The Appalachian Trail Conservancy oversees the conservation of the Appalachian Trail, guiding its protection since 1925. A current focus: restoring elms through a disease-driven breeding program amid a fungal threat.
Elm scientists have injected 6,000 young trees with Dutch elm disease spores to test resistance. Survivors will feed a breeding program to boost disease-tolerant elms for forests, riverbanks and yards. Separate injections aim to protect ash trees from emerald ash borer through targeted insecticide treatments along the Appalachian Trail.