Federal Subsistence Management Program 2019-2021 Fisheries and Nonrural Determinations Proposals Comment period open through June 29, 2018 This page intentionally left blank ii Federal Subsistence Management Program Comment period open through June 29, 2018* Send your written comments on the enclosed proposals to: Federal Subsistence Board Office of Subsistence Management (Attn: Theo Matuskowitz) 1011 E. Tudor Road, MS-121 Anchorage, Alaska 99503-6199 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 907-786-3898 *Comments received after June 29, 2018 will be forwarded to the Federal Subsistence Board for their consideration; however, they will not be includued in Fall 2018 Regional Advisory Council meeting materials, or in any proposal analysis. After December 31, 2018, anyone wishing to provide written comments may do so only by delivering comments directly to the Federal Subsistence Board at its regulatory meeting scheduled to begin on January 29, 2019. The commenter must include 30 copies of their written comments for distribution at the meeting. No written comments will otherwise be accepted after that deadline. Federal Subsistence Management Program iii INTRODUCTION The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) invites your comments on the enclosed proposals to change Federal subsistence fisheries regulations for the 2019–2021 regulatory years (April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021) and proposals to change nonrural determinations. These proposals seek changes to existing Federal subsistence regulations for the taking of fish on Federal public lands in Alaska and existing nonrural determinations. The Board will make threshold decisions on proposals to change nonrural status in January 2019 but will not make final nonrural determination decisions until January 2021. You may mail your comments to the Federal Subsistence Board at the address on the previous page of this book, fax them to (907) 786-3898, or email them to [email protected]. Please refer to a specific proposal number in your comments. All comments received by June 29, 2018 will be included in the meeting materials for the appropriate Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) to discuss at their fall meetings and the Board at its spring meeting. Comments received after June 29, 2018 will be forwarded to the Board for their consideration, but will not be included in RAC meeting materials or in proposal analyses. Before making decisions on these proposals, the Board considers technical analyses prepared by its staff, recommendations from the 10 Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils, and any written public comments and oral testimony it receives on the proposal, along with tribal comments received during government-to-government consultations, consistant with the tribal consultation policy, and comments received from Alaska Native Corporations. The Board may consider and act on alternatives that address the intent of a proposal while differing in approach. Once the Board makes its decisions, it will publish the fisheries changes as final regulations for the 2019–2021 regulatory years, effective April 1, 2019, and distribute the fisheries regulation book throughout Alaska. The Board will make threshold decisions on nonrural determination proposals in January 2019, but will not make final nonrural determination decisions until January 2021. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Office of Subsistence Management at (800) 478-1456 or (907) 786-3888, visit our website at www.doi.gov/subsitence or our Facebook page at 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: [email protected]. iv Federal Subsistence Management Program Federal Subsistence Resource Regions and Fishery Management Areas Region 10: North Slope YUKON-NORTHERN SLOPE AREA Region 8: Northwest Arctic KOTZEBUE Region 6: Western Interior AREA Region 7: Seward Peninsula NORTON SOUND/ PORT CLARENCE Region 9: Eastern Interior AREA Region 5: Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta COOK INLET PRINCE AREA WILLIAM KUSKOKWIM SOUND AREA AREA YAKUTAT BRISTOL SOUTH- Region 4: Bristol Bay AREA BAY AREA EASTERN ALASKA KODIAK AREA AREA CHIGNIK ALEUTIAN ISLANDS ALASKA AREA Region 2: Southcentral AREA PENINSULA AREA Region 1: Southeast Region 3: Kodiak/Aleutians v Federal Subsistence Management Program GENERAL INFORMATION Federal Subsistence Board Federal Subsistence The Federal Subsistence Board oversees the Federal Regional Advisory Council Subsistence Management Program. Board members include Coordinators the Alaska directors of five Federal agencies: The U.S. Council coordinators facilitate communication between the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils and the Federal of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Subsistence Board. Each coordinator is responsible for one U.S. Forest Service. The Chair is a representative of the or two regions and serves as a contact for the Councils, Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture. Two additional Federal agency staff, and the public. Contact a coordinator public members are appointed by the Secretaries to for more information on the activities of each Council. represent rural subsistence users. Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils Southeast Region Eastern Interior Region (Council(s)), State of Alaska representatives, and the DeAnna Perry Katya Wessels general public play an active role in the regulatory process. JUNEAU ANCHORAGE You can find information about the Federal Subsistence (907) 586-7918 (800) 478-1456 Board on the Program website at: www.doi.gov/subsistence Fax: (907) 586-7877 or (907) 786-3885 or by contacting the Office of Subsistence Management at [email protected] Fax: (907) 786-3898 800-478-1456 or 907-786-3888. [email protected] Bristol Bay and Southcentral Regions Regional Advisory Councils Western Interior Donald Mike and Northwest Arctic The Federal Subsistence Management Program divides ANCHORAGE Regions Alaska into 10 subsistence resource regions, each (800) 478-1456 Zach Stevenson or (907) 786-3629 represented by a Subsistence Regional Advisory Council. ANCHORAGE These 10 Councils provide an opportunity for Alaskans Fax: (907) 786-3898 (800) 478-1456 to contribute in a meaningful way to the management [email protected] or (907) 786-3674 of subsistence resources. Subsistence users have the Kodiak/Aleutians and Fax: (907) 786-3898 opportunity to comment and offer input on subsistence Seward Peninsula [email protected] issues at Council meetings. Councils meet a least twice Region a year. The Councils develop proposals to change Yukon-Kuskokwim Karen Deatherage Delta and North Slope Federal subsistence regulations and review and make ANCHORAGE Regions recommendations on proposals submitted by others. (800) 478-1456 Fax: (907) 786-3898 Eva Patton [email protected] ANCHORAGE Council membership (800) 478-1456 or (907) 786-3358 The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture appoint Fax: (907) 786-3898 Council members. Members must reside in the area they [email protected] wish to represent and have knowledge of subsistence resources, as well as both subsistence and commercial/sport uses. Each year the Office of Subsistence Management accepts applications and nominations for membership during August–January. If you are interested in applying for membership, please contact Carl Johnson or the council For information on Regional Advisory Council coordinator for your region. membership, contact: Carl Johnson (800) 478-1456 or (907) 786-3676 Fax: (907) 786-3898 [email protected] vi Federal Subsistence Management Program 2019-2021 Fisheries Proposals Proposal Number and Species General Description Page Proponent Yukon-Northern Area FP19-01 Allow use of gillnets and rescind net depth restrictions in Salmon 1 Reakoff Yukon River Sub-Districts 4B and 4C. FP19-02 Modify closures to subsistence salmon fishing before Salmon 3 Rogers commercial season opening in Yukon River Districts. FP19-03 Remove closures to subsistence fishing before, during, Salmon and after commercial openings in Yukon River Districts 1, 5 Rogers 2, and 3. FP19-04 Modify closures to subsistence salmon fishing before, Salmon during, and after commercial openings in Yukon River 7 Rogers Districts 1, 2, and 3. Remove restrictions requiring fin-clipping of subsistence FP19-05 Chinook caught Chinook Salmon in Lower Yukon River Districts 1, Salmon 9 Rogers 2, and 3. FP19-06 Chinook Protection on first pulse of Chinook Salmon in Federal 11 Woodruff Salmon waters of Yukon River Districts 1 through 5. FP19-07 Add dip net as a gear type for subsistence harvest of Salmon 12 YKDRAC salmon for the Yukon River. Kuskokwim Area Specify restrictions to use of 6 inch or less mesh size gillnets in the Kuskokwim River drainage from June 1 to FP19-08 Chinook June 25 only in times of conservation of Chinook Salmon, Salmon 14 Rogers only through rolling closures, and implemented by the Federal in-season manager. FP19-09 Allow use of 6 inch or less mesh size gillnets prior to June All Fish 1 in the Kuskokwim River drainage to provide Sheefish 17 Rogers harvest opportunity. Specify that non-salmon spawning tributaries of the FP19-10 Salmon and Kuskokwim River be open to the harvest of fish 100 yards 20 Charles non-salmon upriver from the confluence of the Kuskokwim River during times of closure to salmon fishing.