SUSSEX COUNTY, N.J. — FirstEnergy and Jersey Central Power & Light recently partnered with Sussex County Community College to plant approximately 100 tree saplings across the college’s campus and Public Safety Training Academy as part of a community initiative focused on sustainability and environmental stewardship.
The trees were donated through FirstEnergy’s Community Tree Program and included native and regionally appropriate species such as redbud, sweetgum, black gum and pin oak. FirstEnergy employees volunteered alongside Sussex County Community College students to plant the trees.
The project is part of FirstEnergy’s broader environmental efforts across its five-state service territory. In 2025, the company’s Green Teams helped plant more than 30,000 trees, bringing the total number planted since 2020 to more than 131,000.
In New Jersey alone, JCP&L employees have helped plant and distribute more than 1,850 trees in 2026.
“The Community Tree Program is just one component of our commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Alix Hayes, JCP&L’s Green Team Lead. “Through innovative recycling programs, tree and pollinator garden events and community revitalization efforts, JCP&L’s Green Team members are able to volunteer their time and expertise to build greener, cleaner and healthier places to work, live and raise a family in the Garden State.”
According to FirstEnergy, its Community Tree Program supports municipalities, schools and nonprofit organizations by providing trees that improve air quality, increase energy efficiency, expand tree canopy coverage and enhance wildlife habitats. The program also helps replace trees lost to storms, invasive species and development while promoting long-term environmental sustainability.
The tree-planting initiative also builds on an existing partnership between FirstEnergy and Sussex County Community College. In September 2025, the FirstEnergy Foundation awarded the college a $10,000 grant to support its Electrical Lineworker Student Support Initiative.
The grant established a tool-loaner program that provides climbing belts, fall-protection equipment and other safety gear to students who might otherwise face financial barriers to entering or completing the college’s electrical lineworker program.
College officials said the latest project will provide lasting environmental benefits while enhancing the campus for students, faculty and visitors for years to come.
