FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jodi Bodner
JNF Director of Communications
212-879-9305 ext. 221
jbodner@jnf.org

JNF Looks to Make Northern Israel Home Again
Launches $400 million, Long-term Campaign to Complement Work in Negev Desert

September 1, 2006 -- New York, NY -- Staying true to its mandate and responding to the needs of the land and people of Israel, Jewish National Fund (JNF) has just announced a $400 million, 10-year, worldwide plan to rebuild and renew northern Israel and help make it home again for its residents.

The campaign will focus on reforestation; upgrading parks and recreation sites; developing tourism; preparing land for agriculture and providing research and development; working on preparedness(more fire trucks, accessible hydrants and equipment storage); the purchase of a firefighting airplane; year-round camps for children; a housing loan program to encourage families to move to the north; funding of Hugey Sayarut, Israel’s elite youth movement; and volunteer activities.

“This is not a crisis campaign,” said Russell F. Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of JNF of America, “but rather one of partnership. And this is not instead of our Blueprint Negev Campaign; this is in addition to it. JNF is not just about the campaign; we’re about the people and when we say we care for the land, we mean all of it, from the north to the south, from east to west. We have always risen to the challenges presented -- when water was scarce, we built reservoirs; when security was an issue, we built security roads; after the withdrawal from Gaza, we financed housing. Now, the north needs to be made home again for its residents and for the millions of tourists who make it their temporary home all year along, and we are going to make sure that happens.

“We also remain steadfast in our commitment to developing the Negev Desert," he said. "Already seven new communities have been established and are flourishing and development towns are starting to see a rebirth. Our work is not just for the here and now but for the future of the Land of Israel and everything we do looks to that future.”

At the start of the war with Hezbollah, JNF launched Operation Security Blanket, a very successful emergency campaign that raised more than $5 million dollars in just under five weeks. Nearly 10,000 children cooped up in bomb shelters up north were sent to summer camps in central Israel away from rocket fire. Emergency firefighting equipment and fire trucks were purchased to help the foresters and volunteers battle the fires caused by Katyushas and security roads on the Gaza border are being built to provide safe travel for residents and their children. Now, the plan for renewal has begun.

While final assessment of the environmental damage to northern Israel has not yet been made, it is estimated that one million trees were destroyed and one million more won’t survive the remaining summer months. About 20% of forests in the north were destroyed, mostly in the Biriyah and Bet Keshet Forests and the Naftali Mountain Range. These forests, all hand-planted, took more than 50 years to mature. It is estimated that it will take 50-60 years to regain the growth that was lost. Interestingly, the trees that were lost were pine trees, brought by the Europeans from the Black Forest. Though quick to grow, they are not indigenous to the region and are also quick to burn. JNF foresters will now introduce indigenous, broad-leaf species such as eucalyptus, cypress and pistachio trees.

Ground was scorched, in places burned to a hard crust, thereby preventing rainwater to penetrate thus enabling even greater flooding, mud slides and soil erosion. Wildlife was either killed or their habitats were destroyed, wreaking havoc on the area’s food chain. All this will be taken into consideration as renewal begins.

In all that it does, JNF will pay great attention to the environment and tourism, the lifeblood of the lush, green Galilee region. JNF forests and parks are the “jewels of the north,” providing beauty, tranquility, and recreation for tourists and residents. These sites not only enhance the quality of life of the area’s residents, but also impact the social and economic viability of the north. Existing parks and recreation areas that were damaged will be restored and enhanced and new ones developed and all new facilities will be built to be inclusive and existing sites will be upgraded. When tourists come, hotels and restaurants are full, and the economy flourishes.

The youth is also a focal point of the campaign and through Hugey Sayarut, thousands of children whose lives were impacted by the war, will be able to participate in myriad activities which serve to strengthen them and help nurture the leaders of tomorrow.

“We are one land of Israel,” said Robinson, “and we need to be strong from the north to the south. Every inch of the land and every person is important to us.”

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Jewish National Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 1901 to serve as caretaker of the land of Israel, on behalf of its owners—Jewish people everywhere. Over the past century, JNF has planted over 240 million trees, built over 180 reservoirs and dams, developed over 250,000 acres of land, created more than 1,000 parks, provided the infrastructure for 1,000 communities and educated students around the world about Israel and the environment.  Today, JNF is putting its century of experience to work with the Blueprint Negev initiative, supporting Israel’s newest generation of pioneers in developing the Negev Desert, Israel’s last frontier.  For more information on JNF or to plant trees in Israel, call 1-800-542-TREE (8733) or visit www.jnf.org.  To contact your local office, please call 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.