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.”
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.
