Federal Subsistence Board Acts on Wildlife Special Action Requests WSA25-01, WSA25-02, and WSA25-03 Regarding Deer in Unit 2

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) voted to oppose Wildlife Special Action Requests WSA25-01, WSA25-02, and WSA25-03 during a public meeting on July 17, 2025.

The Southeast Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council submitted all three requests over conservation concerns for and the need to continue subsistence uses of Unit 2 deer.

Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA25-01 requested closure of Federal public lands to deer hunting by non-federally qualified users in Unit 2 for the 2025/26 regulatory year.

Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA25-02 requested elimination of the doe hunt in Unit 2 for the 2025/26 regulatory year if the final regulations establishing Ketchikan as a rural community publishes in Federal Register before the end of the Unit 2 deer season. The final rule officiating Ketchikan’s status change published on July 18, 2025.

Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA25-03 requested a Section 804 subsistence user prioritization analysis for deer in Unit 2 be conducted for the 2025/26 regulatory year.

The Board stated that it is premature to close doe hunting or implement additional restrictions, specifically on Ketchikan residents as the impacts of the change in Ketchikan’s status to rural are not yet known and existing data do not support implementing emergency regulation changes at this time. These issues will be more appropriately addressed through several wildlife proposals undergoing the full regulatory process.
 

The submitted requests can be viewed at www.doi.gov/subsistence/pending-special-actions. The meeting agenda and Office of Subsistence Management staff analyses are available online at www.doi.gov/subsistence/upcoming-federal-subsistence-board-meetings. Meeting transcripts will be uploaded when they are final.
 

Reasonable Accommodations: The Board is committed to providing access to these meetings for all participants. Please make requests in advance for in person sign language interpreter service, assistive listening devices, or other reasonable accommodations. Direct requests to Robbin La Vine, (907) 786-3888, robbin_lavine@ios.doi.gov at least seven business days prior to the meeting you would like to attend to give the Office of Subsistence Management sufficient time to process your request. All reasonable accommodation requests are managed on a case-by-case basis.
 

Information about the Federal Subsistence Management Program may be found on the web at www.doi.gov/subsistence or by visiting www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska.
 

Missing out on the latest Federal subsistence issues? If you’d like to receive emails and notifications on the Federal Subsistence Management Program you may subscribe for regular updates by emailing subsistence@ios.doi.gov.
 

News Release