The Kenai City Council, during its most recent meeting, extended the city’s Memorandum of Agreement with the State of Alaska, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection to continue spruce tree mitigation through Dec. 31, 2025.
The city has two MOAs with the Division of Forestry. The first memorandum provides funding to the city of Kenai for the operation of a slash disposal site located near Mile 13 off Kenai Spur Hwy that has been operated for three summers.
The city has about $85,000 remaining of the original memorandum fund of $150,000.
Terry Eubank, Kenai City Manager, stated that the state of Alaska is interested in continuing to operate the site and providing funding to do so again next summer.
The second MOA involves the removal of hazardous trees, such as the spruce bark beetle, and tree cutting. The city of Kenai’s match share to a federal grant of the same amount was $385,000.
“In order for us to continue to utilize the remainder of that federal grant, we need this memorandum and that funding, or we have to come up with our own funds to provide that match,” Eubank said.
They want to expand the scope of the tree-cutting memorandum, which currently limits where trees can be cut and which phases have been approved for cutting.
MOA Article 3, item 1 in the Scope of Work section, was amended and replaced with the following:
“Provide one or two collection sites for city residents and other City hazardous fuels removal operations to drop off woody debris.”
The parties agree that the use of collections sites as stated above is a clarification, rather than addition of the allowable purposes of the MOA.
Article 3 originally specified the treatment of 105 acres at areas identified in the CWPP.
“The parties agree to expand the designated treatment area beyond the original 105 acres to include additional City-owned property requiring treatment to remove hazardous fuels necessary to address wildland fire hazards.”
Eubank claims the city wants more funding to limit their work on the slash site.
The funding was scheduled to expire at the end of this month.
Funds authorized by the original agreement were not exhausted during the completion of the original scope of work, and a balance of the original funding amount remained available for additional work. The amendment does not increase the remaining balance of the original total funding.
The purpose of the First Amendment is to also extend the due date for the final report.
