A map shows the areas, in purple and brown, where spruce beetle mitigation is planned. (Provided by U.S. Forest Service)

A map shows the areas, in purple and brown, where spruce beetle mitigation is planned. (Provided by U.S. Forest Service)

Spruce tree mitigation set for Seward district of Chugach National Forest

Mitigation efforts set for summer and winter through 2029

The U.S. Forest Service and other partner organizations will be undertaking mitigation efforts for spruce beetle-killed trees around the Seward Ranger District of the Chugach National Forest throughout the next five years, according to a Friday news release from the service.

Dead spruce trees in Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, Summit Pass and along the Seward and Sterling highways will be the subject of tree falling and burning to reduce the amount of wildfire fuel present near communities, utilities and primary routes of travel, the release says. Efforts are expected to continue through 2029.

“An estimated 2.17 million acres of Alaska’s spruce forests have been affected by the spruce beetle outbreak that began in 2016,” the release reads. “Of the affected area, approximately 343,800 acres are within the Chugach National Forest and Kenai Peninsula Borough, where dead spruce trees threaten public safety with increased vulnerability to wildfire and windthrow.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

When mitigation efforts are underway, there may be “short-term” restrictions to access, traffic delays, visible smoke, heavy equipment present on roadways and noise from that equipment.

A map included with the release shows areas set for mitigation along the Sterling Highway between Russian River Campground and Cooper Landing; near Quartz Creek Campground; along the Sterling Highway between Cooper Landing and the Seward Highway Junction; near Tern Lake just before the Seward Highway Junction; and along the Seward Highway near Moose Pass, Jerome Lake and Gilpatrick. A full map can be found at fs.usda.gov/chugach.

Felled wood may be available both to the public for use as firewood or sold to commercial firewood vendors via a public bid process. Call the Seward Ranger District for up-to-date information on available wood.

For more information, find “U.S. Forest Service – Chugach National Forest” on Facebook.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Robert Weaver was last seen at the Doroshin Bay public use cabin on June 25, 2025. (Photo provided by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
Kenai wildlife refuge seeking information on missing man

Robert Weaver was last seen near Skilak Lake on June 25.

The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team conducts a training mission in Seward, Alaska in 2024. Photo courtesy of the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team
Anchor Point fundraiser to benefit Alaska rescue and recovery group

Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization established in 2016.

Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic staff (left to right) Angie Holland, RN; Jane Rohr, Sonja Martin Young, CNM; Robin Holmes, MD; and Cherie Bole, CMA provide an array of reproductive and sexual health services. (Photo provided by KBFPC)
Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic releases report on STI trends on the Kenai Peninsula

The report pulls from data gathered from 2024 to early 2025.

Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Swimmers, parents call on Kenai to support Kenai Central pool

The KPBSD Board of Education last week said communities will need to step up and take over administration of pools within the next year.

Traffic passes by South Spruce Street in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai drops effort to rename South Spruce Street

The resolution would have changed the name to make it clear which road led to North Kenai Beach

Gov. Mike Dunleavy compares Alaska to Mississippi data on poverty, per-pupil education spending, and the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress fourth grade reading scores during a press conference on Jan. 31, 2025. Alaska is highlighted in yellow, while Mississippi is in red. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Dunleavy calls special session for August

Lawmakers on Wednesday said they were surprised by the move.

Most Read