To celebrate Earth Day, the American Bar Association announced a nationwide, public-service endeavor on April 22 that calls upon the nation's lawyers to plant one million trees across the U.S. in the next five years.
The One Million Trees Project is being spearheaded by the ABA's Environmental Transactions and Brownfields Committee.
"Trees are important to the environment because of their ability to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide," Maki Iatridis, committee vice chair, said in a press release. "Trees also contribute to the overall health of communities, wildlife and aesthetics."
Lawyers are being asked to contribute to the project by planting trees in their communities or by using the project's dedicated Web site to purchase trees that will be planted by one of several project partners, including the Alliance for Community Trees, The Arbor Day Foundation, Tree Link/Tree Bank, American Forest, Tree People and the Institute for Environmental Solutions.
Lawyers working with these partnering organizations can designate the areas in which their trees are to beplanted.
ABA members interested in a more significant contribution can fund the effort of these partner organizations to reforest public lands and rural spaces. Those looking to make an impact on the urban landscape can earmark their contributions to ACT, Tree People or TreeLink/Tree Bank for urban landscape renewal.
Project partners can also direct lawyers to hands-on tree planting efforts in regions throughout the country, the release states.
"With trees costing as little as $1 each, the section is optimistic that its goal can be met, and even exceeded," said Harry Weiss, committee vice chair.
To spread word of the project, section members will engage in numerous publicity and educational outreach efforts throughout the year, including tree plantings across the country on Earth Day and Arbor Day.
To participate in the One Million Trees Project, visit http://www.abanet.org/environ/projects/million_trees/home.shtml.
The ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources is the premier forum for strategies and information for environmental, energy and resource lawyers.
Representing more than 11,000 members with a wide range of professional interests, the section keeps its members abreast of development trends, current court decisions, legislative initiatives and statutes concerning environmental, natural resources and energy law.
With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.
As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.