Dell, Travelocity & Universal Lend Critical Support to Resotre Texas' Native Forests

LIBERTY, January 29, 2008 - Representatives from Dell and Travelocity joined The Conservation Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Environmental Synergy, Inc. (ESI) today to announce the restoration of 158 acres of forestland that will address climate change, restore sensitive wildlife habitat and enhance public recreation areas at Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in East Texas. Private support for the initiative was made possible via a mix of customer and corporate donations from Dell, Travelocity, Universal Studios, NBC Universal and individual donors to The Conservation Fund’s Go ZeroSM program. Over their lifetime, the newly planted bald cypress, oak and pecan trees will trap more than 63,000 tons of carbon dioxide – a potent greenhouse gas.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service and the American public are the true beneficiaries of this partnership,” said Benjamin Tuggle, Southwest Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Through the efforts of Dell, Travelocity, Universal, The Conservation Fund, and all others involved in Go Zero, lands held for the American public will be improved and the global environment for both people and wildlife will benefit.”

Like much of East Texas, huge swaths of forestland surrounding (and some within) the boundary of Trinity River NWR refuge are for sale. Once the region’s largest economic driver, the forest industry here has put millions of acres on the market – threatening sensitive natural resources and a once-stable East Texas economy. To help protect and restore these lands, the Fund has engaged leaders in the public and private sectors to calculate and then offset carbon dioxide emissions by planting trees via its Go ZeroSM program.

“We commend The Conservation Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Environmental Synergy, Inc. for enabling our customers to address climate change and habitat loss head on,” said Tod Arbogast, director of Sustainable Business at Dell. “From energy efficiency, to carbon sequestration to reuse and recycling, we are partnering with customers and members of the ReGeneration—people of all ages who care about the environment—to become the ‘greenest’ technology company on the planet.”

“Our involvement in Go Zero helps us serve an increasing number of our customers who want a way to offset their carbon, while promoting planting that helps strengthen places for recreation and wildlife,” said Dan Toporek, vice president of corporate communications at Travelocity. “This program is largely driven by employees who support the program on their own time and as a Texas-based company, we’re thrilled to do our part in protecting and restoring the Trinity River NWR.”

“The World Bank estimates that 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions is caused by deforestation,” added The Conservation Fund's Texas director, Andy Jones. “Thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Dell, Travelocity, NBC Universal and Universal Studios, the expertise of ESI and the commitment of the USFWS we are raising much needed capital to address the most pressing environmental challenges of our time—climate change and habitat loss—by restoring critical forestlands.”

The land was planted by ESI and will be managed by the USFWS. ESI will monitor the newly restored forest for carbon accrual using on-site measurements over time. The project will then be certified by Environmental Resources Trust. Since 2000, The Conservation Fund has restored nearly 20,000 acres with 6 million trees that are expected to capture more than 8 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere over the next century.

“We view this project as a rewarding, win-win partnership with benefits for business, government, the public, the local ecosystem and the global climate,” said Carol Jordan, president of ESI.

Located just 45 miles east of Houston, the 22,500 acre Trinity River NWR safeguards a remnant of the bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem that once dominated the eastern Texas landscape. The slow-flowing rivers and swamp-like wetlands are used during migration or nesting by neotropical migratory birds, and are home to freshwater turtles, alligators, bald eagle and more than 640 plant species.

The Fund and its partners have protected more than 144,000 acres in Texas including 4,700 acres at Trinity River NWR. Most recently, the partners launched the Pineywoods Experience, a $35 million initiative that blends land protection and ecotourism to position East Texas as a destination for tourists, much like the Appalachians or the Adirondacks.