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KENAI, Alaska (AP) - The U.S. Forest Service is providing funds to the state to help address an accelerating spread of spruce bark beetles.
During a recent U.S. Senate hearing, Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen said the agency would transfer $2 million in carry-over funds to the Alaska Division of Forestry. The money is intended to remove hazard trees and build fuel breaks.
According to the state forestry division, spruce beetles affected more than 1.3 million acres statewide during the 1990s. But that area has grown to more than 6 million acres since 2010.