NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE
REGULATIONS OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF GAME
The Alaska Board of Game proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with the use and taking of game. Regulations subject to board action are in 5 AAC 84, 85, 92, 98, and 99 for the Central/Southwest Region including statewide reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts and brown bear tag fee exemptions. The board will also address additional topics for other Game Management Units and statewide provisions as described below:
The following subject matter areas to be addressed for the Central/Southwest Region, Game Management Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14A, 14B, 16, and 17, are:
A. TRAPPING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS for furbearers, including: Beaver and wolverine.
B. HUNTING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS for all species, including: Moose, caribou, black bear, brown bear, goat, Dall sheep, wolves, wolverine, fur animals, and small game, including hare, ptarmigan, and grouse. In addition, the potential for Tier I or Tier II subsistence hunting for each population, and the reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts.
C. LICENSES, HARVEST TICKETS, HARVEST REPORTS, TAGS, FEES, AND PERMITS, including: Discretionary and required permit hunting and trapping conditions and procedures; permits for hunting black bear and brown bear with the use of bait or scent lures; special provisions for Dall sheep, mountain goat, moose, and brown bear drawing permit hunts; proxy hunting requirements for Unit 13; community subsistence harvest hunt areas and permit conditions in portions of Units 11 and Unit 13, including salvage requirements for moose and caribou, definitions for “community” and “group”, and restrictions for Tier I and Tier II permit holders to hunt moose or caribou in other locations of the state.
D. METHODS AND MEANS for taking big game, game, fur animals, AND FURBEARERS, including: Lawful methods of taking big game and game, including with the use of crossbows and snow machines; restrictions on the use of aircraft for sheep hunting; and lawful methods of taking furbearers and fur animals, including the harvest of beaver with firearms, bows, and the same day as flown; and the incidental take of non-target furbearers.
E. RESTRICTED AREAS, including: Areas closed to hunting and trapping; controlled use areas, including the Clearwater Creek, Sourdough, and Upper Mulchatna Controlled Use Areas; management areas, including the Hatcher Pass Youth Hunt Management Area, and a request to create a management area for the Mat-Su Borough Government Peak Recreational Area.
F. INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT AND PREDATOR CONTROL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS, including: Prey populations and populations having a positive finding as identified big game prey populations including moose in Unit 16B; predation control areas implementation plans, including the Unit 16 Intensive Management plan; and related findings.
G. CUSTOMARY AND TRADITIONAL USES OF GAME POPULATIONS, including: Findings for ptarmigan and Alaska hare in Unit 9 and amounts reasonably necessary for subsistence uses (ANS) including Nelchina caribou, and moose in Unit 13.
H. ADDITIONAL TOPICS: In addition to the items described above, the Board of Game will address the following topics in other units which resulted from deferred proposals, the agenda change request process, or in the case of antlerless moose hunts and brown bear tag fees, must be authorized annually: Annual reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts and brown bear tag fee exemptions for all units statewide; Tier II scoring criteria and community subsistence hunt permit requirements including salvage requirements (proposals 57-59); modification to the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area (proposal 70); hunting age requirements for the Skilak Loop Management Area (proposal 67B); seasons and bag limits for caribou in Units 18 and 19 (proposal 147); seasons and bag limits for moose in Unit 19 (proposal 165); and seasons, bag limits, and customary and traditional use findings for caribou in Units 20 and 25 (proposal 166). Also, any changes to the Community Subsistence Harvest Hunt regulations for the Copper Basin Area may also apply to Unit 12.
The board will also take action on non-regulatory items during this meeting such as findings, letters, and delegations. This includes a discussion of the need to prohibit the use of any prehunt location applications. Miscellaneous actions occur 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 website at www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=gameboard.meetinginfo&date=02-16-2018&meeting=dillingham or from the ADF&G Boards Support Section Office at (907) 465-4110. Additional meeting information will be added to the website as it becomes available.
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). Comments must be received by Friday, February 2, 2018 to be included in the board workbook. Comments must include a first and last name, community of residence, and the proposal number/s for which the comments pertain. Comments without this information will not be part of the board meeting workbook, indexed, or cross referenced with proposals, but they will be compiled and posted on the meeting information website.
Submission of written comments after the February 2, 2018 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 meeting. During the meeting, written comments 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 for 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. However, state advisory committee representatives may elect to provide testimony at a later portion of the meeting. Additional public hearings may be held throughout the meeting just before consideration and adoption of proposed changes in the regulations. The board will take oral testimony only from those who register before the cut-off time which will be announced by the board chair prior to 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 and federal regional advisory council 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
Central/Southwest Region Meeting
February 16-23, 2018
Dillingham Middle School
565 Wolverine Lane
Dillingham, Alaska 99576
Any changes to meeting location, dates or times, 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 and the additional proposal listing on the above-mentioned website 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 and trapping 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 hearing, 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 two weeks prior to the beginning of the meeting 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 16.05.407; AS 16.05.780; AS 16.05.783; and AS 16.30.010 – .030.
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
DATE: January 9, 2018 /s/
Kristy Tibbles, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Game
(907) 465-4110
ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
- Adopting agency: Alaska Board of Game
- General subject of regulation: Hunting and trapping regulations for the Central/Southwest Region, and other miscellaneous provisions.
- Citation of regulations: 5 AAC 84, 85, 92, 98, and 99
- Department of Law file numbers: JU2017200516
- Reason for the proposed action:
( ) compliance with federal law
( ) compliance with new or changed state statute
( ) compliance with court order
( ) development of program standards
(X) Other: Regularly scheduled topics and other miscellaneous provisions for the Board of Game Central/Southwest Region meeting. Implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions of AS 16.05-16.30.
- Appropriation/Allocation: Natural Resources and all RDUs
- Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding: It is not possible to estimate costs. However, this action is not expected to require an increased appropriation.
- The name of the contact person for the regulations:
Name:Kristy Tibbles
Title:Executive Director, Board Game
Address:Boards Support Section
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game PO Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
Telephone:(907) 465-4110
E-mail:kristy.tibbles@alaska.gov
- The origin of the proposed action:
X staff of state agency
X federal government
X general public
- Date: January 9, 2018
Prepared by: /s/
Kristy Tibbles, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Game
(907) 465-4110