September 2, 2026. Conservationists are raising the alarm about the potential release of genetically engineered (GE or genetically modified) American Chestnut trees into U.S. forests, putting endangered chestnut trees in Canada at risk of contamination.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the genetically engineered “Darling 54” American Chestnut tree for dispersal into the wild (1) pending further review from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It would be the first-ever genetically engineered plant released into the open environment with the purpose to spread freely through ecosystems.
The genetically engineered “Darling 54” American Chestnut tree is purported, in a disputed claim (2), to tolerate the blight that decimated the species in North America. The GE tree will be commercialized by the U.S. tree biotechnology company SilvaBio which was set up for this purpose.
“The release of these genetically engineered trees into the wild would be a large-scale, possibly irreversible experiment,” said Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN). “Its impacts on forest ecosystems will be unknown until they are observed in the wild over decades and centuries, but by then it may be too late.”
The American Chestnut is declared Endangered on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) and is protected by Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA).
The Canadian Chestnut Council (CCC) is a volunteer group that is leading conservation efforts in Canada via gene pool conservation and through conventional (non-GE) blight-resistance breeding under a stewardship agreement with the Government of Ontario. The CCC opposes release of the Darling 54 GE tree, citing the contamination risk to their breeding efforts and to the genetically distinct wild population in Canada.
“The Canadian Chestnut Council greatly regrets and disapproves of the USDA decision to deregulate the American Chestnut engineered for enhanced blight tolerance,” said Ron Casier, Chair of the Canadian Chestnut Council. “We believe that the introduction of the genetically engineered Chestnut, even as a horticultural planting, will contaminate the native genome and eventually destroy our work and efforts to restore the true native American Chestnut.”
The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network is asking the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada to stop any approval of this GE tree in Canada. “Canada should ban the release of any genetically engineered forest trees,” added CBAN’s Sharratt.
For more information: Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 902 209 4906, coordinator@cban.ca
NOTES:
(1) United States Department of Agriculture, USDA Deregulates American Chestnut Engineered for Enhanced Blight Tolerance, August 27, 2026 https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/program-update/usda-deregulates-american-chestnut-engineered-enhanced-blight-tolerance
(2) The American Chestnut Foundation, Press Release: TACF Discontinues Development of Darling 58, December 8, 2023 https://tacf.org/tacf-discontinues-development-of-darling-58/
The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) brings together 14 groups to research, monitor and raise awareness about issues relating to genetic engineering in food and farming. CBAN members include farmer associations, environmental and social justice organizations, and regional coalitions of grassroots groups. CBAN is a project of MakeWay’s shared platform. www.cban.ca/trees
