Agriculture and Forestry Sector: Reforestation
~ Indiana
Living Memorial® Tree Planting Program
In 1976 the Batesville Casket Company of Batesville, Indiana and its funeral
director customers initiated a Living Memorial Program in conjunction with the
US Department of Agriculture Forest Service. For every casket or urn pur-
chased from the company, a tree seedling is planted in a national forest at no
extra cost as a tribute to the deceased. This serves the double purpose of
creating a lasting memorial to a loved one as well as ensuring the continua-
tion of a vital natural resource—our forests. Although the planted trees bear no visible identification, the family
receives a letter and certificate notifying them that a tree has been planted in memoriam. Quarterly payments are
then made to the US Forest Service, which is responsible for the actual tree planting. The public response has
been extremely favorable; each week the company receives approximately 50 thank you letters.
The program has grown to include partnerships with Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, although 97% of the
trees planted through the program are planted in the United States. According to the US Forest Service, the pro-
gram is now the largest private reforestation project in the US and is a 1999 recipient of a Project Award from the
National Arbor Day Foundation.
Results:
Since 1976, 8,149,530 trees (corresponding to about 14,500
acres) have been planted through the Living Memorial Tree
Planting Program. Currently, approximately 400,000 trees are
planted each year. Of these, 388,000 are planted in National
Forests within the US. In addition to sheltering wildlife, pre-
venting erosion, replenishing oxygen, and other benefits, each
living tree absorbs carbon through photosynthesis thereby
slowing the rate of accumulation of C02 in the air. Although the
amount of C02 sequestered varies depending on tree type, age and growing conditions, an average tree can store
approximately 50 pounds of carbon dioxide per year over it's lifetime* This means that the trees planted through
the Living Memorial Program remove 184,800 metric tons of C02 (50,400 MTCE*) each year. Each year, an addi-
tional C02 removal capacity of 9,070 metric tons C02 (2,470 MTCE*) is added to this total.
Greenhouse Gas
Reductions
Trees Planted
50,400 MTCE*/yr
(2,470 MTCE* capacity
added each year)
8,149,530 total
400,000/yr
Principal Actors:
The Batesville Casket Company, its funeral director customers, and the United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service.
Additional Information:
Joe Weigel, Director of Corporate Communications, Batesville Casket Company, One Batesville Blvd, Batesville, IN
47006, 812-934-1610.
This case study is based on information provided by Joe Weigel and Linda Qstendorf at the Batesville Casket Company
('www.batesville.com') and by Jeff Bargar at the National Arbor Day Foundation.
~Original data have been converted from number of trees planted to Metric Tons Carbon Equivalent (MTCE) using an average
value of 50 pounds carbon dioxide sequestered per tree per year retrieved from the American Forests website
www.amfor.org') on September 13, 1999.
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