Federal Subsistence Board News

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Manager, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is authorizing Federal registration permit harvest quota of THREE bull moose within the Kongakut River drainage in Unit 26C. This harvest opportunity will be effective for the period February 15, 2019 to April 15, 2019. Under Federal subsistence regulations, only residents of Kaktovik are eligible to participate. The Native Village of Kaktovik will conduct a Federal registration permit drawing for the two Federal registration permits to be issued.

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) has approved Temporary Special Action WSA18-03 with modification to change the harvest limit from one moose to one antlered bull in Unit 22D remainder for the remainder of the current wildlife regulatory cycle (through June 30, 2020).  

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) will hold a teleconference on November 6, 2018 beginning at 1:00 p.m. to take action on Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA18-03. Temporary Special Action Request WSA18-03, submitted by the Bureau of Land Management, requests the closure of the December 1 – 31 antlerless moose season in Unit 22D remainder.

YAKUTAT, Alaska – Yakutat District Ranger Lee Benson, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing the 2018 federal subsistence mountain goat hunting season for a portion of Unit 5A. The closed area begins on the west shore of Harlequin Lake and the western edge of Yakutat Glacier; then west of Harlequin Lake and Yakutat Glacier to Yakutat Bay and Disenchantment Bay; and south of Russell and Nunatak Fjords. The closure will be effective Saturday, November 3, 2018, at 11:59 p.m., and will remain in effect until through December 31, 2018. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has previously established a closure for the same area (Emergency Order 01-02-18).Hunters are reminded that the Nunatak Bench area remains closed to mountain goat hunting.

The Office of Subsistence Management (OSM) is currently seeking proposals for the 2020 Partners for Fisheries Monitoring Program (Partners Program). OSM is seeking proposals for the Partners Program that strengthen Alaska Native and rural involvement in Federal subsistence management. The Partners Program is a competitive grant directed at providing funding for biologists, social scientists and outreach/educator positions in Alaska Native and rural nonprofit organizations with the intent of increasing participation in Federal subsistence fisheries management. In addition, the program supports a variety of opportunities for local rural students to connect with subsistence resource monitoring and management through science camps and paid internships.

SITKA, Alaska – The Sitka District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing the Clarence Kramer Zone to the harvest of mountain goats. The closure will be effective Thursday, November 1, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. and will remain in effect through the rest of the 2018 season, which ends December 31, 2018. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has issued a concurrent closure in the same zone. Further mountain goat harvest in this zone could have a long term negative effect on the conservation of this mountain goat subpopulation. The remainder of Baranof Island is open to goat hunting until the season closes, unless closed by special action.

Copper Center, AK – Plans for a winter federal subsistence hunt for moose in a portion of Unit 11 were announced on October 24 by Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Superintendent Ben Bobowski, the designated federal manager for the hunt. The Federal Subsistence Board established this hunt at its April 2014 meeting and extended the season dates at its April 2018 meeting. For the 2018 hunt, the harvest quota is 7 bull moose. The hunt will open on November 20 and close on January 20 or earlier if the quota has been reached. Hunters are asked to report back within three days of harvesting an animal or at the end of the season if unsuccessful. For recorded information about the status of the hunt, hunters can call 822-7203.

The Bristol Bay Subsistence Regional Advisory Council will meet November 6, 2018 at the Dillingham Middle School Gym in Dillingham. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) is accepting public comments on the proposed rule for Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska—Cook Inlet Area Regulations, which published in the Federal Register on October 1, 2018 (83 FR 49322). This proposed rule would revise the regulations for seasons, harvest limits, and methods and means for the subsistence taking of fish in the Cook Inlet Area of Alaska. This action would also reorganize specific regulations addressing the Kenai River, which would provide clarity for the public, and allow the Federal Subsistence Board to correct regulatory conflicts that have arisen based on recent rulemaking.

Yukon Area subsistence and personal use salmon fishing permits expired on October 15 and are due back to the ADF&G Fairbanks office by October 25 for the following permit areas: