The mission of The Pennsylvania and New Jersey Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation is to restore the American chestnut tree to its native range within the woodlands of eastern North America through research and education.
Science of Blight Resistance
Our goal is to develop blight-resistant American chestnut trees, via backcross method of breeding, for the restoration of locally adapted breeding populations of the species in the forests of the mid-Atlantic. The completion of six backcrossed generations has established that this will not on its own allow us to restore the American chestnut to its natural niche in the forest. Research has shifted toward combining the strategies of breeding, biocontrol, and biotechnology.
Below is a TACF Chestnut Chat recording with a Science Strategy update – from January 2024.
Follow this link to The American Chestnut Foundation for more on our current strategies to restore the American chestnut.