BARAGA – Next year, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community will spruce up 12 acres it developed as a forest in Baraga County.

Beartown firefighters will spend about 200 hours next summer ridding the site’s jack-, white- and red-pine stands of competing aspen and brush, and a tribal forester will put in 20 hours preparing the site, where KBIC planted jack pine trees in 2009 after a fire occurred there. The manpower is estimated to cost $4,050.

In addition, the tribe will spend about $1,670 this winter to purchase two brush saws and supplies for the firemen to use.

Known as the Catherine Valentine parcel, the dozen acres are located less than one mile north of Dynamite Hill, about a half-mile west of Pinery road.

KBIC passed a resolution at its meeting Thursday to implement the 2017 Catherine Valentine Commercial Forest Stand Improvement Plantation Brushing.

The resolution notes KBIC’s “Constitution imposes a duty on the tribal council to protect the health, security and general welfare of the community; and the Keweenaw Bay tribal council has a vital concern for its timber resources.”