OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP 2019 Year In Review AMERICAN ’ IMPACT

WILDLIFE

NORTHERN ROCKIES AND CASCADES

WATER PEOPLE

SIERRA NEVADAS AND SOUTHERN CA RANGES

LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY

YOUR VISION OUR MISSION

OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP here at American Forests. Throughout our 144-year history, we have tackled global challenges with small actions done again and again: like planting . Best of all, planting trees and caring for forests has a role for everyone, from cities to rural communities. With your help, American

NORTHERNForests is empowering people to take action and make our GREAT LAKEScountry stronger together.

LAKE But our work today is more urgent and complexCHAMPLAIN than ever. Thanks to our partners and donors, we’re tappingBASIN our deep PEOPLE roots in science, , policy and CLIMATEmovement leadership to overcome threats like drought and fire made worse by climate change. When we take care of our forests, they take care of us by providing water, wildlife, jobs and even the ability to slow climate change through natural carbon capture.

But our challenges go beyond the environment. America has

APPALACHIANgrowing inequities across lines of race and income that include ANDurban OZARKS cover. I am proud that our new push for Tree Equity is building a movement to give every person the benefits of city trees for health, wealth and protection from climate change.

With your help, we have stretched in new ways. We have published scientific breakthroughs on forest soil carbon and developed new ways to link underserved communities into urban forestrySOUTHERN careers. We are stepping up to plant more trees PIEDMONT and innovateAND climate-resilient PLAINS planting techniques with new field staff around the country. Our policy proposals are pushing federal and state officials to invest in our forests.

Because of you, our leadership is delivering results. From bringing back the endangered Kirtland’s warbler with our ReLeaf plantings in Michigan to introducing new climate legislation that will plant billions of trees on our public lands, American Forests is delivering change at scale.

Your support is deepening our roots and helping us reach for the sky. Thank you for your support in 2019—and beyond!

Jad Daley President & CEO CORPORATE Special thanks to our Lead Corporate Partners for DONORS their gifts in 2019

Thanks to all of our generous partners for their 2019 contributions

A Living Tribute Drum Workshop LPA Pledgeling Accella Tire Fill Ecobee Landscape Structures Foundation Systems Enablon Larson-Juhl Prudential Adelman Travel Equibal Labs Lee Industries Rainin Instrument Group Equiniti Services Lofty Oaks Rodney Strong Adenna Falcon Trading Association Vineyards Anheuser-Busch Company MRPEasy Savvy Rest Arhaus Farmers Insurance Mab & Stoke Shaklee Ar nDraiocht Fein: Favorite World Press Mark Thomas Siizu A Druid Fellowship Flo Cycling Company Synchrony Bank Company Frazer Consultants Marlins Place TJX Companies Inc Biohabitats FrontRunner Melitta USA The Book Company Broadridge Investor Professional Michter’s Distillery The Myers-Briggs Communication FuneralTech Microsoft Company Solutions GenScript Mountain Glass The Trees Remember Canton Cooperage Graebel Arts, Inc. Third Eye Pinecones Chubb Granberg NTI Global Thymes Clif Bar & Company International Nhance Timberland Computershare Green Circle Salons Norwex Toadal Fitness Corsearch Green Mountain Nouveau Eyewear Totara Crystal Geyser Energy ORCI United Technologies (CG Roxanne GreenCircle Office Support Corporation Water Company) Certified, LLC Systems CubeSmart Hardwood Bargains One Jeanswear Organization DTE Energy Ilmor Engineering Group Verizon Foundation Intel PINP, Inc. Sustainability Deadwood Revival Kelly Foster PX Clothing Vinesse Dell Kensington Passion Planner WATERAX Dito Decorators, Inc. Apothecary Plant People Working Asse AMERICAN FORESTS’ IMPACT

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SIERRA NEVADAS AND SOUTHERN CA RANGES

LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY NORTHERN GREAT LAKES

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APPALACHIANS AND OZARKS

SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND PLAINS SEQUOIA Special thanks to our Sequoia Circle members for their generous CIRCLE leadership-level gifts made in 2019

Anonymous Karen Ann Hrzich Gyan Riley Robert and Julie Abel Peter Hutchins Daniel Robert Brian and Ronna Alexander Rinna and Anthony Johnson Robin and Terence Roche Alan and Bonnie Armentrout Colette Johnston Mickie Rops Bruce and Carol Barge Richard* and Rhonda Kabat Sudeepto Roy and Valerie Kathleen and J. Stephen Barge William and Ann Kast Duforet-Roy Frank Batten Jr. Avrohom J. Kess Mary Sanguinetti John E. Baumgardner Jeanie S. and Murray S. Kilgour Kobi Sarker Christophe and Cecile Bellito Brian Kirkland James Schleif and William William Bohnett* Carl W. Kohls Morley/Immanuel E. Zimmermann* Clyde Kusatsu Presbyterian Church and Terry Boulos Elizabeth A. Lang Alan D. Schnitzer Robert G. Bourdon Richard L. Latterell Mark Shaffer Jennifer Broome Marie and Frank Le Bihan John C. Shannon Cindi Buckley Kathy and Dave Lett Sam Shine Judith and Frederick Buechner Dena and Ron Levine Jonathan Silver* and Melissa Moss Blake and Dorothy Cady Bruce M. Lisman* John B. Slater Sheldon Campbell David Makower Claire and Holden Spaht Carol A. Carpenter Chris Mann Robert* and Suzanne Ann B. Catts Kelly Mathieson Steinberg/The Steinberg Bihua Chen Mike McCormick and Carolyn Family Fund David R. Clifton McDowell Robert Stephen Annette Coronado Karen L. McKinley Robert Stillman Donna* and Slate Dabney Mariah McPherson Julia Swain Patricia and Eliot Daley Shelly Kay Meachum Brian and Tara Swibel Jad Daley Gary Miller William and Lisa Sykes Ilana D’Ancona Ron Miller Ava Szilagyi Natasha Davenport Claudia Miller Eric Taylor Barbara O. David Brenda Mogilnicki and John Bart and Deborah Tolbert Roderick* and Ann Marie Shipman Nick Topitzes/Topitzes DeArment Latisha Montgomery Family Foundation Bruno and Carolyn DePalma Kristin Moore John Van Weeren John Dernbach John and Cathy Mulcahy Connie L. Van Zandt Ryan Dobson Tom Mulcahy Vernon F. Vikingson Sarah Donelson Mindy Munger William J. Walderman Lisa and David Dvorin Jonathan and Diane Nathanson David Weber Holly Edwards Ann and Wes Nichols Lynda and William Webster Meg Ehrhardt Jeff Noblin Wendy Weiner Jeffrey* and Audrey Elliott John Ohly Karla Welch Dan A. Emmett Megan and Gavin Oxman Val Welman Ara Erickson* Patricia and Steve Oxman Sarah Whittemore Laura Faul Rahul Patel David M. (Max) Williamson* Lloyd and Patricia Fetterly Carolyn Penney/Guilford Kenneth P. Wong Marilyn Frerking Publications, Inc. Martha Wyckoff and Jerry Tone Gerard C. Gaynor Martha Perez Alev Yalman Katharyn A. Gerlich Nicolas Poitevin John Zapp Douglas G. Golann/The Jeffrey* and Sheryl Prieto Fullgraf Foundation Martin Prince As AmericanMyra and Drew cities Goodman have grown andElisa* become and Peter more Rapaport/ densely populated, American William* and Theresa Hazelton Rapaport Family Charitable *Members of the Board in 2019 ForestsCarol has Higgins advocated for more equitableFoundation distribution of urbanDonors trees of $250-$999and recognized greenspacesJoel Hillhouse so and they Christine can Adler benefitAnne everyone. Rhodes LeeFrom tree canopyin analysisthe online version and strategic to mitigating heat island effect and reducing the dangers caused by storms and flooding, our urban forestry work prioritizes underserved neighborhoodsFOUNDATION and people. Special thanks to our foundation A new aspect of our equity focus in cities in 2018partners was urban for forestry their generousworkforce gifts development.PARTNERS American Forests is advancing effortsmade to in grow 2019 long-term tree care jobs for the underemployed. Working with tree-nursery partners in Detroit and an urban reclamation and reuse start-up in Baltimore, American Forests is piloting projects that are the foundation for future expansion of urban forest- relatedAnonymous workforce trainingMeadows programs. Foundation Sant Foundation Weyerhaeuser Doris Duke Charitable National Fish and Seed Fund Giving Fund Foundation Wildlife Foundation The Trust For Public Wildlife Conservation J.M. Kaplan Fund National Wildlife Land Society JPB Foundation Federation United Nations Lintilhac Foundation New Belgium Family Foundation, Inc. Foundation NORTHERN ROCKIES In 2019, American Forests marked our 20th WILDLIFE year working across the Northern Rockies mountain range. Our work there was more critical than ever, given the scale and pace Forests are being at which these forests are being lost to white lost to disease pine blister rust and other diseases and and pests, like white pine blister pests, as well as extreme fire risks that are rust and mountain due in large part to harmful fire suppression pine beetle, and efforts and other activities. Climate change extreme fire risks; therefore, our is further fueling these rapidly-growing work is even threats. That’s why we planted 36,500 more critical. blister rust-resistant whitebark pines in Montana’s Flathead and Custer Gallatin National Forests—adding to the half a million whitebark pines we’ve planted across North America since 1999. The forest American of the Northern Rockies are an ecological Forests planted treasure, supporting iconic wildlife like the 36,500 blister rust-resistant threatened grizzly bear. When we protect whitebark pines. and restore this landscape and others, we are caring for our country’s rarest natural treasures, and the wildlife that inhabit them. CALIFORNIA Our American ReLeaf program completed seven native projects in California WATER in 2019, which resulted in 466,910 trees planted across 1,868 acres. We planted Jeffrey pines, Douglas firs, blister rust-resistant whitebark Out of our 19 native forest pines, ponderosa pines, blister restoration rust-resistant sugar pines, incense projects, seven were in California. cedars and giant sequoias. Most of these projects focused on post- recovery—including for the Carr, King and Camp fires that made national news—and many employed climate-smart restoration strategies. Without American Forests’ Together, these active planting efforts this year and seven projects over the past few decades, much planted a total of 466,910 of the landscape across the Sierra trees across Nevada and southern California 1,868 acres. ranges would convert to shrub fields, which are highly fire-prone and filter less water than conifer forests. AMERICAN FORESTS’ IMPACT

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AMERICAN RELEAF

COMMUNITY RELEAF NORTHERN GREAT LAKES

LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PEOPLE CLIMATE

APPALACHIANS AND OZARKS

SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND PLAINS RHODE ISLAND In 2019, American Forests officially kicked off the first year of our Natural Climate Solutions initiative, which strives to increase urban forests statewide in Rhode Island. Through CLIMATE direct engagement with municipalities, American Forests and state authorities will support tree planting and tree care activities, We created an strengthen relationships with nursery and online “decision landscape associations and develop an online support tool” to assist with decision support tool to assist with optimizing optimizing urban tree planting for environmental and urban tree public health benefits. American Forests is planting for environmental piloting this transformative initiative in Rhode and public Island to more broadly expand U.S. forest health benefits. sector interest in natural climate solutions, and we seek to replicate this work in other states across the country and improve federal policies that further the potential of natural climate solutions in federal spending and land stewardship. Led by Rhode Island’s chief resilience officer, in concert with the governor’s Resilient Rhody action plan to drive climate resilience efforts, this initiative is made possible through generous financial support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. WORKFORCE This year, American Forests launched Tree Equity: Career Pathways, an initiative that seeks to address a massive skilled labor shortage in the urban forestry and tree care PEOPLE sectors. A skilled workforce is fundamental to our mission of growing and sustaining healthy urban forests. And it helps address In 2017 a critical economic and social justice reality, alone, 71,000 landscaping jobs which is that communities with the highest went unfilled. tree canopy needs generally tend to be That’s why those with the highest unemployment; American Forests has launched Tree yet public agencies, nonprofit groups and Equity: Career tree- and lawn-care companies are facing a Pathways, an massive skilled labor shortage and struggling initiative that seeks to attract and retain workers. Our new to address this labor shortage and initiative focuses on connecting unemployed lack of access. and underemployed communities of color, and other overlooked populations, to green careers. Working with forestry employers, American Forests is cultivating a qualified and inclusive workforce to sustain healthy cities through resilient urban forests for generations to come. Nonprofit Org. US POSTAGE LOOKING AHEAD PAID XXXXXX, XX Permit No. 82352 TO 2020 1220 L Street NW, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20005

The upcoming year will be pivotal for forests. In 2020, with your help, American Forests will: • Drive innovation in applied forest-climate science and urban forest workforce development through new research and demonstration. • Advance tree planting and forest restoration with new scale and effectiveness through our established place-based partnerships. • Push for greater, more impactful public funding for forests through legislative advocacy and training policymakers. • Attract national media attention by engaging and motivating a wide audience to act on forest restoration. We could not do this important work without our donors and partners. facebook.com/AmericanForests Thank you for your support! @AmericanForests 202.737.1944 Tax ID #53-0196544

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