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ARRI and The American
Chestnut Foundation [TACF] have joined forces in a
partnership to combine the forestry reclamation of
mine sites with restoration of the majestic American
chestnut tree to its former place of dominance in
the Appalachian hardwood ecosystem.
Restoring the American Chestnut on
Mined Lands in
Appalachia
 and 
The American Chestnut
Foundation (TACF) and The Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) are looking for
volunteer surface mine operators and abandoned mine land (AML)
project planners in each of the seven Appalachian Region coal
states willing to participate in the first year of out-plantings
to test American chestnut suitability as a forest reclamation
species on mine sites.
Coal mines reclaimed using the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA),
the reclamation technique
advocated by ARRI, offer several advantages for large-scale
chestnut re-population. Across the Appalachian Region there are
thousands of acres of land mined for coal and reclaimed every
year. So, there are numerous sites that can be made suitable for
the successful re-introduction of American chestnut trees. These
lands can be pioneer sites for the spread of chestnuts from
mature trees into the adjacent forest lands, through wildlife
activity.
TACF has been working for 25 years to develop a blight
resistant chestnut hybrid that will be used to repopulate the
eastern forests. Since the hybrids will not be available for
widespread distribution for several years, pure American
chestnut seed will be used as proxies on mine sites until the
hybrid trees are available in large quantities. The year 2008
has been marked as the first year of a long-term effort to use
mine sites as “springboards” for returning the American chestnut
into the Appalachian forests. “Operation Springboard 2008” will
commence with the use of the FRA to prepare rooting medium for
trees this fall and winter and finish with the planting of pure
American chestnuts in the spring.
Be the first coal operator or AML planner in your state to
sign up for the start of this major ecological
restoration event!
WHY SURFACE MINES? Reforestation experts and university
researchers believe that surface mines will make excellent
planting sites for re-introducing the American chestnut back
into its native range for numerous reasons. The Appalachian coal
fields are at the center of the chestnut’s native range. When
the FRA is used, trees grow very fast, which means that they can
reach reproductive maturity very quickly and their nuts can be
carried into the surrounding forest by animals much sooner. The
use of tree-compatible herbaceous cover means that there is much
less competition interfering with chestnut seedlings compared to
that found on old agricultural fields or clear-cut forests.
Finally, scientists suspect that a root rot disease which kills
chestnuts might be less aggressive in well-drained mine soils.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Any active coal surface mine operation or
AML reclamation project in the 7 Appalachian states currently
reclaiming mined land to a forest post-mining land use in
preparation for the spring 2008 tree planting season is
eligible. The mine site must be certified by an ARRI Team Member
as FRA compliant as advocated by ARRI. Mine operators should
check with the ARRI Team Member from their State Regulatory
Authority to ensure that American chestnuts can be included in
the planting mix on their mine site without the requirement of a
permit change or amendment.
WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED? Use of the 5 step FRA is required (see
below). Mine operators will need to closely follow their permit
requirements regarding the species and planting density of
native hardwood tree mix, and it is recommended that
professional tree planters do the planting. The chestnuts will
be interplanted among the other hardwoods at a spacing of 75
feet by 75 feet. This will result in a stocking rate for the
chestnuts of 8 nuts or seedlings per acre. Since chestnuts are
heavily predated by small mammals, they need to be protected
with a tree shelter of some type which needs to be secured with
a stake. It is highly recommended that the planting of the
chestnuts be done by a team composed of the ARRI Team Members,
the mine operator or his designate, the professional tree
planter if possible, and a member of the local chapter of TACF
if possible. Detailed planting instructions will be issued in
advance of the chestnuts and the planting stock will be sent to
the ARRI Team Members who will plan and coordinate the planting event(s). Finally, future site accessibility, at least until
bond release, is a consideration since it is desirable that
yearly measurements be conducted to monitor the success of the
planted chestnuts.
WHAT ARE THE 5 STEPS OF THE FRA? The 5 steps of the FRA
technique listed below have been confirmed by forestry research.
ARRI has determined that the FRA can be implemented under
current Federal and State regulations:
- Create a suitable
rooting medium for good tree growth that is no less than 4 feet
deep and comprised of topsoil, weathered sandstone and/or the
best available material;
- Loosely grade the topsoil or topsoil
substitutes established in step one to create a non-compacted
growth medium;
- Use native and non-competitive ground covers
that are compatible with growing trees;
- Plant two types of
trees – early succession species for wildlife and soil
stability, and commercially valuable crop trees; and
- Use proper
tree planting techniques
For more detailed information about the FRA technique described
above please view ARRI's Forest Reclamation Advisories and read the 5 informational
documents written by the ARRI Science Team.
WHEN MUST I START? Mine sites must be prepared with the FRA
in the fall and winter preceding the spring 2008 planting
season. The tree planting season in Appalachia varies from state
to state. It starts early in the south (January or February) and
later in the north (April or May). The chestnut planting stock
will be sent to the ARRI team member prior to the start of your
local planting season. This will be a long-term ecological
restoration project. Mine operators who cannot prepare FRA
compliant growth medium for trees for the spring of 2008 can
plan for 2009 or the next year.
WHERE WILL THEY BE PLANTED? The following 7 states are ARRI
partners: Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Virginia, and West Virginia. Any active mining or AML operation
in these states is eligible as long as the FRA technique is used.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? TACF is a non-profit organization and
will need to cover their expenses for Operation Springboard
2008. The costs for the chestnuts should be a minimal amount of
the total forestry post mining land use. A donation per nut will
be recommended. Further, the nuts will need to be protected by
tree shelters and stakes. Corporate membership in TACF is also
recommended for participating coal companies (see: http://www.acf.org).
ARRI Team Members can provide mine operators with detailed
information regarding costs.
HOW MANY CHESTNUTS ARE AVAILABLE? The number of pure American
chestnuts that will be available will depend upon this falls
harvest. When the harvest is completed, TACF will be able to
project the numbers that can be planted in the spring of 2008.
However, preliminary harvest information indicates that, despite
the extreme drought of 2007, adequate amounts of chestnuts will
be available to make Operation Springboard 2008 successful in
each state.
HOW WILL THE CHESTNUTS BE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE REGION? Each
of the 7 states will get a share of the 2007 fall harvest. The
number that goes to each state will depend on the harvest and
the amount and quality of growth medium prepared in that state
in accordance with the FRA. The ARRI Team Members in each State
will establish the anticipated need in their particular state
based on their assessment of those sites that are FRA compliant.
WILL THEY BE DISEASE RESISTANT? Since TACF’s blight
resistant hybrids will not be available for widespread
distribution for several years, pure American chestnut seed will
be used as proxies on mine sites for Operation Springboard 2008.
By planting pure stock in 2008 and several subsequent years,
valuable information will be obtained regarding planting
techniques and site requirements that will be necessary for
successful establishment of hybrid chestnuts on reclaimed lands
in the near future. Blight resistance in pure American chestnuts
is low, but many of the seed may have characteristics which
enable them to fend off the blight and survive to reproduction,
serving as a valuable part of the tree cover on the site for
many years, and contributing to the total number of surviving
stems required for bond release.
WHAT OTHER BENEFITS CAN MINE OPERATORS EXPECT? Mine operators
who show an early commitment to the FRA and American chestnut
restoration can expect to play a prominent role in the
establishment of TACF’s blight resistant hybrids when they
become available in large quantities. The chestnut was once a
valuable part of the landscape and celebrated in Appalachian
folklore, and the restoration of American chestnut to its former
range is an important ecological and social goal.
WHAT FOLLOW UP WILL OCCUR AFTER PLANTING? Seedlings will be
measured for height growth, diameter growth, and survival by members
of local chapters of TACF on an annual basis to determine which
site conditions foster good chestnut growth and survival, so
that when the blight resistant hybrids become available, TACF
will have critical information that will accelerate the
restoration process.
HOW DO I GET STARTED? Contact the ARRI Team Member in your
state and indicate your interest in participating in Operation
Springboard.
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