By John Dieckmann Prior to 1900, an estimated three billion American chestnut trees populated the Eastern United States. It was an important tree ecologically, with its nuts being an vital food source for a variety of wildlife and a significant food source for people. Chestnut wood was used in both construction and in furniture making.  In the late 19th century, a blight fungus that attacks chestnuts was inadvertently imported from Asia. The fungus spores spread rapidly, and by 1925, the vast majority of American chestnut trees had been infected and killed. In the 1970s, the American Chestnut Foundation was organized [READ MORE]