January 18th, 2008
The NFL could get by planting as few as three to four acres. Instead, they are planting 84 acres of new forest in the White Mountain Apache Reservation area of Arizona, says Groh. “We are specifically planting in the Rodeo-Chediski area which was devastated by fires in 2002. About a quarter of a million acres of forest were lost.”
In addition, they have hired tribal forestry crews, employing people who need jobs, to help do the work.
Groh says that he often joins the crews in planting the trees. “I go in my jeans and boots and get my hands dirty. It’s the fun part of the job,” he says.
As for the vehicles used at the Super Bowl, the NFL will use a fleet of about 3,000 coach buses, 1,500 vans and limos and about 300 to 400 official staff cars. A substantial portion of the latter will be hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles provided by General Motors, a sponsor of the Super Bowl.
Besides offsetting greenhouse gases, the NFL Environmental Program gets involved on other Super Bowl issues such as cutting down on waste. Re-using raw materials and sharing unused prepared food are two key areas that Groh oversees. (To learn more about such green plans for the Arizona Super Bowl and ways you can help, visit the AZ Super Bowl community outreach page.)
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