Trees decimated by the spruce bark beetle will be targeted in a new congressionally funded project on the Kenai. The Kenai Peninsula Borough has officially accepted $1.5 million in U.S. Forest Service grants to clear beetle-killed trees from borough rights of way.
The grant money comes from the Congressional Appropriations Act of 2023, and will target hazardous trees killed by the spruce bark beetle infestation. Trees impacted by the beetle can fall and pose a risk to vehicles and pedestrians, or can contribute to wildfires. The spruce bark beetles have ravaged almost 2 million acres of forest across Southcentral Alaska.
On Tuesday night, the borough assembly voted to accept the grant, which runs through 2026. The work will be a collaboration between the borough and the Alaska Department of Transportation.
