RPM nominated for Arbor Day Foundation’s 2010 National Awards Competition for its restoration efforts along the Gulf Coast.
RPM Ecosystems LLC is honored to be nominated for the Arbor Day Foundation’s 2010 National Awards Competition related to The Excellence in Partnership Award.
RPM Ecosystems LLC has been involved in directly securing $2.8 million in funding, to-date, and providing RPM high performance gulf coast native trees for the restoration of forests in the State of Mississippi following the two hurricanes hitting the gulf coast in 2005.
The $2.8 million in funding at this stage of the initiative provides for a total restoration of 130,000 + trees on lands damaged by the 2005 hurricanes. To date over 60,000 RPM gulf coast native trees have been planted along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and on private lands in the State of Mississippi. Funding has been secured for an additional 35,000 trees to be planted in the 2009-2010 planting season as well as 35,000 trees in the 2010-2011 planting season.
Collaborative partnerships in this restoration have included Replant South Mississippi, Mississippi private landowners, The USDA Farm Service Agency, Mississippi State University and the State of Mississippi.
Replant South Mississippi is a partnership between The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, The Sun Herald Newspaper, South Mississippi local cities and community organizations, The Forestry Commission and The Home Depot Foundation with Judy Steckler as its Executive Director.
The coordination of private landowners in Mississippi, whose lands have been involved in the restoration process, has been overseen by Dr. Glenn Hughes, Forestry Professor at MSU Extension.
