Bayer Advanced / National Arbor Day Foundation Restore America's Trees Program

04/28/06
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For Immediate Release
April 27, 2006

Luckie Strategic PR Media Contacts:
Lori Merricks (205) 877-9736, [email protected]
Shannon Goff (205) 877-9705, [email protected]
Ruffin Flowers (205) 877-9795, [email protected]
Angela Drinkwater (631) 477-1221, [email protected]
Brian Pia (205) 877-9870, [email protected]

Arbor Day Foundation
Kevin Sander (888) 448-7337, [email protected]

THE BAYER ADVANCED™/NATIONAL ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION RESTORE AMERICA’S TREES PROGRAM IS RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CREATE THE LARGEST TREE PLANTING EVENT IN U.S. HISTORY, APRIL 28, 2006-May 28, 2006
Free Registration at www.bayeradvanced.com and www.arborday.org

Raleigh, N.C./Nebraska City, Neb. — Bayer Advanced™, the consumer lawn and garden division of Bayer CropScience, and The Arbor Day Foundation are recruiting volunteers in an attempt to create the largest tree planting event in U.S. history from April 28, 2006, to May 28, 2006. The event is called the Bayer Advanced/Arbor Day Foundation Restore America’s Trees Program.

"Tens of millions of trees were destroyed in this country in 2005 as a result of insects, diseases, hurricanes, wildfires, and even urban sprawl," says John Rosenow, president of The Arbor Day Foundation. "Our goal is to recruit individuals and groups to plant millions of trees throughout the United States beginning on Arbor Day, April 28, 2006, and continuing through May 28, 2006."

Bayer Advanced is the corporate sponsor for the event. For every bottle of Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control purchased, the company will donate one tree to restore U.S. national forests. The product kills insects and prevents infestations for up to 12 months. According to the University of California Cooperative Extension Service, insects actually kill more timber annually than wildfire.

The Arbor Day Foundation estimates that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the very first Arbor Day on April 10, 1872. That first event was the brainchild of J. Sterling Morton who was editor of Nebraska’s first newspaper.

"Trees provide more than just aesthetic appeal," says Bayer Advanced lawn and garden expert Lance Walheim, who is a best-selling author and regular contributor to Sunset magazine. "Trees produce oxygen, provide a habitat for birds, stabilize soil, reduce erosion, mitigate flooding, reduce pollution and keep the earth cooler. It’s critical that we not only plant trees, but provide the proper care for them — to protect them, because they protect us."

How the Bayer Advanced/Arbor Day Foundation Restore America’s Trees Program Works

All you have to do is go to www.bayeradvanced.com or www.arborday.org to register as an individual or as a group and choose a day and location to plant. Pledge to plant a certain number of trees in your yard, neighborhood park or in areas devastated by insects, diseases, hurricanes, wildfires or urban sprawl beginning on Arbor Day, April 28, 2006 through May 28, 2006. Consumers should get permission from appropriate government agencies before planting on public land. Never plant on private land without permission.

There are a number of places where you can get trees:
- You can receive 10 free trees when you purchase a $10 membership to The Arbor Day Foundation. Go to www.arborday.org.
- You can purchase trees at Home Depot, Lowe’s, local nurseries, garden centers and tree farms

Tree Destruction Facts

- According to the U.S. Forest Service National Incident Information Center, 56,850 wildfires burned more than 8,261,437 acres in FY 2005. (www.fs.fed.us)
- There are approximately 750 million acres of forested land in the U.S. Insects and diseases killed more than 12 million acres of forested land in 2003 and nearly 10 million acres in 2004. (USDA, August 2005, Forest Insect and Disease Conditions in the United States)
- According to the University of California Cooperative Extension Service, insects actually kill more timber annually than wildfire. (Univ. of California, John W. LeBlanc)
- The Emerald Ash Borer destroyed 8-10 million trees in Michigan, Indiana and northwestern Ohio. (Dayton Daily News, August 22, 2005)
- The Mississippi Forestry Commission says Hurricane Katrina caused $2.4 billion in tree damage.
- According to the USDA Forest Service, trees cover only about 27 percent of the land in cities and towns. Community trees are aging or dying. There are not enough tree- planting programs to ensure adequate replacements and not enough tree-care programs to ensure their survival. (Connecting People with Ecosystems in the 21st Century. An Assessment of our Nation’s Urban Forests; Pacific Northwest research Station PNW-GTR-490)

Tree Benefits

- According to the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, your winter heating bills could be reduced by as much as 25 percent, and summer cooling bills could be reduced 50 percent by placing trees in the best locations around your home.
- Trees increase home property values 7-21 percent, depending upon the number and size of the trees. (City of Portland, Oregon.)
- Each year, the average tree in your backyard cleans 330 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. (Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station)
- One hundred mature trees intercept 100,000 gallons of rainfall per year in their crowns, reducing runoff and providing cleaner water. (USDA Forest Service)
- A typical tree produces about 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two trees can supply a person’s oxygen needs. (David Nowak, USDA Forest Service, Syracuse, N.Y.)
- An average tree absorbs 10 pounds of air pollutants each year, including four pounds of ozone and three pounds of particulates. (Center for Urban Forest research, Pacific Southwest research Station, USDA Forest Service, Davis, Calif.)
- The term "heat island" refers to urban air and surface temperatures that are higher than nearby rural areas. Many U.S. cities and suburbs have air temperatures up to 10°F (5.6°C) warmer than the surrounding natural land cover. There are a number of steps that communities can take to lessen the impacts of heat islands: Install cool or vegetated green roofs; planting trees and vegetation; and switch to cool paving materials. (EPA)

Tree Care

- When you plant, always leave a three-foot circle clear of plants or grass around the tree. This circle will ensure that the mower and string trimmer maintain a safe distance from the trunk; they can scrape the bark from trees. Over time, such injuries will weaken or kill a tree.
- Mulch the circle around the tree with about two inches of your favorite organic mulch such as bark. Spread the material carefully to avoid piling it against the trunk. Mulch conserves moisture and helps keep the area weed free. You may need to pull out encroaching grass once or twice a year.
- Water young trees regularly. Water every week during dry weather. The first one to two years are especially important for roots to become well established.
- You can protect your trees from insects by using Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control with MERIT®. Mix it in a watering can and pour at the base of the tree. It’s absorbed through the roots and systemically moves through the tree killing the birch leafminers, borers, including the Emerald Ash Borer, Wooly Adelgid and other listed pests. One application lasts up to 12 months — longer than any other product.

The National Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to tree planting and environmental stewardship. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.arborday.org or call (402) 474-5655.

Bayer Advanced lawn and garden products are created by Bayer Environmental Science, a business unit of Bayer CropScience LP and part of the Bayer AG family, a Fortune Global 500 company that makes such well-known brands as Bayer Aspirin, Aleve® and Alka-Seltzer®. Research Triangle Park, NC, is the business headquarters of the company's NAFTA Region. Kansas City, MO, is the company’s’ core technology center. The global headquarters of Bayer CropScience is located in Monheim, Germany.

Bayer Advanced products deliver Better Science. Better Results.™ and carry a money- back guarantee. They are available at major retailers and independent garden shops across the United States. You can learn more by visiting www.bayeradvanced.com or by calling 1-877-BAYERAG.

Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Bayer Advanced, Merit, and Better Science. Better Results are trademarks of Bayer.