Federal Subsistence Board Approves Temporary Changes to Wildlife Harvest Regulations

For Immediate Release:                                             Contact: Robbin La Vine
June 26, 2024                                                                                (907) 206-0900 or (800) 478-1456
                                                                                                           Robbin_lavine@fws.gov: News

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) approved Emergency Wildlife Special Action WSA24-05 to implement changes to Federal subsistence wildlife harvest regulations that were already approved by the Board during their April 2024 wildlife regulatory meeting. Due to the delayed publication of the final rule, approving this request serves as an interim measure to implement these regulation changes, effective Jul. 1-Aug. 29 or until the final rule is published in the Federal register.

The Board justification for these regulation changes can be found in the meeting transcripts of their April 2024 meeting, available at: www.doi.gov/subsistence/library/transcripts/federal-subsistence-board. The full request detailing the regulation changes is available at: www.doi.gov/subsistence/wildlife-special-actions.

Regulation changes approved through this request include:

• Unit 1C - The mountain goat season within the drainages of the Chilkat Range south of the south bank of the Endicott River was extended to Jul. 24 – Dec. 31.
• Unit 4 - Federal public lands around Angoon, Pelican, and Hoonah were closed to deer hunting by non-federally qualified users from Nov. 1-10.
• Units 7, 15 - quarter mile trapping and hunting setbacks from wildlife crossing structures along the Sterling Highway established.
• Unit 8 - The harvest limit for deer increased to four deer.
• Unit 9B - The moose season was extended 10 days to Aug. 27 – Sept. 25.
• Unit 9C - A “may be announced” season was established for a resident caribou herd within Katmai National Preserve for residents of Igiugig and Kokhanok only, and authority was delegated to the Katmai National Park and Preserve superintendent to manage the hunt.
• Unit 9E – Residents of Unit 9C added to the communities eligible to harvest caribou.
• Unit 17 - The Nushagak Peninsula Caribou Herd hunt area in Units 17A and 17C was expanded.
• Units 21D, 22, 23, 24, 26A - The individual caribou harvest limit was reduced across the range of the Western Arctic caribou herd to 15 caribou/year, only one of which may be a cow.
• Units 22, 23 – Muskox hunts were changed to Federal drawing permits and delegated authority letters standardized.
• Unit 23 - Federal public lands were closed to caribou hunting by non-federally qualified users from Aug. 1 - Oct. 31 unless the Western Arctic Caribou Herd population exceeds 200,000 caribou.
• Unit 23 – The muskox hunting closure to non-federally qualified users in the southwestern portion of Unit 23 was rescinded.
• Unit 24 - The sheep harvest limit was reduced in the portion of Units 24A and 24B within Gates of the Arctic National Park (excluding residents of Anaktuvuk Pass), from 3 sheep, no more than one of which may be an ewe, to 1 ram.
• Units 24A, 26B - Sheep hunting on Federal public lands in Unit 24A and Unit 26B west of the Sagavanirktok River was closed to all users for the 2024-2026 wildlife regulatory cycle.
• Units 26C - The muskox hunt was changed to a “may be announced” season with a harvest limit of one muskox, and authority was delegated to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge manager to manage the hunt.
 

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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