Free seedlings distributed

PALMER -- Thousands of white spruce seedlings are being distributed free during the Alaska State Fair, through a cooperative effort between the Mat-Su Borough and Alaska Division of Forestry.

Sally Letherman, volunteer coordinator with the Mat-Su Borough's Department of Emergency Services, said the seedlings were purchased with a portion of a $994,000 Firewise grant the borough recently obtained.

The seedlings are available at the Division of Forestry log cabin at the fair, and they're being distributed by Smokey Bear, who will be at the cabin throughout the fair.

There may be 32,000 of them, Letherman said, but they're being bundled into packages of six to eight seedlings to protect the tender seedlings from harm. Because they're bundled, they'll likely go quickly, Letherman said.

"If you want seedlings, go early," she said.

The seedlings were raised at the U.S. Forest Service's Kenai Lake Work Center, north of Seward, and obtained through the combined efforts of the Borough Parks Department, Mat-Su Borough School District, University of Alaska Fairbanks Experiment Farm in Palmer, Alaska Division of Forestry and the borough's wildfire prevention and mitigation programs.

Donations for the seedlings will be accepted, and will be donated to the Mat-Su Borough Fire Chief's Association, to aid fire prevention education.

Contact Rindi White at rindi.white@frontiersman.com.