The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) has been awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of a national effort to support sustainable forestland management and conservation.
The $2 million grant, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to strengthen Alaska’s efforts to improve forest resilience, reduce wildfire risk, and support underserved communities.
“Alaska’s forests are essential to our economy, environment, and cultural heritage,” said Cooperative Forestry Programs Manager & Forest Planner Trevor DoBell-Carlsson, “This funding helps us deliver effective solutions to landowners, ensuring our forests remain healthy and productive.”
The funding will support the division’s cost-share program, which focuses on the priorities outlined in the 2020 Alaska State Forest Action Plan. The program assists private landowners with sustainable forest management practices such as thinning, pruning, sanitation harvests, and scarification to address challenges such as wildfire risks and forest pests.
The program prioritizes underserved and disadvantaged communities in areas such as the Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Copper River Census Area, and Southeast Alaska, as well as Alaska Native corporations.