Why is it Required?

Trees are essential to supporting life on earth.  Trees act as the carbon dioxide filters for our atmosphere and produce oxygen in exchange.  As humans breathe, oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is released.  Many human technologies such as the conventional car engine also use oxygen to burn fuel and emit carbon dioxide in the process.  Quite simply, without trees, humans couldn’t breathe. 

As human population increases and building and road construction continues, trees are commonly destroyed in the process.  It is essential that we keep the health and density of our National Forests, National Parks, and other existing tree areas intact.

While cutting and removal of entire forested areas is no longer common in the United States, natural disasters have significantly damaged our forests.

Present: Fire 
Northern California Wildfires - As of July 4, 2008, it was reported that a total of 520,831 acres have burned with the fire only 5% contained.  With the State experiencing a drought, complications of harsh terrain, and over 1,700 blazes roaring across the region, firefighters are spread thin leaving some fires to burn with little to no attention.  The present burned area exceeds the previous State record estimated at 500,000 acres burned.  The previous record was set…..just last year. 

Recent: Hurricanes 
Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 a staggering 70% of trees in the path of the storm sustained severe damage.  The much less publicized Hurricane Wilma, also in 2005, left Florida with 30% of the trees in its path severely damaged.

Past:  Volcano
When Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980 it devastated almost 150,000 acres of privately owned, state and national forests.