NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF GAME

Notice is given that the Alaska Board of Game, under the authority of Title 16,  Alaska Statutes, proposes to adopt changes to Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, Chapters 85, 92, and 99   dealing with moose and caribou hunting in Units 11, 12 and 13, which implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions of Title 16.

Regulations that may be adopted, amended, or repealed include: 5 AAC 85.045Hunting seasons and bag limits for moose; 5 AAC 85.025Hunting seasons and bag limits for caribou; 5 AAC 92.072 Community subsistence harvest hunt area and permit conditions; 5 AAC 92.050 Required permit hunt conditions and procedures; 5 AAC 92.052 Discretionary permit hunt conditions and procedures; 5 AAC 92.062 Priority for subsistence hunting; Tier II permits; and 5 AAC 92.074. Community subsistence harvest hunt areas; and 5 AAC 99.025; Customary and traditional uses of game populations. Subject matters include, but  are not limited to the following:

1. HUNTING SEASONSAND BAG LIMITS, AND QUOTAS, including: Seasons, bag limits, and allocations for moose and caribou hunting in Units 11, 12, and 13, including the “any bull” quota and season for the community subsistence moose hunt, nonresident moose hunt authorization, and a youth hunt for caribou.

    

2. PERMITS, PERMIT HUNT CONDITIONS, AND PROCEDURES including: Discretionary and required hunting permit conditions and procedures, and community subsistence harvest hunt area and permit conditions for moose and caribou in Units 11, 12, and 13; eligibility for Tier I, Tier II, and community subsistence hunts; and restrictions for Tier I and Tier II permit holders to hunt moose or caribou in other locations of the state;

    

3. CUSTOMARY AND TRADITIONAL USES OF GAME POPULATIONS including: Amount reasonably necessary for subsistence for moose in Units 11, 12, and 13.

The board may also take action on Proposal 90 related to the area of the Copper Basin Community Subsistence Hunt, if deferred from the Interior/Northeast Arctic Region meeting.

The board may take action on non-regulatory items during the meetings such as resolutions, findings, letters, and delegations, typically at the end of the meeting under miscellaneous business but action may occur earlier in the meeting if necessary.

The proposed regulation changes are available on the Board of Game meeting information website at www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=gameboard.meetinginfo or from the ADF&G Boards Support Section Office at (907) 465-4110. Additional information will be added to the meeting website as it becomes available for each meeting.

You may comment on the proposed regulations including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes by submitting written comments, limited to no more than 100 single sided or 50 double sided pages, to the Alaska Board of Game, Boards Support Section at P.O.  Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526. Comments can also be submitted online at www.boardofgame.adfg.alaska.gov,       by       fax       to       (907)       465-6094,       or       emailed    to

dfg.bog.comments@alaska.gov (PDF format only). The deadline for receiving comments is March 3, 2017. Submission of written comments after the deadline is limited to ten single-sided or five double- sided pages in length from any one individual or group and will be provided to the board members at the beginning of the meetings. During the meetings, written comments from any one individual or group may be submitted by hand delivery if 20 copies are provided. Written comments that are submitted are public records and are subject to public inspection.

The Board of Game shall consider all factual, substantive, and relevant comments in accordance with  the Administrative Procedure Act, Alaska Statute 44.62.210. Comments having disparaging statements or personal attacks will be withheld or redacted.

The public hearing portion of the meeting is scheduled at the beginning of the meeting following staff reports, and will continue until everyone who has signed up and is present when called has been given the opportunity to be heard. The board will take oral testimony only from those who register before the cut-off time announced by the board chair at the meeting. The length of oral statements may be limited  to three to five minutes, or less, for the public and 10 to 15 minutes or less for fish and game advisory committee representatives. Everyone interested in, or affected by, the subject matter contained in this legal notice should make written or oral comments if they wish to have their views considered by the board.

Tentative Meeting Schedule March 18 – 21, 2017

Alaska Bible College, Glennallen Campus Ball Memorial Library

Ridley Circle, Glennallen, Alaska 99588

Any changes to the meeting location, dates or time, or rescheduling of topics or subject matter will be announced by news release and posted on the board’s website. Please watch for these announcements or call (907) 465-4110. Please carefully review the PROPOSAL INDEX on the above-mentioned websites for all specific proposal issues to be addressed by the board.

Anyone interested in or affected by subsistence and general hunting or trapping regulations is hereby informed that, by publishing this legal notice the Board of Game may consider any or all of the subject areas covered by this notice. THE BOARD IS NOT LIMITED BY THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OR CONFINES OF THE ACTUAL PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BY THE

PUBLIC OR STAFF. Pursuant to AS 44.62.200, the board may review the full range of activities appropriate to any of the subjects listed in this notice. The board may make changes to the hunting regulations as may be required to ensure the subsistence priority in AS 16.05.258 including reexamining customary and traditional use findings and determinations for amounts reasonably necessary for subsistence use. After the public hearings, the Board of Game may adopt these or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or amend, reject, supplement, or decide to take no action on them. The language of the final regulations may be different from that of the proposed regulations.  YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMMENT DURING THE TIME ALLOWED IF YOUR INTERESTS COULD BE AFFECTED.

If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodations in order to participate in this process, please contact ADF&G, Boards Support Section at (907) 465-4110 no later than March 3, 2017 to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

Statutory Authority:   AS 16.05, AS 16.30.

Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: AS 16.05.255; AS 16.05.256;

AS 16.05.258; AS 16.05.330; AS 16.05.340; AS 16.05.346; AS 16.05.405;  AS 16.05.780;  and AS

16.30.010 – .030.

Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.