TORONTO – Mapleton is about to get greener, with thousands of trees sprouting across the community as a result of a new partnership between the Township of Mapleton and Conestogo Wind LP, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Canada, ULC.
Through the five-year agreement, Conestogo Wind will contribute $20,000 annually toward the community’s Trees for Mapleton program.
"This investment represents an important contribution to the program," said Liz Samis, chair of Trees for Mapleton. "The financial support will go a long way toward our goal of enhancing Mapleton’s tree cover. We will use this contribution in a way that will benefit all residents in the township. More and more often I hear people commenting on the tree cover and windbreaks we have in this township – not only does it beautify our community, but the benefits of planting provide both short-term and long-term gains, particularly in helping farmers adapt to climate change."
Mark Funk, forestry specialist for Trees for Mapleton, said, "I’m excited about this opportunity to improve Mapleton’s landscape with the addition of more trees. In addition to the economic and environmental benefits of trees – creating oxygen and sequestering carbon – trees add to the aesthetics of the area. Trees for Mapleton and the township will work to make sure these trees get planted in locations that will benefit everyone."
"At NextEra Energy Canada, we believe in actively participating in the communities in which we operate, beyond simply investing in renewable energy projects," said Doug McIntosh, regional wind site manager for NextEra Energy Canada. "Supporting initiatives such as the Trees for Mapleton program gives us the opportunity to help communities realize local priorities. We look forward to our partnership with the Township of Mapleton, which will support our mutual goal of creating a greener and more sustainable community."
Trees for Mapleton is an initiative that is committed to increasing the tree cover throughout the township. The Mapleton strategy includes wrapping every 100 acres with windbreaks, buffering all waterways with trees, wrapping all forest fragments with windbreaks, planting shelterbelts around all farmsteads, linking forest fragments, and planting living snow fences. The organization is made up of local landowners and farmers who are working in collaboration with the Township of Mapleton, Wellington County, local Kinsmen club and the local conservation authorities to promote the planting of trees in strategic locations within the township.
Since it began in 2006, the Trees for Mapleton initiative has planted thousands of trees across the community.
Conestogo Wind LP is the owner of the Conestogo Wind Energy Centre, which has been in operation since December 2012. The project has a maximum generating capacity of 22.92 megawatts, which is enough to power approximately 5,700 homes a year.
About NextEra Energy Canada, ULC NextEra Energy Canada, ULC is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc., (NYSE: NEE), a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $14.3 billion, more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and nearly 15,000 employees in 24 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces (through its Canadian subsidiaries) as of year-end 2012. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy’s principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves approximately 4.6 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which together with its affiliated entities is the largest generator in North America of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com;www.FPL.com; www.NextEraEnergyResources.com; www.NextEraEnergyCanada.com.