JCP&L Employee Volunteers Plant Thousands of Donated Trees in N.J.
The work is part of a larger effort by FirstEnergy, which is on pace to pass its goal of donating 25,000 trees in 2025 across its five-state service territory. So far this year, nearly 23,000 trees have been planted.
HOLMDEL - Employee volunteers from Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), have planted more than 2,000 company-donated trees across JCP&L's New Jersey service territory in 2025 as part of the company's commitment to the environment and sustainability.
JCP&L is more than two-thirds of the way towards eclipsing last year's total of 2,795 trees, with 2,174 trees donated and planted to date. The work is part of a larger effort by FirstEnergy, which is on pace to pass its goal of donating 25,000 trees in 2025 across its five-state service territory. So far this year, nearly 23,000 trees have been planted.
"We are fortunate to work and raise our families in one of the most beautiful states in the country and privileged to give back to our communities with a program that provides a greener, cleaner and healthier environment," Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's President, New Jersey said. "Our team members often clean up fallen trees after storms, and I'm proud of their commitment to volunteering their time to restore what was lost by planting anew."
Tree-planting locations are chosen in partnership with local nonprofit organizations with a focus on ensuring the trees are placed safely away from power lines and other utility infrastructure. Tree varieties include native species like red maple, river birch, white and northern red oak, shagbark and bitternut hickory, pitch pine and dogwoods.
Some of this year's tree-planting events include:
More than 580 trees planted on Earth Day with the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore at Camp Sacajawea in Farmingdale.
400 trees planted with Schiff Natural Lands Trust and the Mendham Township Environmental Commission at the Tempe Wick Preserve in Mendham.
Collaborations with Shade Tree Commissions and Parents Teacher Organizations to plant trees at local schools, including 160 trees at Howell Middle School South in Howell, 100 trees at Milford Brook Elementary School in Manalapan and 64 trees at Clara B. Worth Elementary School in Bayville.
Nearly 180 trees planted at the Wattles Stewardship Center in Port Murray with the N.J. Audubon Society and another 250 trees planted with the Musconetong Watershed Association at Hampton Borough Park in Hampton.
More than 300 trees planted at Winding River Park in Toms River, days after a wildfire scorched more than 15,000 acres just 10 miles to the south.
In addition to tree plantings, JCP&L employees volunteer at events that include tree donations. In early May, volunteers gave away 150 tree seedlings at the New Jersey Sustainability Summit, hosted by Sustainable Jersey at Bell Works in Holmdel, home to JCP&L's central New Jersey headquarters.
The efforts are led by JCP&L's Green Team, a group of employees that volunteer their time and talents to develop and support environmental initiatives. So far this year, more than 40 JCP&L Green Team members have donated a total of 214 hours to tree-planting events. JCP&L launched FirstEnergy's first Green Team in 2018, and the company now has Green Team chapters in each of the states it serves.
