New Hope for The American Chestnut

We see very few forestry success stories, but here’s one that looks promising! Since the introduction of the Chestnut Blight Fungus to the United States over 50 years ago, the American Chestnut population has been declining and continues to struggle to survive. However, according to the American Chestnut Foundation, a new blight-resistant chestnut was developed last year by breeding an Asian blight-resistant Chestnut with the American Chestnut. Some 500 such trees have been planted and seem to be doing well so far. The American Chestnut has a particularly high growth rate and subsequently, a high carbon capacity. Therefore, it could eventually play a small but important role in our fight to curb global climate change. Click Here for the full story!