SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Efforts by researchers at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) to restore the American chestnut tree to the American landscape took a significant leap forward with an approved designation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that ESF’s genetically modified Darling chestnut trees are unlikely to pose a threat to other plants. ESF’s American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project announced that the USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) has completed its review of blight-tolerant Darling 54 American chestnuts and determined the trees are unlikely to pose a plant pest risk. While USDA approval does not mean the trees are yet available to the public, it represents a significant regulatory achievement in the restoration process. The decision marks the completion of the first major federal regulatory review for the American chestnut.