Whiskey Makers Plant 400 Acres of Forest in Appalachia

Bourbon barrels need white oak trees, and now one of the world's biggest spirits companies is making sure those forests thrive for generations to come.

Suntory Group, the company behind Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon, just announced a 20-year partnership to plant 400 acres of native hardwood forests on former mining land in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The trees go in the ground by spring 2026.

This isn't just about whiskey barrels, though white oak is essential for aging premium spirits. The project will breathe new life into land scarred by mining, creating habitat for wildlife and pulling carbon from the atmosphere while giving local communities new economic opportunities.

Bosland Growth, a reforestation organization founded in 2022, will lead the planting efforts. The partnership stands out because it pays landowners to actively manage and protect the restored forests forever, not just during the initial planting phase.

"By supporting site preparation and tree planting and committing to compensate landowners, Suntory Group will empower Bosland to fully fund these reforestation efforts," said Todd Appel, Bosland's President and CEO. The model turns environmental restoration into sustainable income for families in Appalachia.

Suntory has already planted nearly 700,000 trees in the region over the past five years. This new effort expands that work and builds connections between global companies, universities, government agencies, and local nonprofits to scale up forest restoration across Appalachia.

The Ripple Effect

When forests return to mined land, entire ecosystems wake up. Birds return. Streams run cleaner. Communities gain green spaces and the economic benefits of working forests that can be managed sustainably for timber, recreation, and conservation.

The white oaks planted through this partnership will take decades to mature into barrel-worthy timber, but that long-term thinking is the point. Suntory is investing in forests their grandchildren will harvest, creating jobs and environmental benefits that compound over time.

Local nurseries will grow the seedlings. Regional workers will plant them. Appalachian landowners will tend them. Every tree planted creates a thread connecting global industry to local renewal.

The project proves that businesses can weave sustainability into their supply chains in ways that genuinely help communities and ecosystems recover. It's not just talk; it's 400 acres of real dirt and real trees, with people getting paid to make it work.