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As the peak of fire season has passed, many Kenai Peninsula residents will soon start felling trees for firewood, or begin clearing away dead trees to get a jump on next year's fire season. Either way, for the next two months, these folks will be able to have tree limbs and woody debris hauled off and burned for them courtesy of the Fall FireWise slash pickup project.

"We like to encourage residents to do the bulk of their cutting and fuel disposal in fall, so it can be burned in winter when it's safer," said Sharon Roesch, fire prevention officer with the Alaska Division of Forestry.

The Fall FireWise slash pickup project was recently initiated for five areas involved in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) after they each requested assistance with slash disposal.

"Most of the requests came from people who were older or who don't have the physical capabilities to deal with slash," Roesch said.

These CWPP areas include Kalifornsky Beach/Kasilof/Cohoe/Clam Gulch; Ninilchik/Ninilchik Forties; Anchor Point/Happy Valley/Nikolaevsk; Homer/Kachemak; and Diamond Ridge/Fritz Creek/Fox River.

"It's basically everything south of Soldotna -- including K-Beach Road -- to the end of East End Road," Roesch said.

The project to pick up slash began roughly mid-month, and it will run until the end of September. There are, however, several guidelines that must be followed, the first of which is those interested in having slash picked up must get on the pick-up schedule.

"People have to call to get on the list," Roesch said.

Piles must be ready for pick-up when equipment arrives, and not bagged.

Instead, branches should be stacked in the same direction for ease of loading, and materials should be placed in concentrated piles, not small piles, so they may be loaded with equipment. Piles must be a minimum quantity of 2 cubic yards. Maximum length of slash is 8 feet long, and for logs greater than 6 inches in diameter, 6 feet long.

Slash materials should not be stacked close to or under power lines, gas meters, guard rails, phone and utility pedestals, or mail boxes. Also, avoid piling slash in water or mud and do not block the water flow in the ditch.

Logs should be saved for firewood, and no stumps, or duff and peat piles will be picked up, according to Roesch.

"We want to collect slash because it is a fire danger, but there's no danger from a stump," she said.

Devil's Club should be left out of piles, and absolutely no trash, construction debris, boards, furniture, recyclables or railroad ties are permitted. Absolutely no metal or rocks should be in the piles.

Individual branches and small piles will not be picked up. Fine materials left after pickup are the responsibility of each owner, who should follow up afterward at their site.

Slash should only be piled on privately owned property or by joining with a neighbor to consolidate piles. Piles will only be picked up from along a maintained road with a year-round, all-weather surface. Slash must be placed 15 feet to 30 feet from the edge of the maintained roadway.

Private driveways may be accessed for the first 75 feet from the roadway and only with the execution of a damage waiver. However, neither the contractor nor the state or borough will be responsible for damage to driveways, and no driveways steeper than 12 percent grade will be accessed.

Piles may be placed to within 6 feet of driveways as long as they are at least 15 feet from the maintained roadway.

Slash collected will be brought to the nearest slash disposal sight where it will be burned later in the year, according to Roesch.

"Probably around October when the fire danger is down," she said.

To confirm a CWPP area and sign up for slash removal, call Laura Gough with the Spruce Bark Beetle Mitigation Program at 714-2434. For more information on becoming FireWise or to have a forestry employee come out for a home inspection, call the Alaska Division of Forestry at 260-4262.

Joseph Robertia can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com.