Today we are starting something new to get the public engaged in biotechnology solutions to environmental problems through the American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project. After 25 years of intense research, SUNY-ESF scientists have announced they are now able to grow blight-resistant American chestnut trees. This is a monumental accomplishment! The chestnut blight wiped out some 4 billion trees in the early 20th century, virtually eliminating the iconic American chestnut tree from the American forest. Over the next five years, our goal is to grow ten thousand blight-resistant American chestnut trees to jumpstart the effort to restore the tree to its native range in North America.
We are testing a crowd funding campaign to help produce blight resistant, transgenic American chestnut trees. This campaign has two purposes. First to raise much needed funds to produce significant numbers of trees while we proceed through the U.S. regulatory review. Second is to let the general public become part of this restoration effort through their giving or just through their non-monetary support. You can help bring back the American chestnut tree. (NOTE: By November 7, the campaign had raised approximately $15,000)
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To donate to the campaign to restore the American Chestnut tree, please click through to fundly.
