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6/18/2003
2007 tree seedlings planted in the Alcoa Forest in Reydarfjordur, Iceland
When the agreement between the Icelandic Government and Alcoa on construction of an aluminium smelter in Reydarfjordur, East Iceland, was signed on 15 March, Alcoa CEO Alain Belda announced that the company would give the Reydarfjordur Forestry Association 2007 tree seedlings as a symbol of the smelter's starting operations in the year 2007.
Belda added that, in addition, Alcoa would give the local community 450 tree seedlings per year through 2007 as a symbol of the number of future permanent jobs at the smelter. The local people now call the area that will be planted the “Alcoa Forest”.
On Saturday, 14 June, planting began of 2007 tree seedlings in an unspoiled, rugged area of natural beauty reaching from the small town of about 650 inhabitants to the future smelter location in Reydarfjordur. The first seedlings were planted by Trevor J. Adams, Managing Director of the Alcoa Iceland Project and Asmundur Asmundsson, Chairman of the Reydarfjordur Forestry Association, in the presence of the local people, students, community leaders and other guests.
Students in the eighth and ninth grades at the Reydarfjordur Compulsory School, along with their parents, planted the trees. The employees of Sólskógar-nursery designed the project. The members of the Forestry Association also saw to the preparation and implementation of the planting. The kinds of trees chosen this time included Downy birch, European mountain ash, Rugosa rose, Koehn's rowan and Alpine service tree, which fit well in the sometimes harsh climate and rugged area.
“The residents of Reydarfjordur are extremely pleased with Alcoa’s contribution to forestry in this community. This shows that Alcoa has resolved to become an active participant in Fjardabyggd’s community affairs. The planting of tree seedlings was taxing but fun for all who took part in it,” said Asmundsson.
Alcoa has now planted one million trees since 1998 at 350 factories all over the world. Alain Belda recently planted the millionth tree in his home country, Brazil. The 2007 trees are therefore in addition to this number and a part of the company’s project called Million Trees.
The Reydarfjordur Forestry Association was founded in 1985 to organize and bolster forestry in picturesque Reydarfjordur. The association has focused on cooperating with the municipality to replant seedlings each summer. 400,000 plants have been set out in this period, birch and larch being the most numerous, but also pine, spruce and willow. In recent summers people from the Forestry Association have managed the planting, but youths in the Fjardabyggd summer job program have also participated; in addition, association members have planted and spread fertilizer. This summer, plans call for replanting 12,000 seedlings.
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