Federal grant may boost beetle battle
Thursday, June 12, 2008


Federal grant may boost beetle battle
By Hal Spence | Peninsula Clarion

The Kenai Peninsula Borough's battle against the fire hazard posed by more than a million acres of beetle-infected spruce forest is eligible for some reinforcement in the form of a new federal grant worth $984,000.

At its June 17 meeting, the assembly will consider introduction of Ordinance 2007-19-54, which would accept the grant from the U.S. Forest Service on behalf of the Spruce Bark Beetle Mitigation Program.

The grant requires an equal match from the borough. A public hearing on the measure is tentatively scheduled for the July 8 meeting.

The mitigation program has available matching funds. In addition, pre-award costs would meet match requirements provided they occur within a 90-day period immediately preceding the grant's effective date. Current work would qualify.

The grant rules require that all project work using these funds must be completed by June 30, 2011.

According to mitigation program officials, the funds would be divided into three portions.

The largest sum, $673,640, would help cover the continuing effort at removing hazardous fuels from around vital roads, from public use areas (such as state and city parks, schools, potential emergency shelters, clinics and assisted living homes), from borough land in regions known as the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and within the defensible space zone around public buildings and private homes.

The objective would be to clear 400 acres per year, including 40 miles of rights of way. Private contractors would be employed to accomplish this work.

Another $206,080 would support initial attack seasonal fire-fighting personnel on the peninsula. It also would cover costs for support training exercises and simulations for peninsula wildfire suppression agencies and to complete hazard tree removal work and outreach education projects.

Finally, $104,280 would support Division of Forestry's FireWise Education program for two seasons.

Hal Spence can be reached at hspence@ptialaska.net.