The Kenai Peninsula Borough has been dealing with the effects of the Spruce Bark Beetle disturbance that’s affecting forests and land across the region. Dakota Truitt, Land Management Agent with the Kenai Peninsula Borough says that the Kenai Peninsula is in the midst of what she calls a Spruce Stand Collapse. The USDA says these beetles attack Lutz and Sitka spruce trees in South central and White spruce trees in Interior Alaska thereby killing trees by boring through the bark and feeding and breeding in the soft living tissue directly beneath the bark.
In her recent presentations to the Kenai Peninsula Borough and at the KPEDD Industry Outlook Forum, Truitt says that action needs to be taken to protect the communities and preserve the health of forests:
“Selective timber harvest has been identified as the most appropriate tool for this, which is the removal of all dead and dying spruce or susceptible spruce down to a 5-inch DBH. The borough does not currently have a spruce bark beetle organization forestry program or the ability to conduct timber sales, but we recognize the need to take action. So, what we’re proposing is a massive timber sale project that serves the purpose of addressing this. Our short-term goals is to seek authorization to conduct timber sales, to initiate this act of forest management and utilize our local forestry labor force in doing so. Our long-term goals are to develop a comprehensive forest management plan, participate in the cross-boundary management that all of our neighbors are doing right now, develop a mandatory reforestation protocol with local requirements.”
To address the issue, Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce encourages the public to get involved. The borough is seeking public engagement and input on the forest management proposal, which is expected to lead to the emergency harvest of timber stands affected by the spruce bark beetle on the Kenai Peninsula.
The Borough is encouraging the public to participate in the scheduled meetings to learn about the upcoming forest management activities on Borough-managed land in the region:
The administration will then bring the proposal to the Planning Commission in April and an Ordinance to the Assembly in May. Through public input, the borough intends to make the best of the forest land management process.