SPRUCE BARK BEETLE PROGRAM PHASE II

FY 2001 GRANT FUNDS

PROGRAM OUTLINE DESCRIPTION

Following is a brief description of the preliminary plan for spending the $7.5 million recently appropriated by Congress for the Spruce Bark Beetle Program Phase II. See the attached table for further expenditure details.

1. Reforestation - $1,798,350

A. Cook Inlet Tribal Council - $748,350. These funds are to be used for reforestation by the Cook Inlet Tribal Council pursuant to congressional intent language supporting congress' appropriation.

B. Kenai Peninsula Borough - $175,000 per year for 6 years with a program total of $1,050,000. The intent is to establish a dedicated account including the grant funds and net revenues from timber sales, to be used for reforestation purposes as proposed by the reforestation committee.

2. Hazard Tree Removal - $4,000,000

A. Clear rights of way and corridors - $1,550,000. The use of these funds will be to clear from rights of way and corridors spruce bark beetle killed trees in order to provide fire breaks, escape routes and access.

B. Slash disposal - $100,000. For disposal of slash generated by clearing projects.

C. Community Defensible space - $1,100,000. To provide community defensible space by funding FireWise Community Mitigation Projects.

D. Utility hazard tree removal - $1,250,000. These funds will be provided to utilities to remove hazard trees from the utility line corridors to improve safety and help ensure continued provision of utilities in the event of a major fire.

3. Technical Assistance - $815,000

To fund capital projects and fire suppression equipment that the KPB Forest Fire Science Committee recommends in accordance with the 1998 Task Force Report.

4. Public Education/Incident Training - $110,000

These funds will be used to provide incident training regarding forest fires and public education either through an outside contractor or using in-house personnel.

5. Expand season for fire personnel - $225,000

To pay the crews such as the Kenai fire crew during the off-season to clear hazardous trees and create defensible spaces in public areas.

6. Land and Vegetation Mapping - $300,000

Funding to continue with the 1998 grant efforts to provide satellite imagery and hazard risk assessment. These mapping services help predict how a fire will behave.

7. Contingency - $235,150

These are remaining funds intended to be used in otherwise underfunded areas.