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. The subject matter areas to be addressed concern Game Management Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17; and 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:
A. TRAPPING SEASONS, BAG LIMITS, AND SUBSISTENCE FINDINGS for all species in Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, including but not limited to: beaver, black bear, coyote, fox, lynx, marten, otter, mink, weasel, muskrat, squirrel and marmot, wolf, and wolverine.
B. HUNTING SEASONS, BAG LIMITS, AND SUBSISTENCE FINDINGS for all species in Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17 including but not limited to: bison, black bear, brown bear, caribou, deer, elk, goat, moose, Dall sheep; wolf, wolverine, fur animals, small game including waterfowl and ptarmigan, unclassified game, deleterious exotic wildlife, and including the potential for Tier I or Tier II subsistence hunting for each population.
C. LICENSES, HARVEST TICKETS AND REPORTS, HARVEST GUIDELINE LEVELS, TAGS, FEES, PERMITS, AND permit hunt conditions and procedures for Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, including but not limited to: hunter education and orientation requirements; taking game by proxy; Tier I and Tier II subsistence permits, community subsistence harvest hunt areas; bonus point system; required and discretionary hunting and trapping permit conditions and procedures; permit for hunting black and brown bear with the use of bait or scent lures; reporting requirements including harvest tickets for black bear, check stations for moose hunters, and providing moose jaw bones and antlers; restrictions for motorized vehicle use in certain areas; special provisions for moose, Dall sheep, and brown bear drawing permit hunts; and requiring guide client agreements for hunting big game in permit hunts.
D. HUNTING AND TRAPPING METHODS AND MEANS for all species in Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, including, but not limited to: lawful methods of taking game, big game, fur animals, and furbearers including the use of radio communication and cell phones for taking wolves; same day airborne hunting of bear at bait stations; same day aerial shooting of wolves; trap identification requirements and restrictions of using certain traps in certain areas and near trails; and prohibiting the harvest of big game for a certain period after being transported
E. POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, AND USE OF GAME for all species in Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, including but not limited to: purchase and sale of game and parts of game; sealing requirements including beaver, marten, and bear; salvage of game meat, furs, and hides, including salvage of bears taken under the defense of life and property; taking cub bears and female bears with cubs prohibited; prohibiting the sale of black bear hides and parts; and sealing requirements.
F. RESTRICTED AREAS in Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, including, but not limited to: areas closed to trapping, areas closed to hunting, controlled use areas including the Clearwater Controlled Use Area; closures and restrictions in state game refuges including the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge; and management areas.
G. INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT in Units 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, for all populations having a positive finding as identified big game prey populations; and predation control areas implementation plans, including related findings.
In addition to the topics listed above, the following supplementary topics concerning changes to other Units or statewide regulations will be considered:
H. STATEWIDE AND OTHER PROVISIONS: Reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts and brown bear tag fee exemptions for all Units; establishing a new permit regulation allowing a bonus point system for some drawing hunts; antler destruction requirement for proxy hunts; requirements for second degree kindred relatives taking nonresidents on certain big game hunts; discretionary authority requiring the nullification of trophy value of animal take under a subsistence permit including brown bear in Units 9, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 26, musk ox in Units 22 and 23, and moose in Units 16, 21, and 24; modification of boundaries for Game Management Units 18, 19, and 21; community harvest permit hunt for the Village of Minto; motorized vehicle access in the Yanert Controlled Use Area in Unit 20; classification of game statewide, and seasons and bag limits for moose in Unit 20.
The Board of Game is also soliciting comments from the public on three Board of Game findings: 1.) the Bear Conservation, Harvest, and Management Policy, 2.) the Wolf Management Policy; and 3.) Game Management Unit 13 Caribou and Moose Subsistence Uses. These policies are included in the meeting proposal book for the public to review.
You may comment on the proposed regulations, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes by submitting written comments to the Alaska Board of Game, Boards Support Section at P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526. Comments may also be submitted by fax to (907) 465-6094.
Written comments may be submitted to the Board of Game at any time before the proposal is taken up by the board in deliberations, but as a practical matter, written comments should be submitted to the Boards Support Section office at the above address or fax number by 5:00 pm Friday, February 18, 2011 to ensure inclusion in the board workbooks. Comments on proposals that are scheduled to be considered by the Board of Game at both March, 2011 meetings do not need to be resubmitted for the 2nd meeting at a later date.
Written comment over 100 single sided or 50 double sided pages in length from any one individual or group relating to proposals will not be accepted. Written comments submitted after February 18, 2011 will be limited to 10 single sided or 5 double sided pages in length from any one individual or group. Written comments that are submitted are public record and are subject to public inspection.
The public hearing portion of the meeting will begin immediately after staff reports and 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. The deadline to sign up to testify will be announced at the meeting. The board will take oral testimony only from those who register before the cut-off time. The length of oral statements may be limited to three to five minutes, or less. Additional public hearings may be held throughout the meeting just before consideration and adoption of proposed changes in the regulations. An agenda will be posted daily during the meeting.
TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE
Best Western Lake Lucille Inn
1300 West Lake Lucille Drive
Wasilla, Alaska 99654
March 4-10, 2011
Central and Southwest Region Topics
A live audio stream of the Board meeting is intended to be available on the Boards Support Section website at:
http://boardofgame.adfg.alaska.gov. Any changes to meeting locations, dates or times, or rescheduling of topics or subject matter will be announced by news release. Please watch for these announcements in the news media or call (907) 465-4110.
If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodations in order to participate in this process, please contact Scott Crass at (907) 465-4110 no later than February 18, 2011 to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.
For a copy of the proposed regulation changes, contact the Boards Support Section at the above address, or on the website at
http://boardofgame.adfg.alaska.gov.
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 including definitions. 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 should comment during the time allowed if your interest could be affected.
Statutory Authority: AS 16.05.255; AS 16.05.258; AS 16.05.270
Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: AS 16.05.255; AS 16.05.256;
AS 16.05.258; AS 16.05.407; AS 16.05.346; AS 16.05.340; AS 16.30.010 – .030;
AS 16.05.330, and AS 16.05.783
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
DATE: February 1, 2011
Kristy Tibbles, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Game
ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
1. Adopting agency: Alaska Board of Game
2. General subject of regulation: Central / Southwest Region
3. Citation of regulations: 5 AAC 84, 85, 92, 98, and 99
4. 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 for the Spring 2011 Board of Game meeting and other miscellaneous provisions. Implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions of AS 16.05– AS 16.30
5. Program category and RDU: Natural Resources and all RDUs
6. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding: It is not possible to estimate cost. However, this action is not expected to require an increased appropriation.
7. The name of the contact person for the regulations:
Name: Kristy Tibbles
Title: Executive Director, Board of Game
Address: Boards Support Section
Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game
PO Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
Telephone: (907) 465-4110
8. The origin of the proposed action:
__X__ staff of state agency
__X__ federal government
__X__ general public
____ petition for regulation change
_____ other (please list)
9. Date: February 1, 2011 Prepared by:
Kristy Tibbles
Executive Director, Board of Game
907-465-4110
