South Burlington, Vt. – Vermont Gas joined forces with the Intervale Center and the Friends of the Winooski River today to plant 200 trees along the Allen Brook in Williston. This planting project – a component of the Vermont Gas CARE initiative – is also part of the Company’s commitment to conservation and education. Tree plantings along stream embankments prevent erosion and help protect fish habitat. More than 20 Vermont Gas employees took part in this morning’s planting.
“At Vermont Gas, our teams work hard every day to help our customers reduce their carbon footprint through efficiency and fuel conversion,” said Rebecca Towne, Vice President of Organizational Strategy at Vermont Gas. “Our mission is to create cleaner choices today for a brighter future tomorrow. We are thrilled to be able to further that mission with local hands-on projects like this tree planting to help immediately improve water quality and sequester carbon to mitigate climate change.”
This is the second year Vermont Gas has teamed with Intervale Center to plant trees. In 2016, in celebration of Earth Day, Vermont Gas supported the Center’s efforts to plant 15,000 trees, many in the Winooski River watershed where trees reduce erosion and runoff into Lake Champlain.
“We are grateful for the generosity of time and resources from the employees at Vermont Gas,” said Travis Marcotte, executive director of the Intervale Center. “Together, with our volunteers and sponsors, we’re improving watersheds in our region and restoring vital habitat for plants and animals alike.”
Trees are an important part of our efforts to address climate change here in Vermont. Since 1990, land use, land-use change, and forestry activities have resulted in more removal of CO2 from the atmosphere than emissions in our state. Unlike so many places in the country and across the globe, in Vermont, we absorb more carbon than we emit.
“Our efficiency programs also produce results – on average, 1,500 customers who participate in our efficiency programs help eliminate almost 4,500 tons of carbon dioxide each year, just by reducing their energy usage. That’s enough energy to heat over 400 homes for one year,” Towne said. “Vermont is a model of what can be accomplished when we make environmental stewardship a core value.”
For more information on Vermont Gas’ efficiency program, visit www.VermontGas.com.
To learn more about the Intervale Center’s programs, visit www.Intervale.org.
About VGS
VGS is a leader in energy efficiency and innovation, offering a clean, safe, affordable choice for over 54,000 homes, businesses, and institutions in Franklin, Chittenden and Addison counties. The company plays an important role in Vermont’s clean energy future by displacing higher-emitting fuels, offering renewable natural gas service, and delivering award-winning energy efficiency programs. VGS is leading the country in the development of local renewable energy generation and has targeted a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and becoming Net Zero by 2050. For more information about Vermont Gas visit www.vgsvt.com
Media Contact
Dylan Giambatista
(802) 391-6475
dgiambatista@vermontgas.com