USDA poised to approve release of GM American chestnut trees based on botched research
The USDA wants to deregulate (approve for release into the wild) the GM American chestnut tree in spite of the fact that it is known to be defective and prone to blight – and could therefore pose a risk to remaining naturally blight-resistant wild chestnuts.
Initially, the developers at SUNY ESF submitted data to the USDA on the wrong GM tree (D54) – the field trials and other research were also done on D54 when they were mistakenly claimed to be on D58. The developers subsequently amended their petition for deregulation to name D54 instead of D58.
The USDA doesn’t care that the safety and performance data were gathered on the wrong tree, or that the GM tree has been shown to be defective and could pose a risk to wild chestnuts. The USDA has opened up a public comment period until 21 July 2025. See below for how to take part.
TAKE ACTION
Please help stop the world's first ever mass release of a fertile GMO plant into the wild – which is being promoted as a solution to climate change. The deadline for submitting your comment to the USDA to stop the GM D54 Chestnut is July 21.
1. SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT at the government website.
2. SIGN THE SIGN-ON LETTER developed by the Campaign to STOP GE Trees to collect signatures against the D54 deregulation. The letter has arguments you can use in your own comments, as well as background information.
3. SHARE THE SIGN ON LETTER:
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New Yorkers restore the American chestnut with non-GM trees while GM fails
New Yorkers are planting non-GM blight-resistant American chestnut tree seeds in back yards and local parks. The seeds come from trees that so far have proven remarkably resilient to blight – unlike the poorly performing GM trees that SUNY ESF are seeking to deregulate (see items above). The GM alternative “isn’t a restoration project, it’s a genetically flawed science experiment poised for commercialisation at the expense of our forests,” Anne Petermann of the Global Justice Ecology Project told the Guardian. “The forests deserve real science, not flawed experiments.” For more on the failure of the GM American chestnut project, see GMO Promises.
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BELOW, please find a letter from the President of the New York Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (now renamed*) to their constituents asking them to comment in support of the reckless deregulation of the D54, which they claim would be a major victory for the American chestnut. In reality, its release into forests would directly threaten remaining wild American chestnuts with contamination from the pollen and seeds of these defective trees.
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Update on Darling 54 and Darwin lines
[from American Chestnut Restoration, Inc. - formerly the NY Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation]
The US Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has just completed a rigorous multi-year review of the Darling 54 (D54) blight-tolerant American chestnut trees and has determined it is unlikely to pose a plant pest or environmental impact risk. This favorable consideration to grant D54 “nonregulated” status by USDA APHIS represents a major milestone toward restoring this iconic species to its native range in eastern U.S. forests.
With nonregulated status and pending approvals from two additional U.S. regulatory agencies, Darling 54 and its offspring could be distributed and planted like wild-type or traditionally bred chestnut trees.
This favorable USDA APHIS review is the direct result of a revised 322-page D54 Petition submitted by the American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). The entire D54 application process has been a major scientific undertaking, made possible by 35 years of pioneering research and the development of cutting-edge biological technology by ESF. The enormity of this accomplishment in species conservation is unprecedented. Furthermore, approval of D54 will directly facilitate future reviews of new varieties such as DarWin and others. From the beginning, our non-profit organization, now known as American Chestnut Restoration, Inc., has consistently supported ESF in this monumental effort.
In what amounts to the final major step in their review process, USDA APHIS has opened a public comment period on the Federal Register regarding the ESF Petition (with revised Environmental Impact Statement and Plant Pest Risk Assessment documents). This comment period gives any interested member of the public an opportunity to go on record. USDA APHIS is very interested in comments from scientists, but the rest of us can still comment to share why we support the ESF petition, their research, and the D54 trees. If you have planted and cared for wild-type American chestnut trees and are waiting for the D54 tree to support pollination and restoration, please include that in your comment. If you have done any other volunteer work on behalf of the American chestnut, please write about that. If you are a member of American Chestnut Restoration, Inc., please mention that as well. The deadline for submitting your comment is July 21st.
To submit your comment, visit https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/06/2025-10226/state-university-of-new-york-college-of-environmental-science-and-forestry-availability-of-a-revised#open-comment. You may read the comments that have been submitted here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2020-0030-17582/comment.
You may already know that American Chestnut Restoration (ACR) is the new name for the original, all volunteer, non-profit organization that has supported the ESF American Chestnut Project since its beginning in 1988. We have members in 33 states and Canada. If you are not already a member, now is a great time to join! The link to American Chestnut Restoration is https://www.americanchestnut.org/.
Please see the American Chestnut Fact Sheet from ESF for a helpful overview of the American chestnut story. Also see the Spring issue of our ACR newsletter, The BUR.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Allen Nichols
President, American Chestnut Restoration, Inc.
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* The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) withdrew its support for the GM tree after it proved defective and it emerged that SUNY ESF had made plans to commercialise the tree for a profit. In a statement of 20 April 2025, Allen Nichols, head of the organisation that was the New York Chapter of TACF, wrote: "The national office of TACF gave us 30 days notice that they were severing our 35 year affiliation, and that we must discontinue the use of the name 'New York Chapter of TACF'." The reason given by TACF was the NY Chapter’s continuing support for Darling 54 GM American chestnut: "NY-TACF’s leadership remain committed to working with SUNY-ESF and its for-profit commercial partner on the Darling 54 transgenic chestnut program. The two organizations agreed to terminate their association."
Image: Shutterstock (licensed purchase)