ACE USA Donates to American Forests to Support National Tree-Planting and Ecosystem Restoration Projects

Planting 5,700 trees to help improve the environment
PHILADELPHIA--(Business Wire)--
ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group, today
announced that its environmental liability division, ACE Environmental Risk, has
renewed its commitment to American Forests, the nation`s oldest nonprofit
citizens` conservation organization, in a year-long campaign to improve the
environment by planting 5,700 trees in six locations across the United States.
In appreciation of its clients` support in 2009, ACE Environmental Risk is
making this donation as part of American Forests` Global ReLeaf Campaign for the
third consecutive year.

"ACE is pleased to work with American Forests in their ongoing efforts to help
restore areas damaged by wildfire and other natural disasters, through ecosystem
restoration projects throughout the United States," said William P. Hazelton,
Senior Vice President, ACE Environmental Risk. "We share with American Forests a
culture of innovation in environmental solutions. ACE is committed to developing
insurance products and risk management services that facilitate market-based
solutions to current and pending environmental and climate-related issues."

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 ReLeaf in 1988 to restore
damaged forest ecosystems through the planting of trees. The goal of this
campaign is to plant 100 million trees by the year 2020.

ACE USA`s contribution supports the following tree-planting programs affiliated
with American Forests:

* Alaska- This project is a continuation from 2009 of the effort to reforest
2,600 acres of land that was harvested for wood in the mid-1990s. The objective
is to re-establish a Sitka Spruce forest over a seven-year period.
* Michigan- This reforestation project, in partnership with the state of
Michigan and the US Forest Service, is designed to plant 402,000 trees over 369
acres in the Huron Manistee National Forest to provide habitat restoration for
the Kirtland`s Warbler. The Kirtland`s Warbler is an endangered species song
bird which requires both the particular Jack Pine specie to nest in and
scattered openings of land to fulfill their habitat needs.
* Virginia- Extensive forested areas of First Landings State Park have been
damaged over the years by people creating and frequenting unofficial trails.
This leads to vegetation being destroyed, unable to properly grow back. This
project will start off by permanently closing all of the unauthorized trails,
and then re-establishing trees and other vegetation in these areas. The closing
of unauthorized trails will immediately correct erosion problems and prevent
further natural resource damage.
* Maryland- The Glades is a 600-acre property, the oldest and largest
rainwater-fed, mountain peat bog in the eastern non-glaciated U.S. The area has
been frequently logged and grazed, reducing the forest cover and resulting in
the near-eradication of red spruce, adding to the regional decline of the red
spruce. This is a designated critical conservation area in the Central
Appalachian Forest and contains habitat for black bear, fisher and neotropical
migrant birds, along with threatened and endangered species.
* California- In the San Bernardino Mountains, twelve million trees are dead or
dying due to six years of drought, which has triggered stress and contributed to
the bark beetle epidemics. Devastating wildfires have swept through parts of the
mountains, in some places killing 100 percent of the trees. This long-term
Mountain Communities Wildfire ReLeaf Project will plant 125,000 trees while
continuing to develop and implement a comprehensive reforestation program for
these southern California Mountains. Partnering with American Forests are the
Mojave Resource Conservation District and the California Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection.
* Florida- The Gulf Island National Seashore was hit by hurricanes Ivan, Dennis,
Katrina and Rita and Tropical Storm Gustav all between the years of 2004 and
2008. The aim of this project is to replant the damaged natural stands of
longleaf pines, shortleaf pines, sand live oaks, wax myrtles, and dwarf sabal
palm trees. The trees, which need to be planted to alleviate threats to Gulf
Island National Seashore, will help stabilize sand dunes, prevent shoreline
erosion, create a storm buffer zone, and recreate natural habitat for a variety
of bird species and native mammals, including the endangered Beach Mouse.

ACE Environmental Risk, a division of ACE USA, 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 suite includes 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 visit www.aceusa.com. For more information on American Forests,
visit www.americanforests.org or contact Dan Smith at DSmith@amfor.org,
(202)737-1944 x203.

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, throughits
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.aceusa.com. Celebrating 25 years of insuring progress, the ACE
Group is a global leader in insurance and reinsurance serving a diverse group of
clients.Headed by ACE Limited (NYSE: ACE), the ACE Group conducts its business
on a worldwide basis with operating subsidiaries in more than 50
countries.Additional information can be found at: www.acelimited.com.

ACE Group
Carla L. Ferrara, 215-640-4744
Carla.ferrara@acegroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010