Wild American chestnut trees, deemed “functionally extinct” decades ago, may already be quietly mounting an unexpected comeback in the northern forests of the US. Thousands of naturally thriving, wild trees in Maine contradict decades of assumptions about the species’ extinction—and how genetic engineering is the only solution. Ever since the accidental importation of an Asian […] The post Once Wiped Out by Blight, Thousands of American Chestnut Trees are Thriving on Biologist’s Land in Maine appeared first on Good News Network.

In the early 1900s, an invasive Asian fungus known as chestnut blight swept through the forests, killing an estimated 3.5 billion trees and rendering the species functionally extinct by 1941.

In the early 1900s, an invasive Asian fungus known as chestnut blight swept through the forests, killing an estimated 3.5 billion trees and rendering the species functionally extinct by 1941.

YouTube video by PBS Terra

Efforts to restore the American chestnut comprise "one of the most epic conservation stories ever told.”

American chestnut from Ringwood Rd, Freeville, NY, US on October 16, 2025 at 04:00 PM by eliotmiller. Have walked by this tree dozens of times, but never noticed before. Looks like crown died this ye...

By: Abdul Matin Sarfraz, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative

"A major setback for the 'Darling 58' genetically engineered tree has ignited a fierce debate over the future of American Chestnut restoration."

On June 6, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it has prepared a revised

The New York Restoration Project has launched an effort to plant 1,000 thriving American chestnut trees that are a hybrid with the blight-resistant Chinese chestnut tree in the five boroughs.

The New York Restoration Project has launched an effort to plant 1,000 thriving American chestnut trees that are a hybrid with the blight-resistant Chinese chestnut tree in the five boroughs.

Genetic modification is the only credible path to restoring the blight-wracked American chestnut.