Gov. Tony Evers Pledges To Plant 75M Trees By End Of Decade

Gov. Tony Evers has issued an executive order that directs the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to plant 75 million trees by the end of 2030.

Evers made the commitment to working with public, private and nonprofit partners to mark Earth Day.

"Our climate is changing at a pace faster than at any time known in history," Evers said in a statement. "Sustainably managing Wisconsin forests will not only generate climate change mitigation benefits, but also contributes $24.4 billion annually to Wisconsin’s economy, supports the health of our citizens and helps maintain the high quality of life that defines our state."

The tree planting initiative is expected to store 28.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next 50 years — that’s the equivalent of what six million vehicles produce each year. Wisconsin's forests, which span 17 million acres, store more than 1.1 billion metric tons of carbon.

Read more: https://www.wpr.org/gov-tony-evers-pledges-plant-75m-trees-end-decade