Contact: Katie Sullivan, PR Coordinator
(205) 202.6043
Red Mountain Park’s goal to remove invasive plant species and make Park visitors’ experiences even better received a boost today from Wells Fargo’s new environmental grant program and the Alabama Forestry Commission. The Park was awarded $25,000 for invasive plant removal through a Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant. In addition, the Alabama Forestry Commission awarded a $25,000 grant for Kudzu Control and Native Ecosystem Restoration, which is funded through the U.S. Forest Service.
During a break from a day when Wells Fargo and Red Mountain Park volunteers cleared new trails and removed invasive kudzu and privet hedge, Wells Fargo and the Alabama Forestry Commission presented checks to Red Mountain Park leaders. The Wells Fargo grant is part of $3 million awarded to 64 non-profits nationwide and is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. There were only 2 recipients in the state of Alabama.
“We are excited to be awarded two significant, highly-competitive grants,” said Red Mountain Park Executive Director David Dionne. “This dual funding will help our Volunteers and Staff create a healthier environment for area wildlife and add more beautiful green space for our thousands of visitors. We’ll also be able to improve Red Mountain Park’s already impressive views of the Birmingham skyline!”
“We’re pleased to include Red Mountain Park as a recipient of Wells Fargo’s environmental grant program to help provide long-term solutions to the region’s environmental challenges,” said George Trible, Birmingham area president for Wells Fargo. Members of the Wells Fargo Volunteer chapter and its Birmingham “Green Team” donated their time to help clear invasive plants before and after the presentations of the two grant checks.
“In serving citizens and landowners across Alabama, the Alabama Forestry Commission is committed to protecting our state’s invaluable forest assets from harmful agents, including invasive plants that encroach and replace native vegetation. These exotic species degrade sites by decreasing plant biodiversity of the ecosystem, as well as reducing suitable habitat for wildlife,” said Dan Jackson, Forest Operations Division Director for the Alabama Forestry Commission. “Working with Wells Fargo on this project at Red Mountain Park helps us meet our mission by eliminating non-native invasive plants and restoring treated areas to functioning, productive, healthy sites today and into the future.”
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.4 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in more than 35 countries to support the bank’s customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2012 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially.
A leader in reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions and building sustainably, Wells Fargo has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Center for Corporate Climate Leadership, the Carbon Disclosure Project and the U.S. Green Building Council. Since 2005, Wells Fargo has provided more than $21 billion in environmental finance, supporting sustainable buildings and renewable energy projects nationwide. This includes investments in more than 260 solar projects and 34 wind projects that generate enough clean renewable energy to power hundreds of thousands of American homes each year. For more information, please visit. www.wellsfargo.com/environment.
About the Alabama Forestry Commission:
The mission of the Alabama Forestry Commission is to protect and sustain Alabama’s forest resources using professionally applied stewardship principals and education, ensuring that the state’s forests contribute to abundant timber and wildlife, clean air and water, and a healthy economy. To learn more about the AFC, visit www.forestry.alabama.gov.
About National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) sustains, restores and enhances the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, it has awarded over 12,100 grants to more than 4,000 organizations and leveraged $618 million in federal funds into $2.1 billion for on-the-ground conservation. To learn more, visit www.nfwf.org.
About Red Mountain Park
Red Mountain Park’s 1,200 acre wooded site, located just west of downtown Birmingham on the West Lakeshore Parkway corridor, is open to visitors with 11 miles of walking, hiking and mountain biking trails, the Red Ore Zip Tour (a 1 ½ hour zip line adventure through the trees) and the Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest (a treetop challenge course with 20 unique ropes course obstacles). Beautiful destination sites – the historic ‘Redding Hoist House’, the ‘SkyHy Treehouse’ and glimpses of iron ore mine entrances – both surprise and delight park guests. Upon completion, the Park will deliver 49-acres of urban green space; a 6-acre, off-leash Dog Park; picnic pavilions; playgrounds; a dedicated mountain bike park; and water features. www.redmountainpark.org