Federal Subsistence Wildlife Regulations Approved

The Federal Subsistence Board approved changes in wildlife regulations at a mid-May meeting in Anchorage. The regulations are for the 2006/2007 regulatory year and apply on federal public lands. Among the changes:

• # The Board adopted a proposal to provide for the sale of handicrafts made from the nonedible byproducts of most wildlife harvested for subsistence uses from Federal public lands. The change was made to accommodate existing subsistence uses and to align Federal regulations with State regulations.
• # The Board adopted a proposal to remove the two-week closure to non-Federally qualified users in the southeast portion of Prince of Wales Island for the harvest of deer. The change will allow non-Federally qualified deer hunters additional opportunities to harvest deer without impacting Federally qualified subsistence users.
• # The Board closed that portion of Unit 7 near Seward, draining into Kings Bay, to moose hunting for all hunters, due to extremely low moose numbers. Another moose survey is planned for the fall. If the numbers are considerably higher the Federal season could be reopened.
• # The Board adopted a proposal to provide for a late-season moose hunt for Federally qualified hunters, from Oct. 20 to Nov. 10, in Units 15B and 15C on the Kenai Peninsula. This proposal provides additional subsistence opportunities when the weather is cooler and the meat is less likely to spoil.
• # The Board eliminated the caribou cow hunt in Unit 9D on the Alaska Peninsula. The change is expected to help slow the population decline of the Southern Alaska Peninsula caribou herd.
• # The Board adopted a proposal to broaden the eligibility for moose hunting in portions of Unit 12 in the Eastern Interior. The change recognizes the customary and traditional use of moose in Unit 12 by those living in Unit 13C.

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