Tallest American Chestnut Tree Found in New England

The American Chestnut Foundation says the tallest known American chestnut tree in North America has been found in a forest in southwestern Maine.

The Portland Press Herald reports the nonprofit conservation group said Tuesday that foresters with the Maine Forest Service and the University of Maine measured the tree in Lovell at 115 feet. The next tallest American chestnut tree is about 20 feet shorter.

An official measurement will take place on Wednesday.

The tree is located on land donated to the University of Maine Foundation by the family of painter Douglas Volk.

A fungal pathogen has been deemed responsible for the decimation of the tree across the country. It's estimated that only a few dozen large chestnut trees are left standing in Maine.