News Releases

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, today announced that its environmental liability division, ACE Environmental Risk, has made a donation to American Forests as part of its Global ReLeaf campaign, to fund the planting of 5,000 trees in five locations across the United States. ACE Environmental Risk is making this donation in appreciation for its clients’ support in 2007.

American Forests, one of the first organizations to address the issue of global warming, helps people understand the many values of trees and the need to restore forest ecosystems in urban and rural areas through community-based initiatives. The organization introduced Global ReLeaf2 in 2007 to help cool the globe through the planting of trees. The goal of this campaign is to plant 100 million trees by the year 2020.

“ACE is committed to doing its part to protect the environment by supporting a variety of initiatives, including serving as a partner in the United States Environmental Protection Agency-sponsored Climate Leaders program and launching ACE Green, the Company’s global employee environmental program,” said William Hazelton, Senior Vice President, ACE Environmental Risk. “As millions of people across the world come together to prepare for Earth Day celebrations later this month, we’re delighted to take action by supporting American Forests to help ensure the existence of forest ecosystems and their benefits for future generations.”

ACE USA is supporting the following tree-planting programs:

• Northern California - 64,000 trees will be planted to reforest areas burned along the scenic Byway Highway 299 West that connects the Northern Sacramento Valley with California’s Northwest Coast.
• Southern California - The Mojave Desert Resource Conservation District will plant 51,000 trees to replace forestry lost through years of drought, wildfires and environmental stress in southern California.
• Florida - The St. Johns River Water Management District will increase the longleaf pine trees on the Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park, located east of Orlando in Orange County.
• Minnesota – The Lake Forestry Long Lived Conifer Restoration project will involve The Nature Conservancy planting 42,000 long lived conifers throughout the Claire Nelson Memorial Forest on approximately 60 acres that were degraded by insect outbreaks.
• Maryland – The Nature Conservancy, Maryland/DC chapter will plant trees to create age diversity in the forested area of The Glades, the oldest and largest rainwater-fed mountain peat bog in the eastern non-glaciated U.S.

ACE Environmental Risk offers a full range of environmental liability solutions designed to minimize bottom line impacts and provide hands-on management for those liabilities. ACE Environmental Risk’s liability product offerings include premises pollution liability, contractor’s pollution liability, and remediation cost containment programs. These programs are primarily distributed through the retail brokerage community to the commercial market. To learn more about ACE Environmental Risk’s products and services, please visitwww.aceenvironmentalrisk.com

ACE USA is the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, headed by ACE Limited (NYSE: ACE), and is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company and A+ (Strong) by Standard & Poor’s. ACE USA, through its underwriting companies, provides insurance products and services throughout the U.S. Additional information on ACE USA and its products and services can be found at www.ace-ina.com. The ACE Group of Companies provides insurance and reinsurance for a diverse group of clients around the world.