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DNR outlines expanded timber sales, road work and wildfire programs; training and federal grants highlighted
Summary
DNR officials told the finance subcommittee the Division of Forestry manages tens of millions of acres, increased timber sales and has expanded wildfire training and hazard mitigation work supported by federal funding and a $900,000 state allocation for forest road projects.
Deputy Commissioner Brent Goodrum and Division of Forestry officials told the finance subcommittee on March 4 that the state continues to expand timber availability, forest road access and wildfire prevention and response capacity.
Goodrum said the division manages roughly 47 million acres of forest on state land plus 2.1 million acres of legislatively designated state forests. Last fiscal year the division sold about 33.6 million board feet of appraised timber valued at $2.9 million and reported 25.2 million board feet harvested from state forest lands, generating $1.7 million in timber receipts. The division manages a road network of about 670 miles and maintains 128 miles of forest roads each year.
The division is using longer-term contracts and expanding reforestation and precommercial thinning activity under a capital improvement project approved by the legislature. Officials pointed to a new lumber grading training program (109 certified individuals) and work with partners to offer a wood-drying workshop this year. The state’s timber sector was reported to support roughly 1,200 jobs and generate about $58 million in economic activity.
On wildfire, DNR said the division manages fire response across 150 million acres, trained 224 new firefighters during five wildland fire academies last year, and used a mix of state capital funds and $10.2 million in federal funding to support training, technology acquisition and volunteer fire department assistance. The division manages community wildfire mitigation projects and awarded three applicants $3.1 million in Community Wildfire Defense grants.
Senators asked about a $900,000 FY25 UGF allocation intended for expanded forestry road infrastructure projects (road replacements and upgrades near Fairbanks, Haines and other locations). Deputy Director Norm McDonald and Goodrum said they would provide a written project status report on whether those funds were used as granted.
Why it matters: Forestry and wildfire management are core state functions that affect public safety, local economies and infrastructure access in many rural and borough areas of Alaska.
What’s next: Department staff will provide written follow-up on the status of projects funded with the FY25 allocation and on staffing and capital work at the Geologic Materials Center, which committee members also asked about.
