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Spirit Park
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In June 2001, the Mat Su crew went to work at Spirit Park, mile 6.5 on the Hiland Road. Although the Tazlina Hotshots had been here only two years before, there were already many more dead trees that had suffered attack by the spruce bark beetle. This neighborhood park is only 2.5 acres, but treasured by all who live near it. The Mat Su crew worked diligently all day to carefully remove the dead trees by hand. We finished the day off by planting 70 spruce seedlings around the park
The South Fork of Eagle River is plagued by dead spruce trees. Combining these volatile forest fuels with the local topography and one egress route, a wildfire would cause severe damage to this community.
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Spirit Park was heavily forested at one time. Through continued attacks from the spruce bark beetle, this park has become riddled with dead trees and excessive fuel loading.
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The Mat Su crew fired up their 046 Stihl chainsaws and removed all of the dead trees in the park. By hand, the twenty crew members carried out all of the trees and limbs to the road where it was later picked up and hauled to the Eagle River Wood Lot.
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Late that day, the crew planted and watered 70 new spruce seedlings that will hopefully restore this park again to a forest.
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When we left that evening, the park looked a little lonely because so many trees had been cut. However, we drove away knowing that our newly planted seedlings were tomorrow’s promise of a healthy forest.
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