HARRISBURG, Pa (04/29/2021) — In celebration of National Arbor Day on April 30, United Concordia Dental and the Arbor Day Foundation are planting 50,000 trees across the nation by the end of 2021. The national dental solutions partner also is encouraging its members to help protect the environment and support planting efforts by enrolling in paperless Explanation of Benefits (EOBs).
“With one dollar equaling one tree, we have committed $50,000 to help plant trees across the United States, including 3,000 in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, and 2,000 more at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Western Pennsylvania” said Tim Constantine, president and CEO, United Concordia. “We are asking members to help us do more to support the environment by going paperless. In addition to the environmental benefits, paperless EOBs makes for easier and more secure access to claims history.”
New trees will restore forest canopy lost to natural disasters, provide critical wildlife habitat and improve watershed health. By choosing paperless EOBs as a way of managing their dental benefits, United Concordia members are helping the company plant trees through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Times for Trees initiative.
United Concordia’s planting initiatives for this year are both targeted and of special importance:
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Monongahela National Forest needs red spruce restoration; reforestation efforts will help revitalize the ecosystem, which is key to the health of this landscape.
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The drive to plant new trees at the Flight 93 National Memorial is due to much of the site being a reclaimed coal mine, which has resulted in the loss of dense hardwood forests.
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Because the benefits from trees can be most profound closest to population centers, 20,000 trees will be planted near private lands in Delaware. Urban trees help clean the air and water, reduce stormwater runoff, sequester carbon and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Launched in 2019, Time for Trees unites corporations, communities and individuals under the goal of planting 100 million trees and inspiring five million tree planters by Arbor Day 2022.
“Arbor Day is that one day every year that reminds us to think about all that trees do for us,” said Dan Lambe, president, Arbor Day Foundation. “Forests clean our air and water, mitigate climate change and are home to critical wildlife. With the help of partners, we are able to regenerate life back to these forests. We encourage everyone to set the day aside to make a positive impact in their community and plant a tree.”
To help protect the environment and support United Concordia’s effort to plant trees, members can sign up for paperless EOBs on the company’s website.
To learn more about United Concordia Dental, their large network of dentists and how great oral health promotes great overall health, visit UnitedConcordia.com.
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About United Concordia Dental
United Concordia Dental is a leading national dental solutions partner focused on delivering high-quality, cost-effective dental care. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., the company has over 9.1 million members, one of the nation's largest dentist networks, an AM Best “A” (Excellent) rating and has licensed entities in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. United Concordia is committed to providing remarkable experiences to our customers, with a focus on enhancing their total health. For more information about United Concordia, visit UnitedConcordia.com.
About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters, and valued partners. Their vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty and hunger. As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. More information is available at arborday.org.
Contact:
Beth Rutherford
United Concordia Dental
717-260-7659
beth.rutherford@ucci.com
Vaidehi Desai
Arbor Day Foundation
531-207-3611
media@arborday.org
