American Chestnuts Making a Comeback in Idaho

Up to 4 billion chestnut trees fell victim in the 1930s and ’40s to a blight that erased the species from its native habitat. Some growers in Idaho have been working to bring it back. In a bid to revive an iconic American species, chestnut farmers are making strides in reintroducing disease-resistant strains of American chestnuts to their historic Eastern U.S. habitat as well as exploring new territories.

One such remnant of this effort can be found in a commercial orchard near Nampa, Idaho, owned by farmer Paul. Paul, along with numerous growers in the Northwest and Midwest regions, is committed to bringing back chestnut trees to the United States. However, this ambitious goal has been met with challenges.

Despite a devastating freeze in 2016 that decimated a quarter of her orchard and inflicted heavy damage on the remaining trees, Paul's perseverance has sparked hope for the revival of American chestnuts. In 2016, Paul collected an impressive 4,000 pounds of nuts from her surviving stock, a stark contrast to the measly hundred pounds harvested the previous year. However, this year, Paul's efforts have produced a bountiful harvest, with around 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of nuts collected.