Nscale Plans Campus Atop Historic Chestnut Orchard
The $20 billion Monarch Compute Campus would relocate surviving American chestnut trees within its Mason County, West Virginia property.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Data Centers
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Nscale plans to develop the Monarch Compute Campus on land containing the Clements orchard in Mason County, West Virginia. Governor Patrick Morrisey announced the orchard's American chestnut trees will be relocated within the property in late 2027.
Why it matters
The orchard holds surviving American chestnut trees planted from nuts collected in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland, making its fate a question for chestnut restoration efforts in the state. The project's scale across more than 2,250 acres places a major data center development in the middle of a long-running conservation effort.
The proposed campus would cover more than 2,250 acres with over $20 billion in planned investment, while the orchard holds roughly half a dozen original trees and 15 to 20 mature trees from a later planting. Whether the trees survive relocation has not been established, and the American Chestnut Foundation has recommended an independent evaluation of the plan.
The players
Nscale
Nscale is the company developing the proposed Monarch Compute Campus in Mason County, West Virginia.
Patrick Morrisey
Patrick Morrisey is the Governor of West Virginia who announced the tree relocation plan.
The American Chestnut Foundation
The American Chestnut Foundation is a conservation organization dedicated to restoring the American chestnut tree and recommended an independent evaluation of the relocation.
The details
Infected with chestnut blight but still producing nuts, the trees will be moved within the property during their dormant season under professional arborist supervision, with Nscale covering the cost. Nscale has rejected claims that it intends to destroy the orchard, and access for collecting seeds and saplings will continue.
Timeline
1976: Original American chestnuts at Clements were planted.
1990s: A second orchard was established from nuts of the original planting.
Late 2027: The trees are scheduled to be relocated during the dormant season.
Big Picture
The Clements orchard's trees descend from wild seed collected across West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland decades ago, and the American Chestnut Foundation's restoration program has long depended on such surviving stock. The Monarch Compute Campus now places a multibillion-dollar data center development on that same ground, testing how conservation and large-scale tech infrastructure coexist.
For West Virginia residents interested in the state's natural heritage, the outcome will determine whether surviving chestnut trees remain accessible for seed and sapling collection. Nscale has said access will continue, so visitors and researchers may still be able to obtain stock from the orchard.
The takeaway
Large infrastructure projects can coexist with conservation only when relocation plans are independently verified. Watching whether the 2027 relocation succeeds will show how such commitments hold up in practice.
What happens next
The trees are scheduled to be relocated during the dormant season in late 2027, the date the governor's plan specifies.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore Data Centers reporting across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
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