Bringing Back The American Chestnut

Before I was born (no smart comments about how long ago that was), the American Chestnut tree was pretty much eradicated by a blight that was introduced via imported Chinese or Japanese Chestnut trees. The natural range of the American Chestnut was large, Maine to Georgia and as far west as the Mississippi River. The Chestnut dominated the hardwoods in much of that range. In our state of Pennsylvania, it constituted 20% of all the hardwood trees. Efforts to combat the blight and preserve the Chestnuts was given a boost when an early advocate dubbed the American Chestnut the "Redwood of the East". Although never approaching the size of mature Redwoods, American Chestnuts did get large,some exceeding seven feet in diameter. The important point is that the value of these trees as a timber provider, mast crop, and just plain beautiful tree was almost beyond description. My father and grandfather spoke often of the sad decline and disappearance of something too good to be true. Not understanding just what the Chestnut Blight was, Granddad's explanation was that the Chestnut tree was so under appreciated that God took it away from us.

Over the last thirty years or so, The American Chestnut Foundation

has been working on a  breeding program to develop a blight resistant Chestnut Tree. Hoping that the original American Chestnut when crossed with a Chinese Chestnut would result in a tree exhibiting some characteristics of those giants of the forest and retaining a degree of blight resistance. It looks like the battle is winnable. By back crossing each generation of the original hybrids we are now working with and planting nuts that are 15/16 American Chestnut. The offspring from the trees produced from those nuts will be the beginning of the nut producers that may allow this grand tree to be reintroduced to the areas where it once thrived. My wife Jennifer and I will be volunteering at a small display this weekend at PEEC that will help educate folks about the foundation and the efforts to get back something that was once thought lost forever. Being part of the foundation has been fulfilling for us and the thought that our efforts will outlive us is delightful. Being grateful for what God provides is essential. It will be possible to have great Chestnut Trees, albeit hybrids, again only if He wills it to happen.