Press Release Says, Notice of Proposed Changes in The Regulations of the Alaska Board of Game

Posted on: February 24th, 2011 | Author: General Manager | Filed under: Fisheries News

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 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15.  The board will also address additional topics for other Game Management Units and statewide provisions as described below:

 

A.  TRAPPING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS for Units 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15, 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 AND BAG LIMITS for Units 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15, 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, unclassified game, deleterious exotic wildlife, reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts, 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 Unit 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15, including but not limited to: required and discretionary hunting and trapping permit conditions and procedures; hunter education and orientation requirements; taking game by proxy; Tier I and Tier II subsistence permits; reporting requirements including deer reports and surveys, and establishing check stations for moose hunters; permit for hunting bear with the use of bait or scent lures; and special provisions for moose, Dall sheep, and brown bear drawing permit hunts.

D.  HUNTING AND TRAPPING METHODS AND MEANS for 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15, including, but not limited to: lawful methods of taking game, big game, furbearers and fur animals; same day airborne hunting of bear at bait stations; same day aerial shooting of wolves; use of artificial light for taking predators; use of motorized vehicles for individuals with disabilities and for the purpose of retrieving meat; trap identification requirements and restrictions for using 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 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15, including but not limited to: purchase and sale of game and game parts; sealing requirements including bear and moose antlers; salvage of game meat, furs, and hides; taking cub bears and female bears with cubs prohibited; and prohibiting the sale of black bear hides and parts.

F.   RESTRICTED AREAS in 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15, including but not limited to: areas closed to hunting including the Resurrection Creek closed area; areas closed to trapping including an area near Portage Creek; controlled use areas including the Lower Kenai Controlled Use Area; management areas, and closures and restrictions in state game refuges.

G.  INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT in 6, 7, 8, 14, and 15, for all populations having a positive finding as identified big game prey populations, and predation control areas implementation plans, including habitat manipulation, and 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:  Establishing a new permit regulation allowing a bonus point system for some drawing hunts; requirements for second degree kindred relatives taking nonresidents on certain big game hunts; prohibiting the feeding of Dall sheep; prohibiting the modification of Dall sheep horns; harvest tickets and reports including outlawing the falsification of information; unlawful possession or transportation of game including the seizure of animals in certain circumstances; authorizing inspection of taxidermy businesses and setting other requirements; unlawful use of taser-type devices; and classification of game statewide.

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, March 11, 2011 to ensure inclusion in the board workbooks.  Comments that have already been submitted for those proposals that are scheduled for consideration at both Board of Game meetings do not need to be resubmitted.

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 March 11, 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

Coast International Inn

333 West International Airport Road

Anchorage, Alaska  99502

March 26-30, 2011

Southcentral Region Topics

Note:  Meeting begins on a Saturday

A live audio stream of the Board meeting is intended to be available on the Board of Game website at: www.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 March 18, 2011 to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

The proposed regulation changes are available on the Board of Game website at www.boardofgame.adfg.alaska.gov; or through the ADF&G Boards Support Office at (907) 465-4110.

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 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 18, 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: Southcentral 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 Southcentral 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 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 18, 2011 Prepared by:

Kristy Tibbles

Executive Director, Board of Game