With a goal to plant 1.5 million trees, The National Association of Realtors and The National Forest Foundation have announced a partnership! On September 22nd, NAR declared its allegiance with The National Forest Foundation. Leslie Rouda Smith, NAR’s President for 2022, initiated this partnership, declaring the hopes that at least one tree will be planted for each Realtor by the end of 2025. This will hopefully result in a total of 1.575 trees being planted overall.
Rouda Smith stated that as part of her association’s “comprehensive sustainability and resilience plan.” NAR is leading by example, as they always do. Rouda Smith is a Realtor from Plano, Texas. She continues her statement by saying NAR is helping foster more “vibrant” communities by increasing the number of trees that are around us. Doing this will deliver cleaner air, enhance stormwater mitigation, and encourage biodiversity in ecosystems, she claims.
She goes on to state that NAR is thrilled to partner with The National Forest Foundation as part of their efforts to support millions of consumers and communities that Realtors serve every day.
Planting trees has an incredibly positive impact on the planet. Planting the total amount that these associations plan on (1.575 million) means that 750,000 metric tons of carbon in the atmosphere will be reduced. That’s the equivalent of 145,931 homes’ electricity use for an entire year, according to EPA calculations.
Where will the trees be planted? Determinations on where and when the trees will be planted will be made based on the needs for repopulation. In areas affected by wildfires, drought, or deforestation, trees will be planted on an as-needed basis. The National Forest Foundation only plants native and ecologically appropriate trees in each area, which is critical to a thriving ecosystem.
Mary Mitsos, president and CEO of The National Forest Foundation, states that they are excited to partner with NAR to expand their tree-planting efforts. She continues by saying that the future of our National forests depends on partnerships like this one.
Macie LaCau is a passionate writer, herbal educator, and dog enthusiast. She spends most of her time overthinking and watering her tiny tomatoes.
