The tree is considered functionally extinct, thanks to a fungus imported in on a tree from Japan in the late 1800s. But all hope is not lost: a new partnership between the American Chestnut Foundation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians aims to repopulate the region with the lost tree. The orchard will be filled with different versions of the American chestnut tree that have some degree of disease resistance since the fungus will likely always be an issue.
