In 1904, a fungus was introduced to North America and it had a devastating impact on one of the continent's foundation trees—the American Chestnut tree. Within only 50 years, the American Chestnut was rendered functionally extinct. Before this tragedy, one out of every four trees in the eastern part of the United States was an American Chestnut. These trees, nearly 3 billion of them, played a crucial role in the development of the country. Native Americans and early settlers relied on the chestnuts for food for their communities and livestock. The lumber from these trees was used to build everything from cradles to caskets. Efforts to restore this tree are being made by William A. Powell, SUNY professor and director of the American Chestnut Research & Restoration Program, and Rex Mann from the American Chestnut Foundation. Supported by funding from Templeton World Charity Foundation, this unique project is seeking to genetically engineer a blight-resistant form of the American Chestnut tree and restart its dominance in the forests that it once called home.