Where can I cut firewood? Can I cut on borough land?
At this time there are no specified borough parcels for individuals to remove firewood. However, we can put you in contact with contractors currently working on Spruce Bark Beetle tree removal projects. The contractor may allow you to remove firewood from the project area.

There is one SBB in my yard threatening my home. Can you come over and cut it down?
Yes, if your tree could fall and potentially block access to your home and your neighbor's homes, we can cut it down. Since we currently do not cut random parcels, you need to first sign a Work Request Form (WRF). Once other property owners in your area have also signed their WRFs, we will put the project together for survey and then cutting. In does take some time for this process, so thank you in advance for your patience.

My neighbors have a lot of hazardous beetle killed trees on their property. Can you cut these trees?
Yes, if your neighbor agrees to participate in the SBB tree removal project and signs Work Request Form (WRF) for their parcel(s) we can cut down their trees. However, if there are hazardous trees in the right-of-way abutting your neighbor's property, we will cut those as part of the tree removal project, (landowner permission is not required for removal of hazard trees in the right-of-way). Please note: if you have sufficiently cleared your Home Ignition Zone, your neighbor's trees will be much less likely to cause ignition of your home. See information on Home Ignition Zone and links to FireWise on this website.

How do I encourage natural regeneration to occur on my property?
Current research indicates that some form of ground disturbance is usually necessary for native tree seeds to become established. All of the trees species on the Kenai Peninsula require an appropriate seedbed (primarily exposed mineral soil) for successful natural regeneration to occur. Scarifying the land (exposing mineral soil through ground scraping) has proved to be the most successful method of encouraging natural regeneration on the peninsula. For more information on scarifying land for natural regeneration contact your local Division of Forestry Stewardship Forester or NRCS office.

If I plant spruce seedlings on my property to replace the trees that died will the spruce bark beetles kill the spruce seedlings?
No. Spruce seedlings are not at risk of beetle attacks for many decades after being planted. Most foresters and ecologists recommend reforesting beetle-impacted areas with native spruce, as the native spruce is all ready acclimated to Kenai Peninsula environments.

I lost my visual screening when bark beetles killed my spruce trees. Are there fast growing evergreens that I can plant to replace the spruce trees that died?
Yes. Both lodgepole pine and Siberian larch have been planted successfully on the Kenai Peninsula and research indicates that both species grow faster than white/Lutz spruce for the first 40 years. However, it should be noted that both species have their own pest problems (animal browsing on pines and larch sawflies defoliating larches). Additionally larches lose their needles during winter and thus provide little screening for half of the year. Current research indicates that native spruce outgrow larches and pines after 40 years of age. For more information on planting non-native tree species contact your local Division of Forestry Stewardship Forester or NRCS office.

What is being done to reduce the risk of wildfire in the dead spruce?
Protection of life and property is the primary concern of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Spruce Bark Beetle (SBB) Mitigation program. Recognizing that fuels are the only component of wildfires that we can manipulate the SBB Program has focused on vegetation analysis/fuel mapping and fuel reduction efforts. Mapping the fuels within the borough identifies where the most hazardous fuels are located and allows for targeted, prioritized fuel reduction efforts. Additionally, the AK Division of Forestry and Kenai Wildlife Refuge fire management personnel use the vegetation analysis/fuel mapping completed by the SBB Program to make tactical fire fighting decisions and to predict wildfire behavior. SBB Program fuel reduction efforts have focused on hazardous fuels on borough owned parcels within the wildland urban interface (WUI), on hazardous fuels surrounding borough communities, on hazardous fuels in high use public areas, and on dead spruce along road rights-of-way.

Does the program pay for reforestation of harvested areas?
Yes. Harvested KPB parcels were reforested after soil scarification to promote maximum survivability. A total of 654,000 trees have been planted on KPB parcels, (for more details see reforestation section on this website). Trees are not planted in areas of ROW projects. The program does not directly pay for reforestation on private land. However, SBB funds do support DOF Forest Stewardship programs specifically designed to help landowners plant trees and gain an understanding of forest management practices.

Are my borough taxes paying for this project?
No. SBB has applied for and received several State or Federal grants, but most of the funding has come from direct payments passed through USDS-Forest Service State & Private Forestry. Through the work of Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski, funds are secured by legislative appropriation conference committee action - so called "ear marks".

What funding has been appropriated and spent to date?
Please see accomplishments and expenditures page on this website.

What do you expect to accomplish with the remaining program funds?
Completion of CWPPs for each Kenai Peninsula community and support of plan recommendations, continued ROW clearing, and continued Technical Assistance to peninsula agencies, businesses, and residents.

Can we get rid of the beetles?
No, the Spruce Bark Beetle is a native to Alaska and historic evidence indicates there have been other outbreaks in the past. For more information see the following article: http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=14853

What is the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)?
The WUI is commonly described as the zone where structures and other features of human development meet and intermix with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. Wildland fire within the WUI is one of the most dangerous and complicated situations firefighters face.

Can I protect the live spruce that I have?
Please see "A Guide to Tree Management Options for Home and Woodlot Owners for Southcentral and Interior Alaska."