Cooperative Agreement L23AC00189

THE KENAI PENINSULA (KP) IS IN THE MIDST OF A MAJOR FOREST DISTURBANCE FROM THE WESTERN SPRUCE BARKBEETLE (SBB) IN WHAT IS NOW WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS A SPRUCE STAND COLLAPSE. FORESTERS ARE REPORTING THATTHE KP IS EXPERIENCING A MARKEDLY HIGH RATE OF MATURE SPRUCE MORTALITY AND HIGH SUSCEPTIBILITY OF SPRUCE 5INCHES DIAMETER AND GREATER. MATURE WHITE SPRUCE STANDS ARE OFTEN MIXED WITH MATURE AND DECLINING BIRCH.THESE TWO FOREST COMPONENTS PRESENTLY HAVE A MARGINAL MARKET VALUE, DUE IN PART TO HIGH COSTS OF LOGGINGAND TRANSPORTATION AND LACK OF A DOMINANT TIMBER MARKET. TIMING IS A KEY ELEMENT HERE, AS TIMBER QUALITYDIMINISHES, COST PER ACRE FOR FUEL MITIGATION TREATMENT INCREASES, AS WELL AS CATASTROPHIC RISK FROMWILDLAND FIRE.SELECTIVE-THINNING TIMBER HARVEST AND HAZARDOUS FUEL MITIGATION TREATMENTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THEMOST EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND CAN PROVIDE MULTIPLE BENEFITS INCLUDING, REMOVAL OF OVERHEAD FALLINGHAZARDS AND HAZARDS THAT CREATE UN-ACCESSIBLE FORESTS, FUEL REDUCTION TO PREVENT CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE,CAPITALIZATION OF COMMERCIAL (TIMBER) AND NON-COMMERCIAL FOREST PRODUCTS, IMPROVED FOREST HEALTH, ANDBENEFITS TO MANY SPECIES OF WILDLIFE.IN A PRELIMINARY REMOTE FOREST INVENTORY, 21,000 ACRES ON BOROUGH- MANAGED LANDS WERE IDENTIFIED ASHIGH PRIORITY IN HIGHLY IMPACTED AREAS AROUND COOPER LANDING, NIKISKI, STERLING, KENAI, SOLDOTNA, ANDKASILOF. OF THIS, 540 ACRES ARE ON AND AROUND KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT CAMPUSES.WITH AN ON-THE-GROUND FIELD INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE AREAS ON CAMPUSES FOR TREATMENT THAT NEED IMMEDIATE ACTION. THINNING THESE STANDS FOR HAZARD MITIGATION WILL IMPROVE SAFETY FORSCHOOL DISTRICT CAMPUSES AND THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS THAT EXIST IN AND AROUND THE FORESTS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.TREATING THESE SMALL, URBAN FOREST STANDS AREAS WOULD OTHERWISE BE VERY DIFFICULT WITHOUT A FUNDINGMECHANISM.THE KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH (KPB) DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE THE FUNDING, STRUCTURE, OR STAFFING TO PRODUCEFUEL MITIGATION TREATMENTS AT THE PACE OR SCALE THAT IS NEEDED TO RESPOND TO THIS SITUATION. THE KENAIPENINSULAS 2021 COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLANS PRIORITIZE TREATING AREAS THAT FALL IN THE WUI.WORK WILL BE SUB-CONTRACTED OUT TO LOCAL FORESTRY COMPANIES ON A COMPETITIVE MARKET BASIS. THIS PROJECTWILL INCLUDE DEVELOPING A FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN PROGRAM OF WORK FOCUSED ON BEETLE KILL TREATMENT ONKPB-MANAGED LAND. WE WILL DETERMINE INVENTORY MEASURES AND FORESTRY PRESCRIPTIONS BASED ON SITESPECIFIC CONDITIONS, PREPARE TIMBER SALES AND TECHNICAL SERVICE CONTRACTS FOR FUEL MITIGATIONS, AND PLAN IMPLEMENT THESE CONTRACTS WITH THE AID OF THE SUB-CONTRACTORS THROUGH COMPLETION.EXPECTED DELIVERABLES FOR THIS FUNDING ARE AMOUNT OF ACRES THINNED TREATED WITH MANUAL AND MECHANIZEDFUEL MITIGATION PRESCRIPTIONS WHICH CAN ALSO BE INVENTORIED, QUANTIFIED, AND TRACKED TO REPORT VOLUME OFBIOMASS REMOVED TRANSFORMED ON THE LANDSCAPE. ACTIONS WILL BENEFIT BOROUGH RESIDENTS BY REDUCINGECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS OF THIS ECOSYSTEM DISTURBANCE AND PREVENT THE INCURRED COSTS AND POTENTIALINFRASTRUCTURE LOSS OR DAMAGE FROM FIRE, AS WELL AS THE IMMEDIATE BENEFIT OF REMOVING THE HAZARDS OF THESESTANDING DEAD TREES.