A hundred years ago, the American chestnut was the redwood of the East. It was big, and it was everywhere, especially in the southern Appalachians. But, today, it’s just a shrub and is, functionally, extinct.

With chestnuts having gone through such a dramatic decline, restoration has been a priority, and it’s been a restoration effort unlike many others. It’s been one of the most passionate efforts an American tree has ever seen.

Related Research:

• American Chestnut Oral History Project (2009)
• American Chestnut Restoration (NRS)
• “Reintroduction of American Chestnut in the National Forest System” (2014)
• “American Chestnut: A Test Case for Genetic Engineering?” (2014)
• “Growth, Survival, and Competitive Ability of Chestnut Seedlings Planted Across a Gradient of Light Levels” (2017)
• “Restoration of the American Chestnut Will Require More Than a Blight-Resistant Tree” (2020)

Scientists:

• Leila Pinchot, Research Ecologist, Northern Research Station, Delaware, Ohio
• Bethany Baxter, American Chestnut Oral History Project, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• Ella Preston, American Chestnut Oral History Project, Letcher County, Kentucky
• Harding Ison, American Chestnut Oral History Project, Letcher County, Kentucky
• James Mullins, American Chestnut Oral History Project, Dickenson County, Virginia

Produced by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station.

Want more information? Visit us at https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/nrs/products/multimedia/podcasts/forestcast-season-2-backcross-episode-3-past-present-and-future

Questions or ideas for the show? Connect with Jon at: jonathan.yales@usda.gov