnered with the AZFC to launch the National Wildfire ReLeaf Youth Initiative to help plant trees in Arizona forests where wildfire recently burned a record 649,690 acres.

With more than 750 kids from ages six to 19 participating, Arizona's soccer clubs have set the goal of planting 800,000 trees by the year 2007. By all estimates, there are five to ten million youth soccer players in the western Unites States, making soccer the most popular sport in America. By 2004, 89 clubs in the western U.S. will have joined the National Wildfire ReLeaf Youth Initiative, with over 50,000 – 100,000 kids helping American Forests plant more than a million trees in 11 states. These states include California, Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming, and Montana—all of which were hit hard by devastating fires.

"Many small children in our youth programs wondered if the fires would come and burn down their homes. It is great to see the number of people and business leaders get behind our fundraising effort, says Jim Wallace, volunteer coordinator for the Arizona Futbol Club. "The Arizona Futbol Club is proud to help American Forests in this fundraising effort here in Arizona."

At three dollars per donation, one dollar will help American Forests plant two trees in wildfire damaged areas, and two dollars will support youth soccer programs in the participating states. To donate, you can visit www.azfc.org and www.wildfirereleaf.org. AMERICAN FORESTS began Wildfire ReLeaf in 2000, and has since planted hundreds of trees in restoration projects across the U.S. Thanks to a matching grant by the USDA Forest Service, every dollar plants two trees for Wildfire ReLeaf.

"Some people may ask why speedy restoration is necessary," says Deborah Gangloff, American Forests' executive director. "The destruction caused by wildfires is only part of the story. Water erosion is the main culprit. A burned mountainside void of vegetation cannot hold back or absorb water. Torched hillsides become water repellant and can be more catastrophic than the fire itself. Hillsides liquefy, wiping out anything in its path, threatening communities, and drastically changing the ecological balance."

For more information, or to contact American Forests, see their website at: www.americanforests.org