A recent article, published just before the holidays, shares the history of restoration efforts of the American chestnut tree. The article continues on to detail the current deregulation efforts towards the transgenic tree, Darling 58.
“Over the last twenty years, efforts at the nexus of conservation and biotechnology have genetically engineered (GE) the American chestnut to resist the fungus. The goal is to repatriate the forests and restore them to pre-1900s composition, adding back a key species that supported significant biological diversity.”
The deregulation of this transgenic American chestnut tree is ongoing. In November 2022, the USDA-APHIS announced a public comment period on the draft Environmental Impact Statement petition. This deadline for public comment is January 26, 2023. Please note the article lists the previous deadline, December 27, 2022, before the 30 day extension was granted.
To submit a comment, visit the national register here.
To read the full article by the Genetic Literacy Project, click here.
