News Releases

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ACE Group today announced the selection of seven national and three international forest restoration projects as part of its renewed support of American Forests’ Global ReLeaf^® program. In renewing its program commitment, ACE will sponsor the planting of 19,340 trees – one for each environmental insurance policy written by ACE globally in 2013. Since it began its relationship with American Forests in 2007, ACE has planted more than 65,000 trees through the program.

“Major threats, such as climate change, invasive species, disease, and intense natural disasters continue to endanger our forests. For the seventh consecutive year, we are proud to be able to work with American Forests and support their Global ReLeaf program, which helps to protect and restore our forests,” said Craig Richardson, Senior Vice President, ACE Environmental Risk. “With the continued support of our clients, ACE is able to carry out sustainability efforts through participation in programs like this one. We look forward to continuing to work together with American Forests to protect and expand our planet’s forests.”

“American Forests deeply appreciates ACE’s commitment to address global threats to forests,” said Lea Sloan, Vice President of Communications at American Forests. “Forests cover nearly one third of the land on Earth and provide critical ecosystem services. ACE is making an important and vital contribution to the health of the planet.”

The ACE Group contributions will support planting 1,934 trees in each of the following ten American Forests Global ReLeaf projects in 2014:

Georgia (Paulding Wildlife Management Area LongLeaf Pine Restoration)- This project will restore 50 acres with 25,000 longleaf pine seedlings, improving the wildlife habitat on a new addition to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Paulding Wildlife Management Area in Paulding County.

Idaho (Mission-West Gold Restoration)- This project will create vegetative restoration activities allowing for openings and landscape patterns needed to meet desired stocking levels of potentially long-lived tree species that better resist insects, diseases, and stand-replacing wildfire. This forest restoration work will also benefit wildlife habitat and increase fire resilience. More than 70,000 trees are expected to be planted.

Indonesia (Orangutan Habitat Restoration & Protection II)- This project will plant approximately 35,000 trees in the area of Sumatra to provide habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan. The Sumatran orangutan is a critically endangered species, struggling to survive in the island’s shrinking forests. Suitable habitats for this species have been lost due to illegal logging, and poaching also poses a serious threat to these primates’ survival. The critically endangered Sumatran tiger can also be found in the area.

Mexico (Forest for Monarchs)- This long-term project will plant hundreds of thousands of trees in Mexico to provide migratory monarch butterfly habitat. This year’s planting will provide 55,000 new plantings.

Montana (2014 Fly Wilbur West Post Fire Restoration)- In 2012, five wildfires were ignited in multiple thunderstorms in southeastern Montana. This complex of fires became known as the Ash Creek Fire Complex, which collectively burned 245,224 acres on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Crow Indian Reservation, Bureau of Land Management, State of Montana, private and Custer National Forest lands. More than 100,000 trees are scheduled to be planted to help reforest the area.

New Mexico (Rio de las Vacas Riparian Re-Vegetation and Watershed Improvement Project)- This project will continue to plant native vegetation, including hardwoods, in an area ravaged by a 2011 wildfire. Species affected include elk, golden eagle, coyote, black bear, bobcat and wild turkey. American Forests will be planting here for its fourth consecutive year.

Ohio (The Wilds)- This project will plant hardwoods in an area that was an active surface mine 30 years ago. The land has recently been reclaimed and is ready for spring plantings.

Oregon (Red Zone Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic Ponderosa Pine Restoration)- This planting project is within the locally referenced “Red Zone,” where 300,000-plus acres have experienced mortality from the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Reforestation of this area with ponderosa pine seedlings is the primary strategy for recovering this native forest species composition.

Philippines (Mangrove Rehabilitation for Coastal Resilience in the Philippines- MaReCoRP)- This project will plant more than 67,000 mangroves with fishers’ organizations, NGOs, civic groups, schools and universities, and volunteers, as part of an overall watershed restoration.

West Virginia (Lambert Run Reforestation)- This project will continue the implementation of ecological restoration on 2,600 acres of the Lambert watershed through the planting of native species along the central Appalachian Mountains. Additionally, the project will address carbon sequestration and touches on the concept of ecosystem services while protecting several endangered species native to the area. Approximately 55,000 trees are part of this project.

ACE has been a pioneer in developing advanced environmental risk insurance solutions designed to minimize bottom line impacts and provide hands-on management for environmental liabilities. ACE’s Environmental Risk divisions in the U.S. and abroad offer a full range of specialized environmental and sustainable property and casualty insurance products and services, promoted as “ACE Green,” including coverages for premises-based exposures, contractors’ and project pollution liability, and renewable energy and environmental cleanup projects.

To learn more about ACE Group’s environmental insurance products and services, please visitwww.acegroup.com. For more information about ACE’s overall environmental initiative, please click here. American Forests protects and restores urban and rural forests. Founded in 1875, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the country has served as a catalyst for many of the most important milestones in the conservation movement, including the founding of the U.S. Forest Service, the national forest and national park systems and thousands of forest ecosystem restoration projects and public education efforts. In the past two decades, American Forests has planted more than 45 million trees in forests across the U.S. and in 44 countries, resulting in cleaner air and drinking water, restored habitat for wildlife and fish, and the removal of millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Learn more at www.americanforests.org.

ACE Group is one of the world’s largest multiline property and casualty insurers. With operations in 54 countries, ACE provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident supplemental health insurance, reinsurance, and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. ACE Limited, the parent company of ACE Group, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACE) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information can be found at www.acegroup.com.

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