Public Hearing announced for a proposal to rescind the Nonrural Determination for Ketchikan

The proposal, submitted by the Ketchikan Indian Community, requests that the Board rescind the nonrural determination for Ketchikan, Alaska, changing the designation of Ketchikan to a rural community.  If this proposal is adopted, the permanent Alaska residents of Ketchikan will be considered rural residents and eligible to harvest fish and wildlife resources for subsistence on Federal public lands in Alaska.

A public hearing to receive testimony on this matter is scheduled for October 18, 2023, 6:00–9:00 p.m. (or until conclusion of public comments).  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting in person or by calling the telephone number provided below:

Teleconference toll-free: (833) 436-1163, Conference ID: 492 358 690#
In person: Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, 50 Main Street, Ketchikan

A summary of comments received during the public hearing will be forwarded to the Board for consideration when it acts on the nonrural determination proposal for Ketchikan during its Winter 2025 meeting.  Further information on that Board meeting will be provided through news releases, radio and newspaper ads, the program webpage (https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/board), and social media. 

Members of the public may also provide oral or written comments on this nonrural determination proposal at a public meeting on October 23, 2023, in Klawock (separate meeting notice forthcoming) and/or to the Southeast Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council (Council) during its fall 2023 meeting in Klawock, October 24-26, 2023.  The agenda and meeting materials for the Council meeting will be posted on the program’s website (https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/regions/se_materials) at least two weeks prior to the meeting.

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.

Missing out on the latest Federal subsistence issues? If you’d like to receive emails and notifications on the Federal Subsistence Management Program you may subscribe for regular updates by emailing fws-fsb-subsistence-request@lists.fws.gov.

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