The winter Tier II hunt for Nelchina caribou has been closed according to a report published by the Fairbanks Daily News Miner.
The paper reported ADFG staff in Glennallen had decided to close the hunt at the end of the fall season because approximately 1,000 caribou had been harvested, and the herd was still somewhat below the population objective.
Read the entire article in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner >>>
Showing posts with label subsistence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label subsistence. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Board Maintains Nelchina Subsistence Hunt
The Alaska Joint Board of Fisheries and Game has derailed a Mat-Su Advisory Committee proposal that would have created a GMU 13 non-subsistence area, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
The proposal, if enacted into regulation would have allowed all Alaska hunters to have equal access to the caribou in a substantial portion of the Nelchina basin.
The paper reported that the proposal was the subject of great concern in rural communities.
Read the entire story in the Anchorage Daily News >>>
The proposal, if enacted into regulation would have allowed all Alaska hunters to have equal access to the caribou in a substantial portion of the Nelchina basin.
The paper reported that the proposal was the subject of great concern in rural communities.
Read the entire story in the Anchorage Daily News >>>
Monday, October 08, 2007
Board to Tackle Nelchina NonSubsistence Area Proposal
The Alaska Board of Game will consider today eliminating or sending forward a proposal by the Mat-Su Fish & Game Advisory Committee. The proposal will not be decided today, but the Board can decide to keep it or eliminate it from consideration at a 2008 meeting.
The proposal would designate a substantial portion of the Nelchina Basin as a non-subsistence area, which would allow all Alaskans an equal opportunity to participate in hunting caribou in the desirable area.
The Anchorage Daily News reports that "The proposal has many Alaska Natives and residents of a few Copper River basin communities in an uproar over their subsistence privileges."
Read the entire article in the Anchorage Daily News. >>>
The proposal would designate a substantial portion of the Nelchina Basin as a non-subsistence area, which would allow all Alaskans an equal opportunity to participate in hunting caribou in the desirable area.
The Anchorage Daily News reports that "The proposal has many Alaska Natives and residents of a few Copper River basin communities in an uproar over their subsistence privileges."
Read the entire article in the Anchorage Daily News. >>>
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
AOC Backs Nonsubsistence Area Extension, Advisory Committee Participation
The Alaska Outdoor Council is highlighting two issues that will come before the state's Joint Boards of Fisheries and Game on October 5. One would make much of GMU 13 non subsistence.
From an AOC email alert from Rod Arno:
Connect the Anchorage-Matsu-Kenai Nonsubsistence Area with the Fairbanks Nonsubsistence Area
From an AOC email alert from Rod Arno:
Connect the Anchorage-Matsu-Kenai Nonsubsistence Area with the Fairbanks Nonsubsistence Area
In 1992 the Alaska Legislature passed the state subsistence law which gives the Joint Board of Fisheries and Game the authority to create Nonsubsistence Areas. A Nonsubsistence Area is an area or community where subsistence is not the principal characteristic of the economy, culture, and way of life.Advisory Committee Participation During Board deliberations
New data gathered in the 2000 U.S. Census and by ADF&G Subsistence Division illustrates significant socio-economic and cultural change in the Nelchina Basin area of GMU 13.
The Mat-Valley F&G Advisory Committee has submitted Proposal #38 (proposal text, proposal map, PDF) in an effort to update the characteristics determining the Nonsubsistence designation in GMU 13.
Over 60% of Tier II applicants each year apply for Nelchina caribou. Competition for these permits has resulted in the Board of Game deliberating on scores of proposals over the years in addition to numerous court challenges. Tier II scoring for Nelchina caribou subsistence permits has become the single most contentious issue before the Board of Game.
The AOC believes that it is timely and appropriate for the Joint Board to review the criteria they have relied on to make their determination of non-subsistence in GMU 13 as proposed by the Mat Valley AC in Proposal 38.
Fish & Game Advisory Committee participation is embodied in state law. Fish & Game Advisory Committee members are elected from their communities to represent the views of area residents before the boards.All proposals can be seen on the ADFG/Boards website. Written comments are due 21 September. The Joint Boards meeting begins 5 October in Anchorage.
Boards often amend proposals, sometimes significantly. In the board process as currently constructed, public testimony – including input from the AC’s – is given before the board’s deliberations. As a result, local residents’ voice is never heard on the final version of the proposal – the one the Board actually votes on.
The AOC supports Proposal #34, submitted by the Fairbanks F&G Advisory Committee, to allow the chairman of the local AC to address the Board on an amended proposal, and urge public support for this initiative. Without public support I wouldn’t imagine the Joint Boards will give this concept much consideration.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Federal Subsistence Board Closes Federal Lands in Unit 9D to Caribou Hunting
From a USFWS News Release:
The Federal Subsistence Board has approved an Emergency Special Action to close Federal public lands in Unit 9D on the lower Alaska Peninsula to the harvest of caribou from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30. The Board's action follows similar action by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Current surveys of the Southern Alaska Peninsula Caribou Herd in Unit 9D show a marked decrease in both population and calf survival. The herd began its decline during the early 1980s. Poor nutrition is believed to be the primary factory causing the decline, although human harvest and predation by wolves and brown bears have also factored into the decline.
The 2007 draft plan for management of the Southern Alaska Peninsula Caribou Herd sets a population goal of 3,000 to 3,500 animals and calls for closure to hunting when the herd falls below 850-875 animals. In a 2006 survey, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge staff observed only 770 animals.
Both Federal and State regulatory managers concur that the decline of the caribou population in Unit 9D poses a potentially significant conservation concern that warrants the closure to hunting.
For additional information, contact Dan LaPlant at the Office of Subsistence Management (907) 786-3871 or (800) 478-1456 or Sandra Siekaniec at the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge at (907) 532-2445.
The Federal Subsistence Board has approved an Emergency Special Action to close Federal public lands in Unit 9D on the lower Alaska Peninsula to the harvest of caribou from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30. The Board's action follows similar action by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Current surveys of the Southern Alaska Peninsula Caribou Herd in Unit 9D show a marked decrease in both population and calf survival. The herd began its decline during the early 1980s. Poor nutrition is believed to be the primary factory causing the decline, although human harvest and predation by wolves and brown bears have also factored into the decline.
The 2007 draft plan for management of the Southern Alaska Peninsula Caribou Herd sets a population goal of 3,000 to 3,500 animals and calls for closure to hunting when the herd falls below 850-875 animals. In a 2006 survey, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge staff observed only 770 animals.
Both Federal and State regulatory managers concur that the decline of the caribou population in Unit 9D poses a potentially significant conservation concern that warrants the closure to hunting.
For additional information, contact Dan LaPlant at the Office of Subsistence Management (907) 786-3871 or (800) 478-1456 or Sandra Siekaniec at the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge at (907) 532-2445.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
ATVs to be Restricted in Wrangell St. Elias Preserve
A court settlement is restricting ATV use on three trails in the north part of the Wrangell St Elias National Park and Preserve except when the ground is frozen, according to the Anchorage Daily News. The Park Service must review ATV use for compatibility with purposes of the Park unit by 2010.
Mostly sport hunters will be affected by the settlement. Local hunters able to hunt under federal subsistence rules will continue to be able to use the trails, the paper reported.
"The three trails are the Copper Lake, Tanada Lake and Suslota Lake trails. Those are in boggy areas, according to the Park Service, and NCPA (National Parks Conservation Association) contends that those were the most damaged by ATVs."
Read the entire article in the Anchorage Daily News >>>
Mostly sport hunters will be affected by the settlement. Local hunters able to hunt under federal subsistence rules will continue to be able to use the trails, the paper reported.
"The three trails are the Copper Lake, Tanada Lake and Suslota Lake trails. Those are in boggy areas, according to the Park Service, and NCPA (National Parks Conservation Association) contends that those were the most damaged by ATVs."
Read the entire article in the Anchorage Daily News >>>
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Game Board Limits Income for Nelchina Tier II Hunters
The Alaska Board of Game has capped the income for Tier II Nelchina caribou and moose hunters at $51,460 beginning with the 2007 season according to the Anchorage Daily News.
From the article: "Those new rules are part of what hunters are calling an extraordinary decision by the Board of Game Friday that dramatically changes the state's most sought-after subsistence hunt. It also marks a shift in the way the state looks at subsistence, at least in this particular hunt, hunters said.
From the article: "Those new rules are part of what hunters are calling an extraordinary decision by the Board of Game Friday that dramatically changes the state's most sought-after subsistence hunt. It also marks a shift in the way the state looks at subsistence, at least in this particular hunt, hunters said.
The rules also apply to subsistence hunting for moose in the Nelchina area.
The Game Board's decision is the first time in Alaska's history that access to a hunt has been tied directly to income, said Alaska Department of Fish and Game spokesman Bruce Bartley."
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Fed Subsistence Board Refuses Reconsideration on Bear Claw Sales
From an ADFG News Release
The Federal Subsistence Board recently denied a Request for Reconsideration (RFR) submitted by the State of Alaska, through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), asking the Federal Board to reconsider its decision that allows commercial sale of bear parts including claws, skulls, teeth and bones taken under federal subsistence regulations. Federal regulations allow the sale of handicrafts made from bear parts on the Internet and in curio shops.
In May 2006, the Federal Board refused the State’s request to limit sales, but did adopt an unenforceable prohibition against sales of handicrafts that are “significant commercial enterprises.” In August 2006, the State filed an RFR challenging the Board’s May 2006 decision. This request was recently denied.
“It is important to allow customary and traditional use and exchange of handicrafts made from bear parts,” said ADF&G Commissioner Denby S. Lloyd. “However, the Federal Board went too far in creating a new market for bear parts that will mask illegal sales and provide incentive for more harvest. The State wants the Federal Board to minimize commercial sale of handicraft made from bears before, not after, it jeopardizes bear populations.”
The Federal Board’s refusal to limit commercial sale creates problems for management biologists and enforcement officers because purchase of claws, teeth, skulls, and bones is prohibited under State law. The State argues that federal regulations violate sound management and create problems under the Endangered Species Act. Unrestricted sales may contribute to illegal harvest, overharvest, and waste of bears in Alaska, and in other states and countries, in the same manner that legal sales of elephant ivory contribute to the illegal harvest of elephants.
The State manages bear populations for sustained yield and provides subsistence use of bears throughout Alaska, including on federal lands. The State allows bear parts to be used in handicrafts that are not sold, but only allows the sale of bear fur in handicrafts and, in limited circumstances, allows intact bear hides to be sold under a permit. State authorized sales do not raise conservation concerns because the fur products are not extremely valuable and because intact hides can be tracked under a sealing and transfer permit system. Federal regulations authorize sales of extremely valuable bear parts without implementing a tracking system.
The State has also submitted a proposal for consideration at the Federal Board’s April 30-May 2, 2007, meeting to revise the definition of “skin, hide, pelt, or fur” to exclude claws in federal regulation and to limit the sale of handicraft articles made from allowable bear parts among federally-qualified subsistence users.
To learn more about this issue and view the State’s RFR recently denied by the Federal Board, visit the Subsistence Division Website page on this subject.
The Federal Subsistence Board recently denied a Request for Reconsideration (RFR) submitted by the State of Alaska, through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), asking the Federal Board to reconsider its decision that allows commercial sale of bear parts including claws, skulls, teeth and bones taken under federal subsistence regulations. Federal regulations allow the sale of handicrafts made from bear parts on the Internet and in curio shops.
In May 2006, the Federal Board refused the State’s request to limit sales, but did adopt an unenforceable prohibition against sales of handicrafts that are “significant commercial enterprises.” In August 2006, the State filed an RFR challenging the Board’s May 2006 decision. This request was recently denied.
“It is important to allow customary and traditional use and exchange of handicrafts made from bear parts,” said ADF&G Commissioner Denby S. Lloyd. “However, the Federal Board went too far in creating a new market for bear parts that will mask illegal sales and provide incentive for more harvest. The State wants the Federal Board to minimize commercial sale of handicraft made from bears before, not after, it jeopardizes bear populations.”
The Federal Board’s refusal to limit commercial sale creates problems for management biologists and enforcement officers because purchase of claws, teeth, skulls, and bones is prohibited under State law. The State argues that federal regulations violate sound management and create problems under the Endangered Species Act. Unrestricted sales may contribute to illegal harvest, overharvest, and waste of bears in Alaska, and in other states and countries, in the same manner that legal sales of elephant ivory contribute to the illegal harvest of elephants.
The State manages bear populations for sustained yield and provides subsistence use of bears throughout Alaska, including on federal lands. The State allows bear parts to be used in handicrafts that are not sold, but only allows the sale of bear fur in handicrafts and, in limited circumstances, allows intact bear hides to be sold under a permit. State authorized sales do not raise conservation concerns because the fur products are not extremely valuable and because intact hides can be tracked under a sealing and transfer permit system. Federal regulations authorize sales of extremely valuable bear parts without implementing a tracking system.
The State has also submitted a proposal for consideration at the Federal Board’s April 30-May 2, 2007, meeting to revise the definition of “skin, hide, pelt, or fur” to exclude claws in federal regulation and to limit the sale of handicraft articles made from allowable bear parts among federally-qualified subsistence users.
To learn more about this issue and view the State’s RFR recently denied by the Federal Board, visit the Subsistence Division Website page on this subject.
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