Million Trees to connect communities.

Pledge by American Tower Corporation

This pledge will take place from 2020 to 2030

Pledge overview

In 2018, we announced our commitment to planting one million trees across the United States over the next decade. Our Million Trees initiative is a new and creative approach to philanthropic giving that helps support our mission to connect to the communities where our teams live and work.

To implement this program in the US, we are partnering with American Forests, the nation’s oldest conservation organization. Thus far, American Tower and American Forests have planted 300,000 trees.

In 2021, ATC Germany announced their commitment to planting 200,000 trees across Germany over the next 10 years through the Trees for Towers initiative. To implement this program in Germany, we are partnering with local and regional partners.

We are proud to be taking steps to make a positive impact on our environment and leaving a tangible legacy that will benefit our communities into the next century.

Actions in this pledge

Restoring and growing trees and forest landscapes

• Reforestation
• Other restoration and tree growing activities

Our initiative will include planting the right tree in the right place as well as in ecologically appropriate locations. While focusing on planting native species and offering shelter to local wildlife species, often in protection areas, we take into consideration the necessity to ensure that trees planted are able to thrive under future climate conditions.

Our ecologically and socially responsible approach

American Tower Corporation and American Forests’ partnership is implementing scientific research to restore forest health. This research informs new tools and techniques to help forests cope with climate change. These techniques can boost forest growth after wildfires, for example, or trap more carbon in forest soil. Some of their “climate smart” reforestation methods include:

• Planting genetically diverse collections of native species
• Planting trees that are better able to thrive under future climate conditions
• Screening seedlings for disease resistance
• Spacing seedlings to mimic natural tree regrowth after wildfire. Wider, natural spacing reduces the risk of future fires.
• Planting seedlings in plastic shelter tubes that dramatically increase plant survival in drought-prone areas

Our partners

American Forests

Our locations

We are working at locations across Germany and United States of America (USA).

So far, American Tower Corporation has planted and/or committed to 300,000 trees in the following areas in the USA:

- Michigan (2018): Lower Peninsula (100,000 trees)

- California (2019): San Bernardino Mountains (15,000 trees), Sierra National Forest (40,000 trees), Eldorado National Forest (45,000 trees)

- Northern Rockies and Cascades (2020): Flathead National Forest (6,500 trees), Custer-Gallatin National Forest (40,000 tress), Boise National Forest (30,000 trees), Willamette National Forest (23,500 trees)