GE American Chestnut
Summary
Genetically engineered (GE) trees are an untested and unpredictable technology that threatens not only the biodiversity of our forests but also the ecosystems that depend on them.
Right now the USDA has issued a draft decision recommending deregulating the genetically engineered American chestnut tree for unmonitored and mass release into our wild forests.
The GE chestnut offers a stark example of the dangers associated with the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into our natural environments.
You can sign on to our letter to the USDA demanding they reject these GE chestnuts here: htttps://stopgetrees.org/no-ge-chestnuts/
USDA Poised to Approve Release of Genetically Engineered Trees Based on Botched Research
Defective GMO Chestnut Rejected by Top Chestnut Researchers
June 12, 2025 — Washington, D.C. — In a move sparking outrage among forest conservationists, scientists, and watchdog groups, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened a new 45-day public comment period (ending July 21, 2025) on a highly controversial proposal to deregulate the a genetically engineered (GE) American chestnut tree—a GE tree that is now known to suffer from severe genetic defects, mislabeled data, and performance limitations in field tests.
This marks the first-ever request to approve a GE forest tree, or any GE plant, for widespread environmental release. If approved, it would allow the unregulated planting and spread of genetically engineered pollen, nuts and trees across eastern U.S. forests—despite growing concerns from leading researchers and conservation organizations.
Speak out before the USDA’s comment period ends on July 21st.
- Add your name to the sign on letter: https://stopgetrees.org/no-ge-chestnut
- Find the full docket of USDA and ESF documents, including the new petition for deregulation, draft Environmental Impact Statement and draft Plant Pest Risk Assessment along with a link to submit public comments.
“This isn’t a restoration project, it’s a genetically flawed science experiment poised for commercialization at the expense of our forests,” said Anne Petermann of Global Justice Ecology Project. “We are appalled that the USDA is seriously considering approving this risky GE tree when they know it is based on ten years of flawed research and has exhibited severe problems in controlled field tests.
The forests deserve real science, not flawed experiments. The American chestnut deserves restoration, not commodification.”
Heather Lee of the Campaign to STOP GE Trees added,
“the university researchers at SUNY ESF should withdraw their application because the D54 GE chestnut they seek to deregulate fails to work as promised. The USDA should immediately reject this profoundly risky proposal from researchers who have been careless with their GE research material and are engaged in a dispute over field test results. Independent researchers from several institutions have found the D54 to have significant problems, which researchers at ESF reject as ‘exaggerated or misleading’. Clearly they cannot be trusted with a project of this magnitude.”
They Tested the Wrong Tree—For Nearly a Decade
The initial petition was submitted in 2020 by the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) but then revised in 2024 when a major research error was uncovered. The research was backed by The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) until December 2023 when TACF announced the error and major performance limitations observed in field tests.
Researchers discovered that the GE trees they had been studying for over seven years were not the “Darling 58” GE American chestnut described in the petition—but Darling 54, a separate and severely compromised variant. In Darling 54, a critical gene, SAL1, had been deleted during the genetic engineering process. They suffered from stunted growth, high mortality rates, and failure to resist chestnut blight.
TACF’s review of the test data found that these GE trees often fared worse than their non-GE siblings. Despite these negative results, SUNY-ESF continues to pursue deregulation—and minimize the problems.
“Growth retardation, health issues, and cankering of Darling trees continue to be observed and documented across multiple sites, including [SUNY-ESF’s] own orchards,” TACF stated on their website. “These issues are seen specifically in OxO-positive [GE] trees… The stark contrast cannot be explained by growing conditions.”
In a June 2024 statement in a New York Intelligencer article, then President of TACF, Dr. William Pitt drew attention to SUNY’s lack of transparency about the error. “To this day, we’ve never heard anything directly from ESF,” says Pitt, the American Chestnut Foundation’s president. If Tan and Klak (third party scientists) hadn’t shared their findings, Pitt wonders if ESF ever would have “told us, told the public, told anyone.” “As a nonprofit organization, we can’t hide things from our members or the public. If we wouldn’t have brought this out, we would be complicit with a cover-up.”
Commercial Interests vs. Public Interest
Meanwhile, SUNY-ESF has signed a commercial licensing agreement with for-profit corporation American Castanea Inc, which plans to mass-clone and sell millions of Darling 54 trees using AI-driven propagation methods—turning what was pitched as a public ecological project into a private biotech venture.
A Dangerous Precedent for Genetically Engineered Forests
This proposal is about more than one tree. Groups warn that corporations like ArborGen and Duke Energy in the US, and Suzano in Brazil, are watching closely, hoping this deregulation opens the door to widespread planting of GE trees for industrial use—biomass, carbon offsets, pulp, and more.
“The GE chestnut is a Trojan horse,” said Dr. Rachel Smolker, director of Biofuelwatch. “It’s being used to normalize GE trees for profit—not for restoration.”
Key Reasons to Reject the Darling 54 Petition:
- It’s the wrong tree: The data submitted to USDA is from the Darling 54—not the originally proposed Darling 58.
- It’s genetically damaged: In Darling 54, the insertion of transgenes deleted an important gene (SAL1). These trees have weakened resistance, high mortality rates, and abnormal growth.
- It’s irreversible: Once planted, GE American chestnuts can interbreed with and spread defective traits into wild American chestnut trees, and nuts and pollen can spread engineered DNA into native ecosystems.
- It’s driven by profit: What started under the guise of a public restoration effort is being converted into a private revenue stream.
- It sets a dangerous precedent: Deregulating this GE tree for planting into the wild paves the way for the release of other genetically engineered products including commercial forest species.
- Careless mistakes by researchers
Stay Informed:
Download the major white paper Biotechnology For Forest Health? The Test Case of the Genetically Engineered American Chestnut or read the Executive Summary
Read the 2025 Earth Island Institute Articleon Darling 58 “Lessons from the Unsuccessful GM Chestnut Experiment”
Listen to a podcast on the Failure of the GE American Chestnut with Anne Petermann and Dr. Donald Davis (February 2024)
Sign on to stop the GE American Chestnut!
- June 2025 (Press Release): USDA Poised to Approve Release of Genetically Engineered Trees Based on Botched Research
- March 2025 (Testimony): The Dangers of GE Trees: The Case of the American Chestnut Tree
- August 2024 (Report): Genetically Engineered American Chestnut: Discussion of the performance limitations of Darling 58/54
- July 2024 (Article): NY Times: How Do You Restore a Chestnut Forest or an Apple Orchard? Very Slowly
- July 2024 (Press Release): Press Release: Global Justice Ecology Project requests USDA, Office of Inspector General to investigate SUNY GE American Chestnut debacle
- May 2024 (Article): New York Times Magazine: The Problem With Darling 58 The fight to save America’s iconic tree has become a civil war.
- February 2024 (Fact Sheet): Introduction to the Genetically Engineered American Chestnut
- February 2024 (Letter): Read the letter the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network and Canadian Chestnut Council sent to SUNY-ESY
- December 2023 (Article): The American Chestnut Foundation pulls support for failed GM American Chestnut tree
- November 2023 (Article):After years of hype, researchers temper expectations for GM American chestnut tree – reveal unexpected problems
Latest News
Wild American Chestnuts Making a Comeback in Maine – New short film airs Dec 4
Our short film documents thousands of thriving, wild American chestnuts on the land of renowned biologist Dr. Bernd Heinrich—contradicting decades of assumptions about the species’ decline. Register to watch the film here:...
TAKE ACTION: FSC Consultation to help STOP GE Trees (deadline Sept 28)
FSC Consultation on GMO Definition Deadline Sunday, September 28, 2025The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) prohibits FSC member companies from using GE trees for commercial purposes, in certified or non-certified areas. FSC’s prohibition exists because the risks and...
Global forests at risk from GE Trees: Your Support today is Critical
In just a few weeks, all eyes will be on Panama City, where two critical meetings will decide the future of forests worldwide:
→ The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (SB8J-1) — focused on Indigenous rights and biodiversity
→ The Forest Stewardship Council’s General Assembly — where members will vote on whether to uphold or dismantle the global ban on genetically engineered (GE) trees.
The outcomes will shape forest policy and Indigenous land rights for decades to come. And with COP30 looming in November in Brazil, these meetings are our one chance to set the stage for strong global resistance to GE trees.
Stay Connected
Learn about groups collaborating to prevent the regulatory approval of GE trees in North America including Biofuelwatch, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, Global Justice Ecology Project, Indigenous Environmental Network, Rural Coalition and Shawnee Forest Defense.
Contact heather@globaljusticeecology.org for more information or to help stop the release of GE trees into the environment
Review results from USDA 2022 public comment period:
In November 2022 the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published their draft Environmental Impact Statement and draft Plant Pest Risk Assessment recommending approval of the petition to allow the unrestricted and unmonitored release of the first-ever GMO plant (a GE American chestnut) into the wild with the intent to spread and contaminate wild relatives.