THE
AMERICAN
CHESTNUT
FOUNDATION
2 0 1 2 ANNUAL R E P ORT
M E SSAGE from the PRESIDENT & CEO
As The American Chestnut Foundation
approaches its 30th year, a look back
on nearly three decades of effort by
our volunteers, partners and donors
offers a stunning view of what human
imagination, scientific vision and
hard work can achieve. TACF’s laserlike focus on our historic mission has
brought us to the brink of success in
achieving one of our greatest goals.
2012 was an amazing year for TACF.
Our emphasis on science, which remains
our top priority, and years of hard work
are now paying off. This year, we finally
were able to look at the performance of
our Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 and tests
clearly demonstrated the Foundation’s
backcross breeding program is
successfully incorporating genes for
blight resistance into these trees.
Our NY state chapter, in partnership
with the State University of New York,
College of Environment Science and
Forestry (SUNY-ESF), announced
they had successfully inserted a gene
to provide resistance to chestnut blight
and they are currently testing these trees
in regulated and highly controlled field
tests. The NY state chapter program’s
proof of concept will be the result of 22
years of focused and dedicated work.
Across the country, TACF volunteers and
partners continue their efforts towards
the goal of establishing seed orchards
to produce Restoration Chestnuts
1.0. Five state chapters have already
established their first seed orchards:
Indiana, Pennsylvania/New Jersey,
Carolinas, Maine and Massachusetts/
Rhode Island. These orchards will start
to produce Restoration Chestnut 1.0
seeds very soon, while the remainder
of our state chapters will establish their
seed orchards over the next few years.
And 2012 will also be remembered as
the year that TACF created the first
version of the American Chestnut
Restoration Plan. This evolving
document outlines how TACF will
reintroduce the American chestnut to
its native range, and also proposes new
and innovative strategies to continue
to improve the disease resistance of our
Restoration Chestnuts 1.0.
We are at an exciting juncture as we
approach our thirtieth anniversary in
2013.
Bryan Burhans
A tractor passes one of thousands of chestnuts that are part of the breeding process at Meadowview Research Farms in Meadowview, VA.
Our Missio n
Our Mission
The mission of The American Chestnut Foundation
is to restore the American chestnut tree to our eastern
woodlands to benefit our environment, our wildlife,
and our society.
4
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Nature’s
Storehouse Lost
At the turn of the last century, an estimated four billion American chestnut trees
thrived in the forests of the eastern United States. Often called the “Redwood of
the East,” the tree was remarkably fast growing, often reaching over a hundred
feet in height and five feet in diameter. It was also a prolific food source for both
humans and animals, producing up to fifty times more edible mast than its next
nearest rival, the oak tree. Wildlife, including bear, wild turkey, deer, squirrels and
many other birds and animals, relied on chestnut as a dependable food source.
Its timber was light, straight grained and remarkably rot resistant, making it an
important building material.
In 1904, a new fungus was identified, which causes chestnut blight. Accidentally
imported from Asia, the fungus quickly spread throughout the range of the tree,
and by the mid-1950s the American chestnut was effectively wiped out. Several
efforts were undertaken to save the chestnut, but none proved successful. The loss
of the American chestnut has been called one of the greatest ecological disasters
of our time.
What Are “Restoration Chestnuts 1.0”?
The result of thirty years of advanced scientific research,
breeding and testing, Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 are the first
generation of potentially blight-resistant chestnuts produced
by The American Chestnut Foundation.
We will not fully know the exact level of blight resistance
inherent in these chestnuts until we have been able to monitor
thousands of trees well into their maturity. Initial results are
promising, suggesting that large-scale plantings of these
seeds could create healthy populations that will survive and
reproduce in the wild. This is just the beginning, however.
TACF is continuing to breed better and more disease-resistant
trees, and Restoration Chestnuts 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 will certainly
be introduced in years to come.
Before the blight, a typical mature chestnut could reach 100 or more feet in height and be limbless for over 50 feet,
making it a valuable timber tree. Photo courtesy of President and Fellows of Harvard College, Archives of the Arnold Arboretum
www.acf.org
5
Our Mission
Creation of The American Chestnut Foundation
Sowing Seeds of the Future
In 1983 a small group of scientists set out to develop a blight-resistant chestnut
using a backcross breeding technique. They founded The American Chestnut
Foundation (TACF) and established Meadowview Research Farms in southwest
Virginia. Twenty-two years later, in 2005, TACF announced that it was harvesting
the first version of potentially blight-resistant seeds that would be known as
Restoration Chestnuts 1.0.
While full reintroduction of the American chestnut still lies many years away, the
first steps in this effort are now being taken. Even as we begin to establish test
plantings in forest environments, a more immediate challenge is to develop locally
adapted blight-resistant chestnut trees. Our Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 are currently
produced at Meadowview Research Farms. However, large-scale reintroduction of
the chestnut will come from trees developed by our state chapters.
Where We Are Today
Five of our state chapters–Pennsylvania/New Jersey, North Carolina/South Carolina,
Massachusetts/Rhode Island, Maine, and Indiana–have already established their seed
orchards and will soon begin producing Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 that are adapted
to their regions. Over the next decade, many more state chapter seed orchards will
be completed. Locally adapted trees represent the key to fully reintroducing the
species to our eastern forests.
The American Chestnut Foundation has nearly 6,000 members and sixteen state
chapters that maintain more than 450 breeding and test orchards that can be
found in every region of the American chestnut’s traditional range. In 2009 TACF
embarked on our long-held dream of planting potentially blight-resistant chestnuts
in forest environments across the eastern United States. Although these plantings
are currently part of our research, they represent both a tremendous success and the
opening of a challenging new chapter in our organization’s history.
Called a “wordle,” this
word art is based on
responses from our
members on what words
most represent the work
of The American Chestnut
Foundation to them. The
more times a word was
submitted, the larger it
appears in the wordle.
Opposite: A volunteer
takes a small sample of
the fungus that causes
chestnut blight from a
petri dish. She will use
the sample to inoculate a
chestnut tree, testing its
resistance to the blight.
6
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Our S cience
Our Science
Utilizing the Best Available Science
Since its inception in 1983, TACF has stayed on the
leading edge of research, utilizing the best available
science and technology in our mission to restore
the American chestnut. Although there is still much
we don’t know about the biology and ecology of
chestnut trees, our progress has been steady. Through
our partnerships with universities and the extensive
efforts of some of the world’s leading plant scientists,
our knowledge grows every year as we continue to
move forward in our achievements.
2004 - New breeding
efforts are launched
to combat root rot, a
disease that presents
a significant challenge
to chestnut restoration
in the southern range;
already showing
promising progress,
the program has the
potential to produce
Restoration Chestnuts
that are resistant to
both chestnut blight
and root rot.
2005 - TACF
announces the
harvesting of the first
potentially blightresistant chestnuts,
later called Restoration
Chestnuts 1.0.
2009 - In partnership
with the US
Forest Service,
USFS Southern
Research Station
and the University
of Tennessee, the
first saplings from
Restoration Chestnuts
1.0 are planted in real
forest environments.
Their progress will be
the subject of research
and testing for years to
come.
2011 - The result
of years of cuttingedge research and
development by
SUNY-ESF, the first
transgenic, potentially
blight-resistant
American chestnut
is planted in the
New York Botanical
Gardens just a short
distance from where
chestnut blight was
first identified in 1904.
2012 - TACF’s board
of directors prepares
the final draft of the
American Chestnut
Restoration Plan
developed by TACF
scientists, foresters
and planners. Adaptive
and comprehensive,
the plan is a blueprint
for restoration efforts in
the coming years.
2012 - TACF chapters
report that over 450
regional breeding and
test orchards have
been planted in 19
states, including the
first seed orchards
(the final stage of
the breeding orchard
process) in five states.
TACF volunteer Eric
Evans walks past a newly
planted field of chestnuts at
Meadowview Research Farms.
8
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Meadowview Research Farms –
2012 A Year of Expansion
Meadowview Research Farms and the Glenn C. Price Research Laboratory
are the epicenter of TACF’s research and breeding program. Headed by Chief
Scientist Dr. Fredrick V. Hebard, the research farms are where TACF develops
advanced breeding lines and methods and tends the Legacy Tree seed orchards
that produce our Restoration Chestnuts 1.0. During the spring and summer of
2012, Meadowview staff planted an additional 3,000 trees in our Legacy Tree
orchards. Staff also inoculated over 9,000 trees throughout the farms and made
selections among more than 13,000 trees that show blight resistance.
The results from the first two years of screening our Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 for
blight resistance are encouraging. Our work is far from done, however. We will
continue to improve blight resistance as we select only the most effective lines to
carry our breeding program forward.
Workers at Meadowview Research Farms prepare to plant a new grove of chestnuts. More than 7,000
new chestnut trees were planted at Meadowview in 2012 as part of the ongoing breeding program.
New Rain Garden Controls Runoff at Meadowview
Meadowview Research Farms now boasts a beautiful and thriving rain garden, thanks
to the help of community volunteers and local organizations. Master Gardeners,
Master Naturalists, and other local volunteers helped plant the rain garden in an effort
to reduce storm water runoff and improve water quality around the Glenn C. Price
Research Laboratory. The garden is planted with native species such as asters, JoePye weed and a variety of grasses and ferns that can tolerate both wet and dry spells,
cycle nutrients, and neutralize pollutants. The project was funded in part by the Upper
Tennessee River Roundtable, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation,
and the Dominion Foundation.
Pictured left to right are local volunteers Gail Olson, Cordelia Meyer, and Doug Levin, who
were instrumental in the development and planting of the rain garden.
www.acf.org
9
Our Science
Glenn C. Price Research Laboratory – Advancing Our Mission
This year the Glen C Price Research Lab was
outfitted with a new array of scientific and test
equipment. This has enabled TACF scientists to
begin to identify small molecules released in infected
chestnut bark that induce the tree to produce the
plant hormone ethylene. These molecules are
released from cell walls in bark by enzymes from
the fungus. Better understanding of how the blight
fungus attacks the American chestnut and how the
tree responds will advance our efforts to help the
tree resist the disease.
Our scientists have also begun to adapt DNA
markers for use at Meadowview Research Farms.
These markers will help identify trees that should
breed true for blight resistance, and will assist in
determining how much Chinese chestnut DNA is
present in our hybrids and confirm our trees are
correctly identified.
Dr. Laura Georgi working in
the Glenn C. Price Research
Laboratory at Meadowview
Research Farms
10
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Testing Our Restoration Chestnuts 1.0
TACF relies on public and private partners to test our Restoration
Chestnuts 1.0 in what we call progeny tests. The purpose of a
progeny test is to assess the blight resistance and American
chestnut character of the Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 over time and
under natural conditions. This year, four new progeny tests were
established throughout the range of the American chestnut.
• Through a partnership with scientists at Rutgers
University and Duke Farms in Hillsborough, New Jersey,
TACF established progeny test plantings at Duke Farms.
Duke Farms supplies the long-term plot commitment and
assistance in monitoring and Rutgers University runs the
research study and compiles data.
• In cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the
Georgia Chapter of TACF established their first progeny
test site at Lake Allatoona involving the planting of 300
Restoration Chestnuts 1.0.
Restoring the American Chestnut to
Our National Forests
Fueled by a grant from the National Forest
Foundation Matching Awards Program, TACF
involved community volunteers and partnered
with the USDA Forest Service to help plant 2.800
Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 on national forest
lands this year. To date, TACF has planted 5,425
Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 on national forest lands.
These plantings fulfill an important goal of the
USDA Forest Service to restore native trees to
our forests and allow us to test and evaluate our
Restoration Chestnuts 1.0.
Restoring American chestnuts to our national
forests will benefit the health of the forests, provide
a nutritious food for wildlife, and will create more
diverse ecosystems.
• The Beaver Brook Association in Hollis, New Hampshire,
entered into partnership with the Vermont/New
Hampshire Chapter of TACF to create and maintain the
first large-scale test planting of Restoration Chestnuts 1.0
in northern New England.
• Bendabout Farm near Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, is
the site of yet another progeny test site that was installed
by TACF volunteers and scientists in 2012.
TACF volunteers Mark and Vicky Stoakes prepare
holes for planting Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 on national
forest lands.
“One of the highlights of my life! Yesterday my family joined other
volunteers with the The American Chestnut Foundation to plant
over 700 blight-resistant American chestnut saplings on national
forest lands. Hopefully my daughter can return to the same spot
with her grandchildren to harvest chestnuts from a forest of
towering chestnut trees.”
Juliet Blankespoor, a TACF volunteer from Asheville,
NC, recently took part in a planting of American chestnut
trees on national forest lands.
www.acf.org
11
Our Science
Using Biotechnology to Build Disease Resistance
For more than twenty years, the New York Chapter of TACF and research teams led
by State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
(SUNY-ESF) scientists Dr. William Powell and Dr. Chuck Maynard have been
pursuing a biotechnology approach to producing blight- and ink disease-resistant
American chestnut trees. Working in concert with a wide variety of partners,
including Dr. Scott Merkle and Dr. Joe Nairn (University of Georgia), TACF’s
Dr. Joe James, USDA NIFA BRAG, the ArborGen Corporation, the Institute
of Forest Biotechnology, The Forest Health Initiative, and The Monsanto Fund,
they are now testing the newly developed trees in the field at several locations.
Dr. Joe James leads a tour of
Chestnut Return Farm, where
ink disease research is yielding
promising results.
In April of 2012, ten potentially blight-resistant transgenic trees were planted at
the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York, a fitting site for diseasefree American chestnuts because it is just across the street from where chestnut
blight was first identified in 1904.
Also this spring, SUNY-ESF researchers and the New York Chapter of TACF
planted their first round of transgenic nuts, which were the result of controlled
crosses made last summer between transgenic chestnut pollen and wild-type
American chestnuts. This demonstrates that transgenes can be passed on to a
second generation and shows that biotechnology is a viable option for American
chestnut restoration. More success followed in the the summer of 2012, as the first
line of transgenic American chestnut trees, the ‘Darling 4’, clearly demonstrated
enhanced blight resistance in field trials at SUNY-ESF.
Battling Ink Disease in the
Southern Range
Dale Travis of the New York
Chapter of TACF with one of the
ten transgenic American chestnuts
that were planted at the New York
Botanical Garden this spring.
12
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Throughout the southern range of the American
chestnut, ink disease has been more damaging
to the tree than chestnut blight. In 2012, new
research revealed that a small percentage of
TACF’s most blight-resistant trees also carry
resistance to ink disease. This suggests that
careful breeding of these trees could produce a
chestnut that is resistant to both chestnut blight
and ink disease, making restoration of the
species in the southern range feasible. Much of
this work is being conducted by Dr. Joe James
at his Chestnut Return Farm in Seneca, South
Carolina, in partnership with the Carolinas
Chapter of TACF, TACF scientists, Dr. Steve
Jeffers of Clemson University, and the USDA
Forest Service.
Research Funded Through TACF
Research is a vital tool that points the way to successful restoration of the American
chestnut. TACF has funded many research programs that have provided critical
knowledge and helped us to understand the remarkably complex ecology of the
chestnut and its interactions with the natural world. In 2012, the Foundation
awarded $70,347 in grants to external organizations to conduct chestnut research.
This year’s dollars funded the following projects:
RESEARCH PROJECTS
O RG A N I Z AT I O N S
Evaluating the genetic and genomic basis for varying levels of blight resistance among Chinese trees (Castanea
mollissima, Castanea henryi, and Castanea seguinii)
State University of New York College of
Environmental Science and Forestry
Chestnut restoration in northeastern forest gaps: experimental plantings to advance forest structure and restoration
ecology practice
Center for Urban Restoration Ecology at Rutgers
University
Bull Run Mountains chestnut survival study
Bull Run Mountains Conservancy, Smithsonian
Conservation Biology Institute, Virginia Chapter
of TACF
Development of Castanea pumila specific single nucleotide polymorphisms to detect the occurrence of hybridization
between American Castanea species
Department of Horticulture at Auburn University
The establishment of a genetically diverse population of hybrid American chestnut trees resistant to both chestnut blight
incited by Cryphonectria parasitica and to ink disease incited by Phytophthora cinnamomi
The Carolinas Chapter of TACF and
Clemson University
Comparative analysis of chestnut growth and survival on Appalachian surface mine lands
Ohio University
Preservation and multiplication of elite backcross American chestnut hybrids by micropropagation
State University of New York College of
Environmental Science and Forestry
Plant and fungal dynamics in American chestnut restoration
Miami University; USDA Forest Service, Northern
Research Station; The Wilds Conservation
Science Training Center
Maintaining a backcross orchard planting to assess the integration of host resistance and hypovirulence
West Virginia University
Assessing phenological differences among American chestnut sources in a range-wide progeny planting
The University of Vermont; USDA Forest Service,
Northern Research Station; Vermont/New
Hampshire Chapter of TACF
www.acf.org
13
ME
WI
NY
MI
MA
PA
IL
NJ
OH
IN
VT
NH
CT
RI
NJ
DE
WV
KY
VA
MD
NC
TN
SC
AL
MS
GA
Core Natural Range
Regional Breeding Orchards:
Building A Better Chestnut
Two factors are critical to breeding an American
chestnut that can flourish in the harsh environment
of the eastern forests: regional adaptation and
genetic diversity.
Early in TACF’s history, our scientists realized that
there would be a great benefit in establishing local
breeding orchards in each state of the chestnut’s
natural range. These orchards would complete the
final breeding generations of the process begun at
our farms in Meadowview, VA. The local breeding
orchards would enable growers to produce trees
that were regionally adapted–that had a genetic
predisposition to thrive in the local environment.
It would also allow states to constantly include new
genetic material from local surviving American
chestnuts, adding important genetic diversity to
the breeding population. This system of regional
orchards would mean Maine would breed chestnuts
uniquely suited to Maine’s environment and
Georgia would breed chestnuts that could thrive in
Georgia’s forests.
Our 5,800 volunteers support and maintain more
than 450 breeding and test orchards in all 19 states
of the chestnut’s original range. These orchards
contain a total of more than 60,000 trees. More
importantly, the final stage of this breeding process
is the establishment of seed orchards, which have
now been planted in five states.
Orchards/Plantings
FL
14
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
The breeding and test orchards established and maintained
by TACF’s state chapers. These orchards help us develop
chestnuts that have a high degree of genetic diversity and
regional adaptation, which are needed to improve the tree’s
survival in the wild.
Opposite: Volunteers Jim and Maureen Molnar plant
Restoration Chestnut 1.0 trees as part of a project to reforest
areas of the Flight 93 National Memorial.
Our Vo lunteers
Our Volunteers
TACF Regional Achievements
Restoring the American chestnut will require
decades or even a century of work to complete.
For nearly thirty years, our TACF volunteers have
worked diligently toward making this dream a
reality. Our model of partnering skilled scientists
with volunteers to achieve a common goal makes
TACF unique. This partnership is the reason why
the organization is succeeding in our mission to
restore the American chestnut.
New England Region
Mid-Atlantic Region
STATE CHAPTERS
STATE CHAPTERS
Maine, Vermont/New Hampshire,
Massachusetts/Rhode Island, Connecticut
Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia
REGION STATS
• Approximately 11,571 chestnuts harvested
• Approximately 23,586 chestnuts harvested
• Approximately 635 chestnuts planted
• Approximately 7,550 chestnuts planted
• 4 new orchards established
• 4 new orchards established
• 139 new members enrolled
• 151 new members enrolled
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• The Maine and Massachusetts/Rhode Island Chapters
established their first seed orchards. Seeds from
these orchards will one day help restore the region’s
forests with Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 that are direct
descendants of the great American chestnuts that
once grew in New England.
• The Vermont/New Hampshire Chapter planted
the first New England progeny test at Beaver
Brook Association in Hollis, NH. Progeny tests are
plantings of our most advanced seeds, Restoration
Chestnuts 1.0, in natural growing environments. The
performance of these trees will be monitored for years
to come.
• Restoration Branch events held in Maine and
Massachusetts helped to promote local awareness of
American chestnut restoration and build membership.
New England intern Dan
Hale delivers an educational
program about American
chestnuts to kids attending
Camp DREAM, a camp for
urban kids.
16
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
REGION STATS
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• The West Virginia Chapter participated in the
installation of a new progeny test planting on national
forest land. Volunteers will continue to monitor and
track the planting to determine the blight resistance of
the Restoration Chestnuts 1.0.
• Rowlesburg, West Virginia, held their 4th Annual West
Virginia Chestnut Festival, attracting people from all
over the mid-Atlantic region to join in celebrating the
return of the American chestnut.
• The Maryland Chapter installed two new orchards,
as well as several demonstration and ceremonial
plantings, that will advance their mission and increase
their public outreach.
• The Virginia Chapter worked diligently this year to
produce two new backcross chestnut orchards, one at
Fried Farm in Crozet, VA, and the other at The Ranch
in Culpeper, VA.
Volunteers roasting
chestnuts at the West
Virginia Chestnut Festival,
the only chestnut festival in
the Appalachian region.
North Central Region
Southeast Region
STATE CHAPTERS
STATE CHAPTERS
New York, Pennsylvania/New Jersey,
Ohio, Indiana
Kentucky, Tennessee, North/South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama
REGION STATS
REGIONAL STATS
• Approximately 53,800 chestnuts harvested
• Approximately 8,419 chestnuts harvested
• Approximately 18,025 chestnuts planted
• Approximately 6,229 chestnuts planted
• 13 new orchards established
• 14 new orchards established
• 267 new members enrolled
• 181 new members enrolled
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• The region increased visibility of The American
Chestnut Foundation through presentations, plantings,
signage, and attendance at public outreach events.
• The Carolinas Chapter established their first seed
orchard in Edneyville, North Carolina. The seeds
from this orchard will produce regionally adapted,
potentially blight-resistant chestnut trees for the
forests of the Carolinas.
• The New York Chapter and their partners planted
a new transgenic American chestnut test plot near
Watertown, NY.
• Restoration Branch events held in Indiana and
Pennsylvania helped promote local awareness of
American chestnut restoration.
Thad Jones, park ranger at Sewickly Heights Borough Park,
takes every chance he can to plant chestnuts. This year, he
worked with students at Sewickley Academy to plant and
monitor chestnuts in their greenhouse.
• The Georgia Chapter held a fundraiser at the Carter
Center in Atlanta drawing nearly 130 attendees,
including special guests Former President Jimmy
Carter, Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter and Rolling
Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell. The chapter added
30 new members and raised nearly $4,000 in funds.
Former President Jimmy Carter shakes hands with TACF
member Steve Barilovits, IV at the Georgia Chapter’s Carter
Center event.
TACF volunteers Judy Sutton and Judy Coker help plant the
Carolinas Chapter’s first seed orchard near Asheville, NC
www.acf.org
17
Our Volunteers
Restoration Branches – Building Membership
Through Participation
Restoration Branches are special regional groups affiliated with TACF state chapters.
These hardworking volunteer groups focus on recruiting new members, hosting
events, supporting chapter efforts and implementing TACF’s vision and programs
at the grassroots level.
One of a Restoration Branch’s most exciting contributions is holding events that
attract new members and update local communities on TACF’s activities. In 2012
events were held in six states: North Carolina (Cataloochee Ranch), Massachusetts
(Sturbridge Village), Indiana (Powtawatomi Wildlife Park), Maine (Freeport),
Pennsylvania (Raystown), and Virginia (Southwest VA). The Raystown Pennsylvania
Branch alone recruited 52 new members and renewed 43 members. In total,
Restoration Branches were responsible for 15% of all new TACF members in 2012.
Citizen Science – Training Our Volunteers and
Expanding Our Reach
Restoration of the American chestnut would simply not be possible without the
efforts of thousands of dedicated TACF volunteers. These “citizen scientists”
perform basic field tasks under the direction of TACF’s scientists and science
coordinators, which dramatically increases the reach and effectiveness of TACF’s
science-based breeding and restoration efforts. As more chestnut plantings are
established across the eastern United States, even greater numbers of trained
volunteers will be needed to collect the data necessary to evaluate the progress of
our breeding program.
To help make this vision of citizen scientists a reality, in 2011 and 2012 the
Richard King Mellon Foundation funded TACF’s organized training program
for citizen scientists: FOREST (FOrest REstoration Specialist Training). TACF’s
Regional Science Coordinators designed the FOREST curriculum and led the
training for a group of enthusiastic members in southwestern Pennsylvania.
These new forest restoration specialists will use their skills to
maintain trees in their local communities and teach others
what they have learned. TACF will replicate this training
program in 2013 and 2014 as part of a long-term project to
reforest reclaimed mine lands throughout Appalachia funded
by a Conservation Innovation Grant from NRCS.
18
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Volunteer Terry Stamper bags chestnut flowers to prevent uncontrolled pollination at Meadowview
Research Farms.
Education and Outreach to the Public
Younger generations have heard stories about the chestnut tree from their parents and grandparents. Some even
live on “Chestnut Street.” But if asked about the relevance of the American chestnut tree, many are unaware of
the impact the loss of the tree had on our environment and society.
The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is committed to providing educational opportunities for our
nation’s youth and strengthening the bond between communities and forests. Reaching out to schools and
communities is an important part of TACF’s activities.
Myra Orr and Craig Ashbrook investigate the distinctions
between American chestnuts and species commonly confused
with it during a teacher training at TACF Meadowview
Research Farms in Virginia.
TACF Regional Science Coordinator Sara Fitzsimmons assists
fifth graders from Elwood Kindle Elementary in their Disney
Planet Challenge project to restore the American chestnut to
Pitman, New Jersey.
Carolinas Chapter President Doug Gillis presents at a
ceremonial planting in Columbia, South Carolina. Doug has
a rich knowledge of American chestnut history that he enjoys
sharing with the public.
Teacher Training Workshops – Utilizing the
American Chestnut Learning Box
Students Reintroduce American Chestnuts
to Their Community
Bringing American Chestnuts
to Public Spaces
The American Chestnut Learning Box is an
educational tool that brings the story of the American
chestnut to classrooms, nature centers, and civic groups
in a tangible, thought-provoking way. It contains
hands-on materials such as chestnut leaves, burs, and
wood samples, and a series of photos, presentations,
and posters that showcase the American chestnut
before, during, and after the blight. Teacher trainings
organized by TACF volunteers and staff help educators
integrate the American Chestnut Learning Box into an
engaging classroom or outdoor learning environment.
Fifth graders at Elwood Kindle Elementary in
Pitman, New Jersey, designed a project dedicated to
restoring the American chestnut to their town. Their
project won “runner-up” in the New Jersey Disney
Planet Challenge and the trees they planted will be
enjoyed for generations to come.
Throughout the year, TACF volunteers deliver
presentations to communities and local organizations,
organize ceremonial plantings to raise public
awareness, participate at local shows and fairs, and
create Restoration Branches to inspire community
involvement in restoration efforts
www.acf.org
19
Our Volunteers
Mega-Transect: Mapping Surviving American Chestnuts Along the
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail MEGA-Transect Chestnut Project is a collaboration between TACF scientists and volunteers
and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) to train volunteers to collect data on American chestnut trees
growing along the Appalachian Trail (AT). Information gathered will help scientists to better understand the
preferred site requirements for American chestnut by evaluating where they still continue to grow.
An AT MEGA-Transect training workshop was held in June 2012 at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser,
NC. Participants hiked one mile of the AT to count all American chestnuts greater than 3-feet tall and less than
15 feet from the trail edge. One highlight of the workshop was the discovery of a large, 16-inch circumference,
blooming American chestnut found by Bert Crabtree and Kevin Kimbrough.
Mega-Transect Workshop participants gather around a
blooming American chestnut found near the Appalachian Trail in
North Carolina by Bert Crabtree and Kevin Kimbrough.
Mapping Surviving American Chestnuts
stems / sq km
2,559 - 6,539
1,034 - 2,558
Prior to the blight, the American chestnut was the
dominant canopy tree in the eastern forests of the
United States. An estimated four billion American
chestnut trees populated these forests. This estimate
refers to large, mature trees that could reach 100
feet or more in height. Add small seedlings to this
number and the total was probably much greater.
450 - 1,033
226 - 449
140 - 225
107 - 139
21 - 106
Native Range (Little)
The chestnut blight reduced this magnificent tree
to what is today a population of sprouts surviving
in the understory, undergoing repeated cycles of
growth and dieback from chestnut blight. No longer
Map by Dr. John Scrivani showing relative density of surviving
American chestnuts - most of which are small understory sprouts.
Chestnut Survivor Density (FIA Data)
John Scrivani - January 2011
Sources: Miles, P.D. Tue Jan 11 12:13:04 CST 2011. Forest Inventory EVALIDator web-application version 4.01 beta.
St.Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station.
[Available only on internet: http://fiatools.fs.fed.us/Evalidator4/tmattribute.jsp]
The National Atlas of the United States, ESRI, Tele Atlas North America, Inc.
20
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
the mighty giant of the forest, the average American
chestnut today is less than ten feet tall and under two
inches in diameter.
But how many of these sprouts still survive? Using
the USDA Forest Service’s FIA (Forest Inventory
and Analysis Database) we estimate the surviving
American chestnut population of sprouts in excess
of one inch in diameter at 464 million trees (+/10% error).
Opposite: Male Eastern Towhee sings from a perch in a chestnut
seedling growing in a woodlot in Central Massachusetts. Photo
courtesy of Mass Wildlife/Bill Byrne
Our Environment Our Wildlife
www.acf.org
21
22
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Chestnuts and Wildlife
Before the arrival of chestnut blight, the American chestnut was one of the most
important food sources for wildlife. Animals of all types, including white-tailed
deer, bear, raccoon, wild boar, squirrels, mice, wood rats, wild turkey, grouse,
crows, blue jays – even the now extinct passenger pigeon – were all consumers of
American chestnuts.
The chestnut was renowned for having a nutrition-rich, reliable and very plentiful
nut crop. Recent studies have shown that the amount of mast produced by a single
American chestnut may have been many times greater than the next most prolific
forest tree – the oak. More importantly, the chestnut’s relatively late spring bloom
meant that the nut crop was seldom damaged by late frosts. This, combined with
the chestnut’s ability to be pollinated by multiple methods – wind, animals and
insects – made chestnuts the most reliable food source in the eastern forests.
Restoration: A Boon to Wildlife
In addition to the 5,425 Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 that have been planted in
national forests, more than 5,000 of them have been planted on other public and
private lands. The restoration of the American chestnut will return one of the
most prolific and dependable sources of food to the eastern forests. There is little
doubt that in so doing, the capacity of the forest to nurture and support a wide
array of birds and mammals will dramatically increase.
The American chestnut once provided the most prolific and reliable source of food for wildlife in the eastern forests.
www.acf.org
23
Our Environment Our Wildlife
Chestnuts and Reclaimed Mine
Lands: A Win-Win Scenario
The natural range of the American chestnut tree
encompasses much of the rugged coalfield region
of the Appalachians. Since 2005, TACF and our
partners have worked to find the best methods to
restore healthy, diverse hardwood forests to reclaimed
mine lands. Key to this effort is the establishment
of thriving, early-succession woodlands that include
American chestnuts.
Also vital to the restoration process is a technique
called the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA).
This method uses huge bulldozers equipped with
powerful steel hooks to rip deep furrows in the
once compacted mine spoils. Amazingly, the
resulting rock-strewn, barren-looking sites offer
great growing conditions for chestnut–well drained,
slightly acidic soil with virtually unlimited sunlight.
Here chestnuts can not only grow, but thrive–and as
they grow quickly, they break down the rocky soils,
helping to “jump start” a vibrant forest ecology that
will support diverse plant life and offer both food
and shelter to a wide variety of wildlife.
A Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG)
awarded to TACF by USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service will fund 12 major mine land
restoration plantings that will constitute the largest
planting project in the Foundation’s history. Over
three years, TACF and project cooperators will
plant approximately 250,000 seedlings, including
more than 14,000 potentially blight-resistant
chestnuts on 12 sites totaling 360 acres. The first
of these plantings took place in Schuylkill County,
PA, and included more than 1,000 Restoration
Chestnuts 1.0.
In 2011 and 2012, with generous support from the
Norfolk Southern Foundation, TACF worked with
the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative
and other partners to facilitate 56 major planting
events that reforested 806 acres of land, planting
455,516 mixed hardwood trees including more
than 5,000 chestnuts. All told, this effort involved
the coordinated efforts of more than 4,240
volunteers.
Bill Reichert and volunteers prepare a CIG planting on
reclaimed mine lands in Schuylkill County, PA.
24
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Boy Scouts help plant chestnuts on Fishtrap Wildlife Management Area
in Pike County Kentucky. Photo from TACF partner Green Forests Work
Restoration and Remembrance at the Flight 93 National Memorial
TACF volunteers were among the 600 people who participated in an April planting of thousands of
hardwood trees, including 72 Restoration Chestnut 1.0 seedlings, on the Flight 93 National Memorial. Scene
of the tragic crash of Flight 93 on 9/11, the memorial is located on a reclaimed surface mine in southwestern
Pennsylvania. Among the volunteers were several who had lost family, friends or co-workers in the crash.
TACF is honored to participate in this historic project organized by the National Park Service and many
other partners, which will eventually reforest 250 acres. In spring of 2013 TACF will plant an additional 480
Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 on the memorial with support from the Colcom Foundation and Foundation for
Pennsylvania Watersheds via GenOn Settlement Funds.
Volunteer inspects a chestnut recently planted at the
Palmerton Superfund site
Chestnuts Help Restore Palmerton
Superfund Site
The American chestnut’s ability to reforest
damaged lands goes beyond restoring
reclaimed mine lands. Palmerton, Pennsylvania,
was for many years the site of a zinc smelting
plant where heavy metals pollution devastated
more than a thousand acres. Today the site is
the largest remediation and re-vegetation project
ever undertaken by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s Superfund program, and
TACF is playing a part. With support from
ARCADIS US, Inc. the Pennsylvania/New Jersey
Chapter of TACF recently planted 2,000 B2F3s
and 75 Restoration Chestnut 1.0 seedlings as
part of a multi-year project to reforest what was
once a barren industrial wasteland.
Tom Baloga, vice president of engineering for
BMW North America, plants a tree to honor
the victims of Flight 93. Tom was a friend and
colleague of BMW employee Linda Gronlund,
who was aboard the ill-fated flight.
www.acf.org
25
PA RTN E R S
Partnerships
Our work would be impossible without the
cooperation of devoted partners. We collaborate
with various non-profit, corporate and educational
partners across the country to achieve our mission
to help bring American chestnut research to the
forefront of the nation’s conservation efforts on
both public and private lands.
Corporate Partners
Air Products
Geo/Environmental
Services
Alcoa Corporation
Georgia Pacific
American Electric
Power
Kane Hardwoods
Lark Nurseries
ArborGen, Inc.
MeadWestvaco
Banks Hardwoods
Michael Coal
Bartlett Tree Experts
National Grid
Biltmore Estate
News Printing Company
Bridgestone/Firestone
NSTAR Electric & Gas
Cataloochee Ranch
PP&L
Central Vermont Public
Service Corporation
Russell Lands
Connecticut Light and
Power
Trexler Zoo
Vermont Electric Co-Op
Duke Energy
DuPont
Educational Partners
Edge of the Woods
Nursery
Belleville-Henderson
School
Empire Chestnut
Company
Berea College
Exxon/Mobile
Corporation
GenOn
26
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Berry College
Clemson University
University of Georgia
Cornell University
University of Kentucky
Emory & Henry College
University of Maine
Glenville State College
University of Tennessee
- Chattanooga
Schuylkill Conservation
District
Maryland State
Highway
Administration
University of Vermont
Tennessee Army
National Guard
University of Wisconsin
at Lacrosse
Tennessee Valley
Authority
Juniata College
Volunteer State
Community College
Town of Middletown, CT
Kentucky State
University
Warren Wilson College
US Army Corps of
Engineers
West Virginia University
USDA Forest Service
Westtown School
USDA National Institute
of Food and Agriculture
Goshen College
Grove City College
Jackson State
University
Miami University of
Ohio
Michigan State
University
Milton R. Hershey
School
Montreat College
Ohio University
Wilkes University
Wright State University
(OH)
USDA Natural
Resources
Conservation Service
Government Partners
USDI Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement
Fort Detrick
Waynesboro Watershed
Penn State University
I-26 Visitors Center, NC
Pennsbury High School
Purdue University
Lancaster County Solid
Waste Authority
Reinhardt College
National Park Service
Abraham Lincoln’s
Birthplace
Rutgers University
Pennsylvania
Department of
Agriculture
Alabama Forestry
Commission
Pennsylvania
Department of
Conservation and
Natural Resources
Allegheny County
Department of Parks
Saint Anselm College
Schuykill Center
Smith College
State University of
New York, College of
Environmental Science
and Forestry
Carroll County Schools
Tennessee Tech
University
Centre College
Unity College
Pennsylvania
Department of
Environmental
Protection
Rhode Island
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Park/Forest Partners
Alabama State Parks
Appalachian Regional
Restoration Initiative
Black Hill Regional Park
Black Mountain
Watershed
Brooklyn Botanic
Garden
Calloway Gardens
Chattanooga Arboretum
Cleveland Metro Parks
Columbus Metro Parks
Dawes Arboretum
Fern Hollow Nature
Center
Green Forests Work
Indiana Department of
Natural Resources
Kentucky Department
of Fish and Wildlife
Resources
Kentucky Division of
Forestry
Mammoth Cave
National Park
Massachusetts
Department of
Conservation and
Natural Resources
Massachusetts Fish
and Wildlife
Mohonk Preserve
Morris County Park
Commission, NJ
National Park Service
New Hampshire
Division of Forests and
Lands
New Jersey State
Forestry Service
New York Botanical
Garden
New York City
Department of Parks &
Recreation
PA RTN E R S
New York Department
of Environmental
Conservation
North Carolina Division
of Forest Resources
Northern Virginia
Regional Park
Authority
Ohio Department of
Natural Resources
Pennsylvania
Department of
Conservation and
Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Game
Commission
Potawa-tomi Wildlife
Park
Vermont State Parks
Viles Arboretum
Virginia Department of
Forestry
Virginia State
Arboretum
Vogel State Park
Westchester County
Department of Parks
Non-profit Partners
Atlanta History Society
Audubon Wildlife
Sanctuary
Beaver Brook
Association
Blooming Grove
Hunting and Fishing
Club
Carter Center
Chestnut Grove
Foundation
Middletown Garden
Club
Red Clay Reservation,
Delaware
Clark Foundation
Milford Experimental
Forest
Schuylkill Headwaters
Association
Monsanto Fund
Sewickley Civic Garden
Club
Consortium for Plant
Biotechnology
Research
Forest Health Initiative
Freshwater Land trust
Future Farmers of
America
Great Mountain Forest
Corp
Heritage Conservancy
Highlands Nature
Sanctuary
Nanticoke Conservation
Club
The National Hardwood
Lumber Association
National Wild Turkey
Federation
Natural Lands Trust
The Nature
Conservancy
Shade Sportsmen’s
Club
Silver Ridge Hunt Club
Smithsonian
Conservation Biology
Institute
Stanback Foundation
Stronghold, Inc.
Tenafly Nature Center, NJ
House of Dreams
New York Division of
Science Technology
and Innovation
International Forest
Biotechnology
Norcross Wildlife
Foundation
Trexler Nature Preserve
Izaak Walton League of
America
Northeast Wilderness
Trust
Jewel Mill Plantation
Unger Vetlesen
Foundation
Northern Connecticut
Land Trust
University of Rhode
Island Master
Gardeners
Lancaster County
Conservancy
Litchfield Hills Audubon
Society
Northern Nut Growers
Association
Old Sturbridge Village
Little Schuylkill
Conservation Club
Penn Cumberland
Garden Club
Longacre Leadership
Camp
Penobscot County
Conservation
Association
Longwood Gardens
Lula Lake Land Trust
Merck Forest and
Farmland Center
Merle Thorpe
Charitable Trust, MD
Merryspring Nature
Center
Piedmont
Environmental Council
ThorpeWood
Tyler Arboretum
Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission
Western Maryland
Research and
Education Center
Western Pennsylvania
Conservancy
The Wilds
Woodbridge Land Trust
Public Service of New
Hampshire
Quality Deer
Management
Association
Smoky Mountains Hiking Club enjoying the big chestnut tree
stop. The day before the snowstorm. March 5, 1932
Photo courtesy University of Tennessee digital collections.
www.acf.org
27
DO N O R S
Major Government, Foundation,
and Corporate Sponsors
Allegheny Foundation
American Electric Power
ARCADIS US, Inc.
Archie W. and Grace Berry
Foundation
The Ceres Trust
Constellation Energy
Foundation for Pennsylvania
Watersheds via GenOn
Settlement Funds
Foundation for Sustainability
and Innovation
The Manton Foundation
MeadWestvaco Foundation
Richard King Mellon
Foundation
National Forest Foundation
Norfolk Southern Foundation
Apple Matching Gifts Program
Donald K. Lorenzo
Ralph Arthur
Dr. William and Nora
MacDonald
Gadi Avshalomov
Bailey Nurseries Foundation
Anne Bain
Northern Connecticut Land
Trust
Stephen G. Banks
Peabody Energy
Beaver Run Hunting and
Fishing Club
Sordoni Foundation, Inc
Steele-Reese Foundation
Steven Barilovits III
Jack Bertsch
Shelby Bonnie
Sustainable Forestry
Initiative
Mr and Mrs. Darnall W. Boyd
The Tucker Foundation
Ronnie W. Camp
Upper Tennessee River
Roundtable
Philip Chaplin
USDA Forest Service
USDA Forest Service,
Southern Research Station
USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service
The WestWind Foundation
Wolf Creek Charitable
Foundation
A. Mitchell Burford Jr.
Dr. Gary and Darlene Carver
Charles W. Gaddy and Lucy
Finch Gaddy Endowment
Fund of the North Carolina
Community Foundation
$5,000 to $9,999
Richard and Carol Will
Wallace and Nancy McCurdy
Jack McKee
$10,000 to $24,999
Jay and Jennifer Mills
Dr. John D. Agricola
The Neil and Anna
Rasmussen Foundation
Robert H. Dunlap
28
William Winston Hoy, Jr.
Burton J. Willingham
Mr. and Mrs. Fred
Stanback, Jr.
$1,000 to $4,999
Timothy Sweeney
Ailene Phillips Trust
TACF-Pennsylvania/New
Jersey State Chapter
Betty and John Allison
TACF-Virginia State Chapter
Steve Antoline
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Anonymous
Kincaid and Allison Mills
Geary and Beth Mizuno
Isaac A. Morris
Mrs. Justin J. Nathan
Mrs. Shirley Nicholson
Catherine A. Novelli
OppenheimerFunds Legacy
Program
Robert and Elizabeth Owens
Alan Palmer
Deborah Pearsall
Celia and Jim Rutt
John and Katie Dawes
Patrick Scanlan
Michael Doochin
Frederic W. Scott, Jr.
Susan Dorward
Nicholas A. Skinner
Philip and Jennifer Dubois
William T. Smith
EcoRebates, Inc.
The T. Rowe Price Program for
Charitable Giving
Georgia Pacific
Donald and Mary Stout
Foundation
Richard D. McClure
Dr. V. Watson Pugh
R Michael Gadbaw
Brad Stanback and Shelli
Lodge-Stanback
Catherine and Randall D.
Mayes
Peter Dartley
E. Marianne Gabel
$25,000 +
Charles Mathes
John Cholin
Friends of Raystown Lake
Donors
Jacqueline Mars, Stonehall
Farm
Charles Gleason III
Graham-Kucera Philanthropic
Fund at the Community
Foundation for Greater
Buffalo
H.O. Peet Foundation
Lois Hindhede
Isaac W. Jeanes III
TACF-Maryland State Chapter
Turner Foundation
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Raystown Lake
Rufin Van Bossuyt
Bruce Wakeland
Kelley and Stephen Wilkinson
Peter H. Williams
Richard Wipperman
Vanguard Charitable
Endowment Program
James and Gretchen L.
Johnson
Stephen & Suzan Zoukis
Barbara B. Knapp
$500 to $999
Knox Family Foundation
Sandy Lerner
Little Acorn Fund of the
Community Foundation of
Western North Carolina
Preston H. Abbott
Peter Alexeas
Anita Antenucci
Bruce Atkinson
Sarah Barlow
Daniel K. Barthels
David Bartlett
Mr. and Mrs. Peter P.
Blanchard III
Bernd Blossey
Roberta Bocock
Mary Brock
Henry and Maria Campell
Phillip and Cynthia Chase
Jon and Lois Claycomb
Ralph L. Crisp, Jr.
D. Blair Crump
Robert L. deCourcy
James Donowick
Oliver and Eileen B. Evans
Thomas Gerstle
John Gerstmayr
Keith Halstead
Wayne and Jeanne Hearn
Guy Hendrix
Beth and Dale Howell
Victoria Jaycox
James and Gretchen L.
Johnson
Peter Kemmerer
Chandis and Violet Klinger
Joseph Kohrs
Walter G. Lake
Harold Levy
Cortney Lo
Carlos Lopez
William and Faye Lord
Emon Mahony
Kathleen and Rob Marmet
Vincent J. Marold, Jr.
David Mason
Doug McBeth
Debby Lundstrom McMullen
Alex Minard
Robert More
Elizabeth T. Muir
Dr. Anne M. Myers Bobigian
Joseph Nicholson
Tim Onnen
George L. Ohrstrom II
Douglas H. Oswald
Oliver and Barbara Parker
Joseph and Sarah Parrish
Andrew Place
Ponoco Lake Preserve
Allen and Susan Proper
Thomas M. Pugel
Noel Rowe
Lorin S. Rydstrom
Safari Club International New
England Foundation
David Shapira
Edith Shapira
Katherine J. Simpson
Gregory M. Somerville
Donald W. Strickler
Cynthia and Terrence Tobias
Naomi Tokos
Hilltop Conservancy, Inc.
Edward W. Wilburn
Donald Willeke Esq.
David Wilson
Michael and Mary Wise
Brad B. Worrall
John Zavodni
Dr. and Mrs. T. Price
Zimmermann
$300 to $499
Arnold Abel
Carolyn Adams
David Adams
Edmund and Marion Adams
Matthew Akers
Steve Albright
Allegheny Chapter of the
Safari Club
Kenneth Allshouse
Clyde Anderson
Gail Anderson
Dr. Stephen R. Angeli
Dale Angerman, M.D.
Clay Angle
Richard Antes
James D. Arnholt
AT&T Matching Gift Program
TJ and Wendy Atkinson
David Aurand
Sandra Backauskas
William Baker
Dr. Richard S. Banfield, Jr.
Edwards Barham
Andrew Barnebey
Harry Barnes III
Mrs. Gretchen Bauta
DO N O R S
Kenneth Beard
Don Beaver
Chris Beckham
David Behunin
Jane R. Bensche
Keith A. Bibbee
Ryck Birch
Lucille S. Bishop
Bobst Mountain Hunting Club
Catherine Boettner
James A. Bolinsky
Ed Bowen
Karen J. Boyd
Dan Boyer
John Brady
Dr. Peter M. Bradley
Greg Bragg
Eleanor Braun
Daniel Breunig
George D. Brooks
Tim and Michelle Brookshire
Keith I. Brown
Kenneth Brown
Magalen Bryant
Dale Buchanan
Charles Buck
Todd Burnworth
Carol Burrill
Ben Burton
Connie Calvey
Carl L. Campbell
James Campbell
Wayne Capolupo
Robert W. Carmony
Mr. Eugene M. Carr, Jr.
Rachel Caviness
Kent Chastain
The Chestnut Hill Garden Club
Scott Chinery
James Clodfelter
Christopher Clouser
The Coca-Cola Foundation
Dennis and Catherine Collis
Wayne Conley DDS
Bob and Kit Corley
Henry and Irene Cotter
John Crabtree
Walter Cwynar
Dr. Laura N. Dabinett
Henry and Adrienne Danforth
Iris and David Daugherty
Mrs. Lois Davie
Maria and Glenn Davis
David Dawson
Alex and Sandy Day
Michael Day
Brian Decker
Michael Deimler
Scott Deitchman and
Irene Hall
Kenneth DeRoche
C. A. Detwiller
Dan and Eileen Detwiller
James DeYoung
Douglas Deyton
Rick Dietz
Robert A. Dietz
James and Susan Ditmore
Frank Dorman, Jr.
Nicholas Dovidio
Jean C. George
Gloria Geyer-Zora
Joanne K. Gianniny
Dorian S. Goldman
Frank Green
Pamela Greenwood
Mike Grice
William Hamric
Dwight and Peggy Harley Sr.
Wayne and Cheryl Harlow
Robert Kevin Harrell
Mr. Norman Harsh
Harry’s Valley Rod and Gun
Shain Haug
Jonathan Hayes
Hewlett-Packard Company
Foundation
Darlene Hills
Christina T. and Sturtevant
Hobbs
John Lee
Jon M. Lindbergh
The Little Garden Club of Rye
Little Schuylkill
Conservation Club
Greg Long
Richard D. Long
Anthony and Caroline Longo
James Losch
Marshall Lowe
Alice P. Lupton
Nicholas Lynn
Joey Malone
William Marcus
Mark R. Martin
Thomas McArdle
Eleanor McCain
Drs. Brian and Dawn C.
McCarthy
Ann Newell
Dennis and Carol Oakley
John C. Oliver
Gail and Dick Olson
Anne Todd Osborn
Manuel Ovando
Roxane Palone
Tom Parsons
Kathleen A. Patnode
Pamela and Dallas Peak
Bryan Pearson
Donald G. Peck
Jean Perin Edgewood
Sam Pettway
Jim Phillips
Mrs. Daniel and May Pierce
Justin and Margaret Prassel
George and Nicole Price
Edward A. Raymond III
Thank you for all that you make possible
Ms.Thayer Drew,
Greenwood Farm
Thomas Dumm
E.I. DuPont de Nemours and
Company
Duquesne University
Charles and Mary H. Edwards II
Norman Egbert
Katia Engelhardt
Brock D. Eppley
Gene Erickson
Ken Evans
The Evergreen Foundation
Peter Ewing
Anne and Jerry Farkas
Josephine G. Farwell
Mervin Feathers
Ben Finegan
Dr. Mary F. Finlay
Rodney Fleck
Eugene Foor
Thomas Franz
Richard Frase
Andrew Fronk
Thomas Garigan
Richard L. Hoffman
John Hopple
Illinois Tool Works Foundation
Jeff Jens and Ann Boisclair
William P. Jewett
Dan and Karol Lynn Johnson
Patrick Johnson
Sherwood Johnson
Gregory Jones
Jerry L. Jones
Matthew Jones
Juan Jorge
Markus Jork
Ernst Juhl
Ronnie Justice
Diane Kent
Francis Kerchenske
Dale and Linda Kerns
Julius P. Kreier
Jeff and Lori Krause
Ronald Kuipers
Clarence A. Larson
Simeon Duke Layfield
League of Kentucky
Sportsmen, Inc.
Dwaine and Frances
McCollum
Kyle McNamara
Larry J. McReynolds
Eric Medici
Wilhelm Merck
Microsoft Matching Gifts
Program
Luke Miller
Richard Mingle
Anthony Miyake
Mark Mohr
Carol L. Moore
Bill Morgan
Morgan/Limestone Alabama
TREASURE Forest
Association
Andrew Morison
Dr. David and Katherine L.
Morris
James Morrison
James Muir
Robert F. Mulch, Jr.
George Naugle
Network for Good
Steve Neu
Neel Rich
Robert C. Richardson
Roger Roahrig
Quincy and Charlotte Robe
Alan Robertson
Jeffrey and Andrea Roesch
Ross Rogalski
John Rogers
Margaret Ronsheim
Paul D. Ross, Jr.
Stephen Rozak
M. E. Sarvay
Douglas Sauer
Hans Schaefer
Paul Schaefer
Schrack Realty
Mark A. Scheel
Jerome J. Schentag
Thomas Schmidt
Harvey Schorr
Mr. and Mrs. David B.
Sherwood, Jr.
Robert and Nancy Shipman
Joe Slater
Lucas Smith
Perry Smith
Roy Smith
Ken and Laura Southworth
James Spagnoli
Starlight Forests LLC
Joshua Stevens
Chris Stockdale
William S. Strong
Dave Stubbs
Carolyn Summers and David
Brittenham
Roy R. Sumner
Jeff Szkutnik
George and Carol Taylor
Richard and Dianne L. Taylor
Barry Thacker
Dr. Bruce Thomas
Dale Thorpe
David A. Travalini
Nathaniel W. Tripp
Jason Vagliano
David Vaughn
Lou Ventura
Guy A. Wadsworth
Robert Walker
Roderick S. Walker
David A. Wallace
Gil Warmoth
Philip L. Watts, Jr.
Nancy L. Weiss, M.D.
Robert E. Weiss
Judith Wentz
Christopher White
William Whitesell
Jim Wightman
William T. Oxenham
Foundation, Inc.
Richard Williams
Ronald Williams
Lawrence E. Williamson
Erin Willigan
Richard Wilt
Michael Wright
William Wright
Robert and Janice Yelnosky
Christopher Zach
www.acf.org
29
DO N O R S
A Legacy Tree
Our Legacy
Tree Sponsors
Legacy Trees represent one of the most advanced stages of TACF’s breeding process,
and at Meadowview Research Farms they form our core “seed orchard.” The
Restoration Chestnut 1.0 seeds produced by this orchard contain the greatest level
of American chestnut characteristics and the most blight resistance that we have
achieved to date. Many of the trees in the Legacy Tree Orchard have been sponsored
by individuals, either in their own name, the name of a company or organization,
or in honor of a friend or relative. These sponsors have made a significant donation
that will help fund our scientific research and hands-on restoration efforts. In effect,
each tree in this orchard is a living legacy to the work of TACF’s scientists and
volunteers, and each Restoration Chestnut 1.0 seed that is harvested holds, as
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “the promise of a hundred future forests.”
21st Century Parks Inc.
Please visit our website for more information at
http://www.acf.org/Legacy_Tree.php
The Family of the Rev. and
Mrs. Hugh W. Agricola, Jr.
Allegheny Foundation
Anonymous in honor of
Maine Chapter of TACF
Steve Antoline
Stephen G. Banks in honor of
Glenn Banks
David and Annie Bingham
The Blackmore-Gott
Families
Jonathan Butler in memory of
Dr. John M. Butler
John M. Cholin
William Coffey in honor of
Richard Will
Scott Conking & Thomas
Wall in memory of Jerry S.
Conking
Randolph and Grace Knight
The LaRoche Family, Ted,
Gloria, Ashley & David, their
spouses and children
Lewis & Kate Lobdell in
honor of Kale Partners
and The Chestnut Ridge,
Pennsylvania
Partners in Conservation
Maine Chapter of TACF
Mark Mayer in honor of
Richard Will
Paul McArthur in honor of
Richard Will
Meadwestvaco Foundation
Peter Mennen
Janice Michelle Foundation
Northern Virginia Community
Foundation in memory of
Henry B.R. Brown
Robert I. Owens
Yvonne & Alan Palmer
Connecticut Chapter of TACF
Deborah Pearsall
Robert W. Cramer in honor of
Lewis L. Cramer
Dr. Gary Roop Family
Linda and Michael Doochin
and Family
Robert H. Dunlap, Mennen
Environmental Foundation,
dedicated to Gary & Lynn
Anderson
Emily Rutherford in honor of
children and grandchildren
of the Rutherford, Smykal,
and Cookerly families
William T. Smith in honor
of the Myers and Smith
families of Pennsylvania
John Evangelakos Family
Edwin Smoots
The George Family,
Chappaqua, NY
Donald and Mary Stout
Foundation
Georgia Chapter of TACF
The Sudbury Foundation in
honor of John Taft
Peggy & Dwight Harley, Sr. in
honor of Harley and Ringer
Families
In memory of Robert C.
Hempel
Timothy Sweeney
Rufin Van Bossuyt
Virginia Chapter of TACF
Betty Johnson in honor of
Marshal Case
West Virginia Chapter of
TACF
Kentucky Chapter of TACF
Westwind Foundation
Richard Will Family
30
TACF ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Richard Will in honor of:
TACF Volunteers
Donald Willeke
Dr. Norman Borlaug
Brad & Shelli Stanback
Dr. Al Ellingboe
Rex Mann
James Ulring
Dr. William MacDonald
Marshal Case
Dr. Paul Sisco
Dr. Fred Hebard
Phil Rutter
Daphne Van Schaick
Marilyn & Alan Youel
Suzan and Stephen Zoukis in
honor of Cashiers Village
F IN A N C IA LS
Statement of Activities and Changes in Net Assets
PUBLIC SUPPORT AND REVENUE
(July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012)
PERMANENTLY
UNRESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
TOTAL
$ 1,451,556
–
$ 1,451,556
Federal grants
371,885
–
371,885
Membership dues
324,369
–
324,369
Investment income (loss)
(95,957)
4,441
(91,516)
18,230
–
18,230
263,500
–
263,500
787
–
787
2,334,370
4,441
2,338,811
2,026,655
–
2,026,655
Management and general
348,737
–
348,737
Fundraising
205,957
–
205,957
2,581,349
–
2,581,349
Contributions and foundation grants
Merchandise sales (net of cost of $16,332)
Donated services
Other support and revenue
TOTAL PUBLIC SUPPORT AND REVENUE
8%
13%
79%
EXPENSES
Program services
TOTAL EXPENSES
Change in Net Assets
(246,979)
4,441
(242,538)
Net Assets, beginning of year
3,791,094
19,772
3,810,866
NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR
3,544,115
24,213
3,568,328
Officers
Glen Rea, Chair
Carolyn Hill, Vice-Chair,
Development Cabinet
Dr. Kim Steiner,
Vice-Chair,
Science Cabinet
Catherine Mayes,
Secretary
Steve Barilovits III, Treasurer
Donald C. Willeke, Esq.,
Legal Counsel
Bryan Burhans,
President & CEO (non-voting)
Board of Directors
(as of June 2012)
William Adamsen
Steve Barilovits III
Dr. Gary Carver
Dr. J. Hill Craddock
Herb Darling
Timothy Eck
Dr. Albert H. Ellingboe
Yvonne Federowicz
Sean Fisher
Lynn Garrison
Doug Gillis
Carolyn Hill
Hugh Irwin
Dr. Joseph B. James
Jimmy Jenkins
Grace Knight
Dr. William Lord
Dr. William MacDonald
Rex Mann
Bryant Marsh II
Catherine Mayes
Dr. Brian C. McCarthy
James O. Mills
Joe Nicholson
Tim Phelps
Mac Phillippi
Glen Rea
Dr. John Scrivani
Tom Scrivener
Dr. Paul Sisco
Bradford Stanback
Dr. Kim Steiner
George Thompson
Rufin Van Bossuyt
Bruce Wakeland
Richard S. Will
Donald C. Willeke, Esq.
Honorary Directors
The Honorable James Earl
Carter, Jr.
Dr. Richard A. Jaynes
Mrs. Mary Belle Price
Dr. Peter H. Raven
Mr. Phillip A. Rutter
Office Locations
TACF National Office
160 Zillicoa Street, Suite D
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 281-0047
TACF Meadowview
Research Farms
29010 Hawthorne Drive
Meadowview, VA 24361
(276) 944-4631
Northern Central
Regional Office
The Pennsylvania State
University
206 Forest Resources Lab
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 863-7192
New England
Regional Office
Northern Research Station
Forest Service
705 Spear Street
South Burlington, VT 22903
(802) 999-8706
Program Services
Management and General Expenses
Fundraising
As of June 30, 2012, according to Cusack & Co. Complete
audited financials and TACF’s 990 are available at
http://www.acf.org/annual.php or by calling (828) 281-0047.
Chart reflects expenditures for fiscal year ending June 30, 2012.
Mid-Atlantic
Regional Office
Virginia Department of Forestry
Central Office
900 Natural Resources Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 906-9312
State Chapters
Alabama
Carolinas (North and South)
Connecticut
Georgia
Indiana
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts/Rhode Island
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania/New Jersey
Tennessee
Vermont/New Hampshire
Virginia
West Virginia
“The American
Chestnut Foundation
has earned five
consecutive 4-star
ratings from premier
charity rating company, Charity
Navigator. Only 4% of the charities that
Charity Navigator rates have received
five consecutive 4-star evaluations”.
– Ken Berger, President and CEO
of Charity Navigator
www.acf.org
31
160 Zillicoa Street, Suite D
Asheville, North Carolina 28801
Phone: (828) 281-0047
Fax: (828) 253-5373
www.acf.org
www.facebook.com/americanchestnut
www.twitter.com/chestnut1904