Federal Subsistence Board takes action on Temporary Wildlife Special Action Requests WSA19-07 (Mulchatna caribou) and WSA19-08 (Unit 13E ptarmigan)

In a November 5th, 2019 teleconference, the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) discussed and took action on two Temporary Wildlife Special Action Requests. The Board approved both WSA19-07 and WSA19-08 with modification.

11/08/2019
Last edited 01/25/2022
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Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA19-07 requested that the harvest limit for the Mulchatna Caribou Herd (MCH) be decreased from two caribou to one caribou in all or portions of Units 9A, 9B, 9C, 17A, 17B, 17C, 18, 19A, and 19B for the 2019/20 regulatory year. The Board approved this request, with modification, to close Units 18, 19A and 19B (excluding rural Alaska residents of Lime Village) to caribou hunting, except by Federally qualified subsistence users, with a harvest limit of one bull caribou, and reduce the harvest limit in Units 9A, 9B, portions of 9C, 17A (all drainages west of Right Hand point), 17B, and 17C (that portion of Unit 17C east of the Wood River and Wood River Lakes) to one caribou. The Board also approved temporary delegation of authority to the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge Manager to take management action, as appropriate, throughout the range of the MCH for the remainder of the season. The Board determined that these modifications were needed due to the differences in distribution of Federal and State lands in the affected units, differences in harvest between the western and eastern portions of the MCH, and the need for local managers to have regulatory flexibility to respond to conditions in the field as needed for conservation reasons. These modifications also support comments made by the affected Regional Advisory Councils.  The modified regulations read as follows:

Unit 9−Caribou

 

Unit 9A—1 caribou by State registration permit

Aug. 1 – Mar. 15.

Unit 9B—1 caribou by State registration permit

Aug. 1 – Mar. 31.

Unit 9C, that portion within the Alagnak River drainage—1 caribou by State registration permit

Aug. 1 – Mar. 15.

Unit 9C, that portion draining into the Naknek River from the north, and Graveyard Creek and Coffee Creek—1 caribou by State registration permit. Public lands are closed to the taking of caribou except by residents of Unit 9C and Egegik

Aug. 1 – Mar. 15.

Unit 17−Caribou

 

Unit 17A-all drainages west of Right Hand Point—1 caribou by State registration permit

Aug. 1 – Mar. 31.

Units 17B and 17C-that portion of 17C east of the Wood River and Wood River Lakes—1 caribou by State registration permit

Aug. 1 – Mar. 31.

Unit 18−Caribou

 

Unit 18-that portion to the east and south of the Kuskokwim River—1 bull by State registration permit

 

Federal public lands are closed to the harvest of caribou except by Federally qualified subsistence users hunting under these regulations.

Aug. 1 – Mar. 15.

Unit 18, remainder—1 bull by State registration permit

 

Federal public lands are closed to the harvest of caribou except by Federally qualified subsistence users hunting under these regulations.

Aug. 1 – Mar. 15.

Unit 19−Caribou

 

Units 19A and 19B (excluding rural Alaska residents of Lime Village)— 1 bull by State registration permit

 

Federal public lands are closed to the harvest of caribou except by Federally qualified subsistence users hunting under these regulations.

Aug. 1 – Mar. 15.

 

Temporary Special Action Request WSA19-08 requested that the harvest limit for ptarmigan be changed from 20 per day, 40 in possession to 10 per day, 20 in possession, and the season shortened from Aug. 10 - Mar. 31 to Aug. 10 - Feb. 15 in Unit 13E for the 2019/20 regulatory year. The Board approved this request, with modification, to also include Unit 13B in the harvest limit and season revisions. The Board stated that this action reflected public testimony from local users, the recommendation of the Southcentral Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council, and comments from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; and that the action was needed to address conservation concerns for the species.

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

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