Fay Abrahamson of the Guilford Courier writes

"Last year, the American Chestnut Foundation approached the town with a request: to use a section of a former community garden at Nut Plains Park to bring back healthy chestnut trees. Using enetics and plant pathology, a special breeding program would mate Chinese chestnuts that are disease-free and blight-resistant with native Connecticut saplings. Last year, a group volunteered and planted a test orchard of 20 plants at the park ... The initial planting turned out to be a success, according to Conservation Commission site coordinator Jennifer Allcock. “On that basis we are proceeding with the planting of 125 trees per year,” she said. At its Jan. 22 meeting, the Board of Selectmen approved Phase II of the orchard agreement with the foundation, in which the Conservation Commission will maintain the space."