Prior to the introduction of Cryphonectria parasitica, Castanea dentata, the American chestnut, was the most important tree in the Eastern United States. For many parts of its range it accounted for one in every four trees; in Connecticut forests C. dentata represented half of the total standing volume. In addition to its near ubiquity, it was of endless utility. The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) will likely produce the first generation of backcrossbred blight-resistant American chestnuts suitable for forest planting within a decade. While not completely absent, the effects of C. parasitica will be greatly reduced. Work has begun on finding solutions to the silvicultural challenges of reintroducing a species essentially lost from the landscape.