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 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and statewide provisions including, but not limited to the topics listed below. In addition, the board will also address proposed regulatory changes concerning bear trapping for Units 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, & 25.
A. TRAPPING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS in Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, including but not limited to: Beaver, black bear, coyote, fox, fisher, lynx, mink, marten, otter, weasel, muskrat, squirrel and marmot, wolf, wolverine; customary and traditional use findings, and the definitions of furbearers and break-away snares.
B. HUNTING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS in Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, including but not limited to: Black bear, brown bear, deer, elk, goat, moose, wolf, wolverine, fur animals, small game including waterfowl, and unclassified game; customary and traditional use findings, and Tier I or Tier II subsistence hunting.
C. LICENSES, HARVEST TICKETS AND REPORTS, HARVEST GUIDELINE LEVELS, TAGS, FEES, PERMITS, AND permit hunt conditions and procedures in Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, including but not limited to: Hunter education and orientation requirements; taking game by proxy; required permit hunt conditions and procedures; Tier I and Tier II subsistence permits; community subsistence harvest hunt areas; establishment of permit hunts and conditions for any species, permits for hunting black bear with the use of bait or scent lures and reporting requirements; discretionary hunting and trapping permit conditions and procedures including authorities for hunting black bear, brown bear, goat, and sheep; harvest surveys and tickets for deer; and special provisions for black bear drawing permit hunts. In addition, for all units, establishing a new regulation allowing a bonus point system for some drawing hunts.
D. HUNTING AND TRAPPING METHODS AND MEANS for Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, including, but not limited to: Lawful methods of taking game, small game and big game; lawful methods of taking fur animals and furbearers including trap identification requirements, restrictions for using certain traps in residential and recreational areas; the use of snares for taking wolves; and legal distances for setting traps near trails.
E. POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, AND USE OF GAME, for Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, including but not limited to: Purchase and sale of game including the sale of black bear hides, and parts; sealing bear skins and skulls; salvage of game meat, furs, and hides; taking cub bears and female bears with cubs; antler size and configuration restrictions; and salvage requirements for black bear and other game.
F. RESTRICTED AREAS, in Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, including: areas closed to trapping, areas closed to hunting, controlled use areas, closures and restrictions in state game refuges, and management areas; and restrictions of bear hunting near bear viewing areas
G. INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT in Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 for all populations having a positive finding as identified big game prey populations; identified big game prey populations findings, predation control areas implementation plans; and methods, means and bag limits for taking predators.
H. BLACK BEAR TRAPPING REGULATIONS for Units 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, & 25 including: Trapping seasons and bag limits; lawful methods of taking furbearers; black bear trapping requirements; discretionary trapping permit conditions and procedures including identification and checking requirements for bait and snare stations; nonresident and age requirements for black bear trapping; taking bear with snares and with the use of artificial light; taking bear using bait and scent lures; purchase and sale of game including the sale of black bear hides, meat, and parts; sealing bear skins and skulls; salvage of game meat, furs, and hides; taking cub bears and female bears with cub; and the definition of bucket foot snare.
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. Comments concerning black bear trapping regulations that were already submitted for the October, 2010 meeting do not need to resubmitted.
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, October 22, 2010 to ensure inclusion in the board workbooks. 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 October 22, 2010 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. 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 Landing Hotel
3434 Tongass Ave, Ketchikan, AK
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
November 5-9, 2010
Southeast Region Topics
A live audio stream of the Board meeting is intended to be available on the Boards Support Section website at:
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us. 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 October 22, 2010 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://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/index.php.
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 adopt other regulations necessary to implement, administer, or enforce the regulations adopted. In addition, the board may make changes to the resident and nonresident 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: October 4, 2010
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: Southeast 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 Fall 2010 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, Boards 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: October 4, 2010 Prepared by: Kristy Tibbles
Executive Director, Board of Game
907-465-4110
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