About Us
Our Mission
The Ohio Chapter was founded primarily to bring about the restoration of the American chestnut throughout the hardwood forests of Ohio, where it once flourished. We work with the National Foundation to advance research, education, and public awareness of this important tree species. The Ohio Chapter implements this mission by education and research. Education would include projects such as establish demonstration plantings to acquaint people with the American chestnut and the blight that has almost eliminated by the blight, providing material for education, provide grants to support demonstration plantings and presenting information at appropriate forums. Research would include mine restoration plantings with American chestnuts, reforestation projects including American chestnut, test plantings of hybrid American chestnuts, finding and document surviving American chestnuts in Ohio, and supporting chestnut research in Ohio with grants.
American Chestnut in Ohio
The range of the American Chestnut was mostly restricted to the glaciated and unglaciated Appalachian Plateau region In Ohio. This is roughly the eastern half of the state. The chestnut grew mostly as part of the oak hickory forests and constituted 10-20% of the forests in eastern Ohio. They reached3-4’ DBH. Since Ohio is in the western part of the range the of the tree the blight did not completely decimate the chestnut in Ohio until the early 1940’s. Some large snags persisted for awhile but now almost the only thing left are root sprouts in the understory of the forest and ODNR now lists the American Chestnut as extirpated in Ohio.
Ohio Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation
The Ohio Chapter of the American Chestnut foundation was established in 2005. The mission of the Ohio Chapter is to support the goals of the TACF through research and education to restore the American Chestnut to its former glory. Education includes demonstration projects to increase awareness, presentations, and publications on the American Chestnut. Research efforts include restoration projects, finding surviving trees in Ohio, and sponsoring research supporting the restoration of the American Chestnut in Ohio and throughout its range.
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Mr. Stephen Rist
Ohio DNR Division of Forestry
Email: ohchapter@acf.org
VICE-PRESIDENT
Mr. Bruce A. Willis
TREASURER
Mr. Ryan Homsher
SECRETARY
Greg Chopko
WEBMASTER
Frank Skalak
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dale Angerman
Dr. Bob Clark
Dr. Carolyn Howes Keiffer
Kristen Lehtoma
Dr. Greg Miller
Tom Mills
Chestnut Links
Chestnut Specific Resources
Ohio Woodland Journal Summer 2021 Page 12
USDA PLANTS Profile for Castanea dentata
Breeding and Growing Chestnut
TACF’s 3BUR: Breeding, Biotechnology, and Biocontrol United for Restoration
More General Topics Related to Hardwoods
Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative
USDA Forest Service Publications (and Treesearch)
Silvics of North America
Documents
Annual Meeting Minutes
Ohio Board Mtg F-2016
Ohio Business Mtg F-2016
In The News
Restoring Giants (March 2017) Ohio Cooperative Living. Pages 32-33.
Membership
Membership Form (National and Ohio Chapter)
Ohio Chestnut Inventory
Ohio Small Grant Application
Ohio Chapter Menu
National Facebook
Whether you already love American chestnut trees or are looking for a new cause to support, consider volunteering with TACF! Volunteering with TACF allows you to learn new skills while participating in an historical effort to restore a functionally extinct species and help heal the environment.
Visit tacf.org/volunteer/ to learn more!
Check out SAHC website: appalachian.org
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How do you know when a female chestnut flower is ready to mate? She starts showing off her styles. This is not a joke. This is straight up factual facts. If you want funny jokes you'll have to go looking somewhere else. Meanwhile, enjoy this episode about our American chestnut friends Cassie and Denny and their first signs of flowers. #cassieanddenny
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Marcy Caldwell Rau
We love what Tree Plenish is doing and we salute their efforts! Learn more about their organization by clicking this link to their website: www.tree-plenish.org
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In a recent article by New York magazine’s Intelligencer, journalist Kate Morgan details the history of the development of the Darling 58 transgenic American chestnut tree, the discovery that it was, in fact, Darling 54, and how that impacted the partnership between The American Chestnut Foundation and SUNY ESF’s American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project.
TACF President & CEO Will Pitt, along with TACF Chief Conservation Officer Sara Fitzsimmons are quoted.
This article is available for a limited time to non-subscribers of New York magazine; visit the link for more details.
tacf.org/the-problem-with-darling-58-the-fight-to-save-americas-iconic-tree/
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The D58/4 mixup was one thing - shouldn't have happened but did. Should've been caught much earlier but wasn't, but particularly unconscionable was ESF's getting in bed with American Castanea, particularly after all the proud pronouncements about not patenting etc. Besides which, AC had no background that I've heard in growing trees.
Hay y'all! Please! These GMO companies are NOT passionate about ecology and tree study like you are at the foundation and how the community here adores this tree and seems to help in any way they are able to. They know it's billions of dollars to be made with chestnuts..... And FAKE GMO TREES ARE NOT GOING TO HELP!! I know of a bunch of large specimens in the Northeast I spent years searching for and continue to. Will be sending samples for testing for the first time this autumn I'm excited to speak with y'all! The tree is FUNCTIONAL AND THRIVING in particular places. But they need stable, happy (organic/wild) ecosystems to behave this way.... Can't just jam trees in the ground and hope for chance.... If I'm ever financially stable I love to participate in bigger projects and planning in the future keep fighting the good fight!! Thank you for listening bless'ed love! 🌰🌱🌳🍁🙏✌️🐺🐾🐾🤘🌟
I think the real problem was over who thought they were responsible for distribution of seedling. Both groups were building distribution networks. TACF thought they were in charge of the program while ESF only felt they needed to be informed. That TACF tried to make it about the money was embarrassing. No one’s going to make a fortune in conservation. The couple million TACF donated is probably nothing compared with what the state of NY (or any of the other Universities) have spent. Weird… internal financial controls at Universities are allot more rigorous than for a non-profit.
Don't forget to enter the 2024 American Chestnut Photo Contest! We love to see photos that include every season, angle, and aspect of American chestnut, so get creative. Click this link for more information: tacf.org/2024-photo-contest/
This adorable photo was taken by Michelle Casson, who submitted in 2016.
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Latest News
Ohio Chapter Meeting September 11, 2021
September 11, 2021 Annual Meeting of the Ohio Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation The annual meeting was held virtually via ZOOM. President Carolyn Keiffer told the membership she is retiring from Miami University at the end of the year and the presidency of...
Ohio Chestnut Grant Applications
Ohio Chapter Grant Applications due October 30, 2021!! Grants are available for up to $1000 for any project or plan furthering the American Chestnut by planting, education, or another manner. These grants are available to any people or organizations who would be...
OH Chapter Grants Applications
Posted September 23, 2021 Ohio Chapter Grant Applications due October 30, 2021 Grants are available for up to $1000 for any project or plan furthering the American Chestnut by planting, education, or another manner. These grants are available to any people or...