Federal Subsistence Board News

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office, is opening caribou hunting on federal public lands in Units 20E, 25C and a portion of 20F on Aug. 1, 2022, to provide opportunities for ​federal subsistence use, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, and based on consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Eastern Interior Subsistence Regional Advisory Council. The caribou hunt is limited to federally qualified rural residents hunting on federal public lands only, including federal public lands accessible from the Steese and Taylor highways.

For Immediate Release:

June 24, 2022

In a June 22, 2022 public teleconference meeting, the Federal Subsistence Board deferred Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA22-02 until their summer work session scheduled to be held July 26-27, 2022. Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA22-02, submitted by the Western Interior Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council, requests that Dall sheep hunting on Federal public lands in Units 24A and 26B, west of the Sagavanirktok River, be closed to all users for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 wildlife regulatory years.

For Immediate Release:

June 22, 2022

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) is accepting written comments through July 27, 2022, on proposed changes to Federal subsistence fish and shellfish regulations.  These proposed changes would affect Federal subsistence open seasons, harvest limits, methods for the taking of fish and shellfish and customary and traditional use determinations for the 2023-2025 regulatory years.

For Immediate Release:

June 13, 2022

A telephonic Federal Subsistence Board meeting is scheduled for June 22, 2022, beginning at 1p.m.  The purpose of this work session is for the Board to further discuss and take action on WSA22-02.  The analysis is available at https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/board.

For Immediate Release:

May 24, 2022

 


This news release was originally released May 6, 2022. In this version, paragraphs 1 and 2 have been revised.

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) met in public by teleconference on May 4, 2022 and adopted Temporary Special Action FSA22-01 for conservation purposes. Specifically, the Board closed Federal public waters of the Yukon River drainage to the harvest of Chinook, summer and fall Chum, and Coho salmon except by Federally qualified subsistence users, effective June 1, 2022, through September 30, 2022, with harvest opportunities to be determined by the Federal fisheries manager if fisheries run strength is sufficient to allow a Federal subsistence fishery.

For Immediate Release:

May 20, 2022

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) met in public by teleconference on May 19, 2022 and voted to approve Temporary Special Action FSA22-05 to enact temporary regulations for Fisheries Proposal FP21-10 until the final rule for this fishery is published in the Codified Federal Record.  This special action request, which was submitted by the Office of Subsistence Management, asked the Board to temporarily enact the Lower Copper River subsistence salmon fishery recently adopted by the Board and to delegate authority to the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Superintendent to implement the fishery.  The 2022 salmon fishing season for this fishery will now begin on June 1.

For Immediate Release:

May 12, 2022

On May 12, 2022, the Departments of Agriculture and Interior (Departments) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (87 FR 29061).  The purpose of this proposed rule is to complete regulatory proceedings addressing submerged public lands within the Tongass National Forest as directed by the U.S. District Court for Alaska.

For Immediate Release:

May 11, 2022

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) will hold a teleconference on Thursday, May 19, 2022, to take action on Fisheries Temporary Special Action Request FSA22-05.  The teleconference will be held from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. or until the Board completes its work.

For Immediate Release:

May 6, 2022

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) met in public by teleconference on May 4, 2022 and adopted Temporary Special Action FSA22-01 for conservation purposes. Specifically, the Board closed Federal public waters of the Yukon Northern Area to the harvest of Chinook, summer and fall Chum, and Coho salmon except by Federally qualified subsistence users, effective June 1, 2022, through September 30, 2022, with harvest opportunities to be determined by the Federal fisheries manager if fisheries run strength is sufficient to allow a Federal subsistence fishery.

For Immediate Release:

April 28, 2022

A telephonic public hearing is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. or until the end of public participation on Thursday, May 5, 2022, to receive public testimony on a temporary special action request submitted to the Federal Subsistence Board (Board).