Federal Subsistence Board Action Summary from 2016 Summer Work Session

The Board reviewed the draft policy on nonrural determinations and provided feedback to the Office of Subsistence Management (OSM) staff.  With the Board’s feedback and direction, OSM staff created a working draft of the policy that is currently being presented to each of the 10 Regional Advisory Councils at their 2016 Fall Council meetings.  It is anticipated that the Board will approve a final policy for nonrural determinations at the upcoming January 2017 regulatory meeting.

OSM staff presented threshold analyses for both RFR15-02 Kasilof River Community Gillnet and RFR15-03 Makhnati Island Area Herring and Herring Spawn that analyzed whether or not the claims submitted in over 470 letters for RFR15-02 and one letter for RFR15-03 reached the threshold to trigger reconsideration by the Board.  The Board will accept RFRs only if the requests meet one or more of the following criteria from 36 CFR 242.20(d) and 50 CFR 100.20(d): (1) Provides information not previously considered by the Board; (2) Demonstrates that existing information used by the Board is incorrect; and (3) Demonstrates that the Board’s interpretation of information, applicable law, or regulation is in error or contrary to existing law.    The OSM preliminary conclusions for RFR15-02 and RFR15-03 were to oppose the requests to reconsider FP15-11 and FP15-17, respectively, for failure to meet threshold criteria.  The Board deliberated on each threshold analysis and agreed that the requests did not meet the criteria for reconsideration.  Motions to accept the RFRs failed unanimously.  The threshold analyses for RFR15-02 and RFR15-03 may be found in the 2016 July FSB Work Sessions Materials on the Federal Subsistence Management Program website at https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/archives.

Carl Johnson, OSM Council Coordination Division Chief, presented the annual report replies from the Board to the Councils. The Board reviewed the replies to those 10 Regional Advisory Councils that submitted annual reports and provided feedback with minor changes.  A motion to approve the replies with the stated changes by various Board members unanimously carried.

The Board conducted an Executive Session, to take action on Council Nominations selecting nominees for vacancies or expiring terms in each of the 10 Regional Advisory Councils.  Selections were then forwarded to the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture for appointment.

In other business, the Board deliberated on Fisheries Special Action FSA16-02 submitted by the Ninilchik Traditional Council (NTC).  The Special Action Request was approved with modification. Details of the Board’s decision on FSA16-02 were reported in two News Releases dated and distributed on July 29, 2016.

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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View full news release /sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/10.26.16_-_fsb_nr_july_2016_ws.pdf

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