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A (brief) History of the American Chestnut Land Trust
Above, Group photo featured in National GeographicThe beginning of ACLT. Photograph by Eric L. Williams, National Geographic Staff.
Above, At ACLT's 35th Anniversary Celebration in December 2021, members and supporters reenacted the 1986 photo.Photo by Carl Fleischhauer
The American Chestnut Land Trust, established in 1986, was at the forefront of a new grassroots land conservation movement, as reported in November 1988, by National Geographic magazine:“Citizens Join Together to Save Their Environment"
"When residents of Scientists Cliffs, Maryland, heard that forests and abandoned farms surrounding their homes were to be sold, possibly to developers, they bought the land. A tract of 436 wooded acres near the Chesapeake Bay became the American Chestnut Land Trust.”
Other media coverage
Because the founders of ACLT came up with such a unique way to preserve the original tract of land, many citizens were interested in how they did it. Several articles were written about ACLT during that period of time. Click the images to enlarge.
What's in a Name?
Many people hear our name and assume ACLT is an organization that focuses on the one-time giant of the eastern United States hardwood forest. However, ACLT’s charter members named their fledgling organization after the American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) because the only surviving Maryland State Champion tree resided on the 436-acre “Gravatt” property which was the ACLT’s first acquisition.​
The original tract purchased by ACLT was owned by Annie and George Flippo Gravatt, who were both forest pathologists working for the Department of Agriculture. Flippo's primary focus was on the blight affecting the tree, which was identified in 1904, having been introduced from Asia in New York, and within decades had wiped out billions of trees.
The photo to the right is featured in an article in the Winter 2021 ACLT newsletter entitled "Flippo Gravatt and Chestnut Blight Research, 1926-1953", written by Carl Fleischhauer. Several other newsletter articles have been written about the blight for those who are interested in learning more. ​
ACLT Newsletter Articles about the American Chestnut Tree:
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Three Part Series by Steven Gaines, who was Land Manager at the time:
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"The American Chestnut: A Giant Remembered" - Spring 2012, pg 1
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"The American Chestnut: Recovery of a Lost Giant" - Summer 2012, pg 1
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"The American Chestnut: Hope for Revitalization" - Fall 2012, pg 1​ (Also in that issue: "Early Research on Chestnut Diseases by G. Flippo Gravatt" by Carl Fleischhauer - pg 10)
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​"New Hope for Restoring an Old Forest Giant" by Autumn Phillips-Lewis, Land Manager - Summer 2020, pg 7
Flippo Gravatt inspecting the end of a branch cut from an American chestnut tree, probably during the 1930s. Courtesy of Norman Prince and the Scientists Cliffs Archives.
Sidenote
In 1937, the Gravatts founded and developed the Scientists Cliffs community (to the east of what is now the South Side Trailhead). All of the signers of the ACLT Articles of Incorporation and the original Board of Directors had ties to the community and the majority of Charter Members had homes there as well.
Since its founding, the ACLT has greatly expanded its land preservation vision beyond the initial property. In the 1990’s the land trust partnered with The Nature Conservancy and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The land trust agreed to undertake the long-term management of any properties acquired by The Nature Conservancy, and later, by the state. At the present time, ACLT directly manages about 3,000 acres in the Parkers Creek and adjacent Governors Run watersheds. Over 4,000 acres, in total, have been preserved in these two watersheds since ACLT’s founding.
ACLT’s Land Acknowledgement Statement & Pledge
Adopted November 18, 2023
ACLT acknowledges that the land it stewards, including the Parkers Creek and Governors Run watersheds, is the ancestral home of the Peoples of the Piscataway Confederacy and other Indigenous People. Further, we recognize the people of African descent, enslaved and free, who once worked on or owned the farms, the land of which is now stewarded by ACLT. We recognize the contributions made by these displaced and enslaved peoples in the face of injustice and inequity and acknowledge our obligation to maintain the land and educate the public in such a way that their spirit and heritage are not forgotten.
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Accordingly, ACLT pledges to continue its fundamental mission of connecting all people to the land by providing equitable and inclusive access to the lands we steward, through ongoing research and education about the land’s inhabitants and their history, and through outreach to all, particularly those most affected by societal inequities. As a leader in land conservation and preservation, we strive by example to foster a feeling of belonging to this region and at ACLT for all its diverse communities with the hope of a more equitable and sustainable future in Nature for all.
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Want to get involved with and support ACLT? Click here to learn the many ways you can.
Publications
View the documents below to learn more about the American Chestnut Land Trust.
ACLT Annual Reports
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2024 Annual Report (published March 2025)
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2023 Annual Report (published March 2024)
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2022 Annual Report (published March 2023)
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2021 Annual Report (published March 2022)
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2020 Annual Report (published March 2021)
5-Year Plan
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ACLT 5-Year Plan: 2024-2028
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ACLT 5-Year Plan: 2019-2023
Newsletters
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Current Newsletter
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Newsletter Searchable Archive
Maps
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Trail Map
Power Point Slide Presentation
Report Cards
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Parkers Creek Watershed Report Card (updated March, 2024)
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Parkers Creek Watershed Report Card (updated March, 2023)
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Parkers Creek Watershed Report Card (March 5, 2022)