Clayton strives to be a force for good in the world through our social responsibility efforts. This includes building a better, more sustainable tomorrow for both people and the planet through our national philanthropic partnerships.

In 2022, Clayton and the Arbor Day Foundation launched a partnership to plant trees in critical forests across the country as part of reforestation efforts and community tree planting events. The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit with the mission "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees." Since its foundation in 1972, the organization has planted more than half a billion trees in 60 countries, creating a lasting, global impact by fostering environmental stewardship.

By the end of 2025, Clayton will plant over 5.5 million native species trees through this partnership, supporting 36 reforestation projects and helping restore over 12,000 acres of forest land. This includes planting 1.07 million trees in 2025, representing one tree for every estimated tree used to build our homes in 2024. Clayton was also the first home builder to join the Evergreen Alliance, a collective of engaged corporate sustainability leaders that will help shape the future through the power of trees.

The Importance of Trees

Clayton and the Arbor Day Foundation recognize the vital role forests play for both our environment and the communities where we live and work. Trees improve air quality, filter water, strengthen soil and create stable habitats for many wildlife species, all of which restore ecosystems and foster biodiversity.

By choosing strategic locations in areas that have seen ecological disruption such as natural disasters and historic deforestation, we can also maximize the long-term benefits and impact of the trees we plant. In partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, Clayton is prioritizing reforestation projects with long-term conservation commitments that are located on public lands, private conservation easements or in forests managed by a non-governmental organization.

Planting Our 5 Millionth Tree

In September, Clayton celebrated the planting of our 5 millionth tree. To mark this milestone, we planted a white oak at our home office in Maryville, TN. Arbor Day Foundation CEO Dan Lambe, Clayton CEO Kevin Clayton, other leadership and Clayton team members attended the event to celebrate this achievement.

"At Clayton, we are committed to being a force for good by investing in the communities we live in and the planet we all share," said Kevin Clayton. "This important milestone shows how collaboration and authentic partnerships can help us scale impact with trusted organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation."

Partnership Impact

Throughout 2025, Clayton will support reforestation projects in the following areas, in coordination with the Arbor Day Foundation and their talented planting partners:

Frank Jackson State Park: This park was once covered with a longleaf pine forest. But due to early industrial development in this region of Alabama and the creation of a lake in the park, the landscape has been damaged. Reforestation efforts will help reestablish the ecosystem that once thrived here.

Rim Fire Restoration: The 2013 Rim Fire was the largest recorded wildfire in the history of the Sierra Nevada, making its way through 257,314 acres of grass-oak woodlands, chaparral, ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests over the course of three months. A multi-year effort is underway to help restore the native forest.

Eglin Air Force Base: The base spans nearly 500,000 acres of the Florida Panhandle and is also one of the most biodiverse areas in the country, containing the largest connecting stand of longleaf pine trees remaining in the world. Planting efforts will focus on returning longleaf pine trees across the base, reducing forest division and protecting the many endangered wildlife that call the area home.

Gulf Coast Restoration: Work is focused on bottomland hardwood, upland longleaf pine and pine forest restoration throughout the Gulf Coast. These areas have been significantly affected by hurricanes, wildfires, coastal flooding, land use change and increased development.

Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge: This refuge contains the southernmost population of remaining Louisiana black bears and is a priority for habitat acquisition, restoration and corridor creation. The Trust for Public Land has acquired 1,925 acres of agricultural land and subsequently transferred it to the Bayou Teche NWR. Part of a multi-phased effort for species recovery, restoration includes the construction of 175 acres of shallow water wetlands and the planting of 1,525 acres of diverse bottomland hardwood forest species.

Forest Restoration Across North Carolina Game Lands: Reforestation efforts are underway across this region with a focus on returning each area to its native state. Across 11 properties, a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees are being planted, including longleaf pine, Atlantic white cedar, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, pond cypress, bald cypress, button bush and hickory.

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reforestation Project: This forested Native American tribal land in Oregon has been actively managed by the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs since the 1940s. Unfortunately, wildfires have left the region in need of restoration. Replanting efforts are underway with a focus on restoring the evergreen tree canopy to the land. Ponderosa pines, Douglas firs and western larches are all being added to the forest cover.

Josephine County Rum Creek Fire Rehabilitation: Forests in the Pacific Northwest have become part of an all-too-familiar story of wildfires increasing in number and intensity, and this area is still feeling the impacts of the 2022 Rum Creek Fire. As seedlings grow, they will help replace vital habitat for an ecosystem that includes deer, Roosevelt elk and black bears.

Mined Land Restoration Across West Virginia: Green Forests Work and partners propose to restore native forests on lands disturbed by surface coal mining in the central Appalachian region. This project will address priority goals associated with the White Oak Initiative and the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative by restoring declining forest types.

Our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation helps Clayton fulfill its purpose of opening doors to a better life, which extends beyond the homes we build to the planet we all call home. Our ongoing commitment to social responsibility and a more sustainable future includes incorporating responsible building practices, delivering energy-efficient housing and impactful philanthropic partnerships.

Learn more about Clayton's social responsibility efforts at claytonhomes.com/social-responsibility