9/27/2016 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Mail ­ BLM Special Action Request for Unit 13 Delegation of Authority to extend subsistence caribou season Howard, Amee <[email protected]> BLM Special Action Request for Unit 13 Delegation of Authority to extend subsistence caribou season 1 message Sharp, Daniel <[email protected]> Tue, Sep 27, 2016 at 3:03 PM To: Paul Mckee <[email protected]>, "Howard, Amee" <[email protected]> Cc: Dennis Teitzel <[email protected]>, Steven Cohn <[email protected]>, Marlo Draper <[email protected]>, Bud Cribley <[email protected]> Chris, The BLM Glennallen Field Office is submitting a Special Action Request to the Federal Subsistence Board, through OSM, seeking temporary authority from the Board to allow the BLM Glennallen Office Field manager to open a 10 day season should caribou enter federally managed lands between October 1 and October 21, 2016 when the Unit is closed for three weeks between seasons.To date approximately 70 caribou have been harvested by subsistence hunters whereas in a more normal year, the federal subsistence harvest would be in the 100's. There is a 5­day reporting requirement. The State has extended their season by 10 days due to lack of accessibility to caribou by hunters due to the delayed migration. The BLM manager is requesting delegated the authority to open a 10 day season between October 1 and October 21 should caribou finally migrate in the vicinity of or across federal lands. This would require the flexibility to announce a season rather than extend the current one. Should their migration not occur before the October 21 start of the winter season, the extension would not be announced. As the season ends September 30, an expedited discussion and decision will be helpful. This delegation is only being sought for the 2016 season but if the migration pattern seen this season repeats itself, a long term delegation may be in order and should be considered by the appropriate RAC. Dan ­­ Daniel Sharp Statewide Subsistence Coordinator Bureau of Land Management 222 West 7th Avenue, #13 Anchorage, Alaska 99513 907­271­5713(w) 907­242­8121(c) 907­271­5479(f) https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=2b1807129b&view=pt&search=inbox&th=1576de325b061162&siml=1576de325b061162 1/1 STAFF ANALYSIS WILDLIFE SPECIAL ACTION WSA16–05 ISSUES Wildlife Special Action Request WSA16-05, submitted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), requests that the BLM Glennallen Office Field Manager be allowed to open a ten day caribou season on Federal public lands in Unit 13 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 21, 2016. DISCUSSION The State extended the Nelchina Basin caribou (CC001, RC566, and DC485) hunt season by 10 days from Sept. 21 – 30, 2016 by Emergency Order 04-08-16 (ADF&G 2016) due to the lack of accessibility to caribou by hunters as a result of delayed migration. The proponent states that as of September 27, 2016, approximately 70 caribou had been harvested by Federally qualified subsistence users, while in a normal year, the Federal subsistence harvest would be in the hundreds. The harvest numbers are approximate, as there is a five day reporting requirement. The proponent also states that hunting pressure from roads and trails has pushed the NCH into more remote areas in Unit 13. If the caribou migrate in the vicinity or across Federal public lands, the proponent requests that the BLM land manager be given delegated authority to open a ten day season between October 1 and October 21, 2016. If the caribou migration does not occur before October 21, the start of the winter season, the requested season extension would not be announced. Existing Federal Regulation Unit 13—Caribou Units 13A and 13B Units 13A and 13B - 2 caribou by Federal registration permit Aug. 1-Sept. 30 only. The sex of the animals that may be taken will be announced Oct. 21-Mar. 31 by the Glennallen Field Office Manager of the Bureau of Land Management in consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game area biologist and Chairs of the Eastern Interior Subsistence Regional Advisory Council and the Southcentral Subsistence Regional Advisory Council. Unit 13 remainder Unit 13 remainder - 2 bulls by Federal registration permit only Aug. 1–Sept. 30 Oct. 21–Mar. 31 Proposed Federal Regulation Unit 13—Caribou Units 13A and 13B Units 13A and 13B - 2 caribou by Federal registration permit Aug. 1-Sept. 30 only. The sex of the animals that may be taken will be announced Oct. 21-Mar. 31 by the Glennallen Field Office Manager of the Bureau of Land Management in consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game area biologist and Chairs of the Eastern Interiorl Subsistence Regional Advisory Council and the Southcentral Subsistence Regional Advisory Council. 2 caribou by Federal registration permit only during a 10 period between Oct. 1 and Oct 21. The season and sex of the animals that may be taken will be announced by the Glennallen Field Office Manager of the Bureau of Land Management in consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game area biologist and Chairs of the Eastern Interiorl Subsistence Regional Advisory Council and the Southcentral Subsistence Regional Advisory Council. Unit 13 remainder 2 bulls by Federal registration permit only Aug. 1–Sept. 30 Oct. 21–Mar. 31 2 bulls by Federal registration permit only during a 10 day period between Oct. 1 and Oct. 21. The season for the 10 day period will be announced by the Glennallen Field Office Manager of the Bureau of the Land Management in consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game area biologist and Chairs of the Eastern Interiorl Subsistence Regional Advisory Council and the Southcentral Subsistence Regional Advisory Council. Existing State Regulation Unit 13 – Caribou Unit 13 Resident: One caribou by permit RC566 Aug. 10–Sept.20 per household, available only by Oct.21–Mar. 31 application. See the Subsistence Permit Hunt Supplement for details. OR Resident: One by permit per CC001 Aug. 10–Sept.20 household, available only by Oct.21–Mar. 31 application. See the Subsistence Permit Hunt Supplement for details. OR Resident: One caribou by permit DC485 Aug. 10–Sept.20 Oct.21–Mar. 31 Nonresident: No open season Extent of Federal Public Lands Federal public lands comprise approximately 25% of Unit 13 and consist of 16.6% Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed lands, 6.1% National Park Service (NPS) managed lands, and 1.8% U.S. Forest Service managed lands (See Unit 13 Map). Customary and Traditional Use Determinations Rural residents of Units 11, 12 (along the Nabesna Road) 13, and Chickaloon have customary and traditional use determination for caribou in Units 13A and 13D. Rural residents of Units 11, 12 (along the Nabesna Road and Tok Cutoff Road, mileposts 79-110), 13, 20D (excluding residents of Fort Greely) and Chickaloon have a customary and traditional use determination for caribou in Units 13B. Residents of Units 11, 12 (along the Nabesna Road and Tok Cutoff Road, mileposts 79-110), 13, Chickaloon, Dot Lake, and Healy Lake have a customary and traditional use determination for caribou in Unit 13C. Residents of Units 11, 12 (along the Nabesna Road), 13, and Chickaloon have a customary and traditional use determination for caribou in Unit 13D. Residents of Units 11, 12 (along the Nabesna Road), 13, Chickaloon, McKinley Village, and the area along the Parks Highway between mileposts 216 and 239 (excluding the residents of Denali National Park headquarters) have a customary and traditional use determination for caribou in Unit 13E. Regulatory History The Nelchina Caribou Herd (NCH) is an important resource for many rural and non-rural users due to its proximity to Anchorage and Fairbanks and its distribution within Units 11, 12, 13, and 20E (Tobey 2003). A State Tier II system for NCH harvest was established in 1990 for Unit 13. A State Tier I permit was added for the 1996/97 and 1997/98 seasons to allow any Alaskan resident to harvest cows or young bulls, in order to reduce the herd to the management objective. In 1998, the Tier I hunt was closed, as the herd was brought within management objective due to increased harvest and lower calf recruitment. The two Federal registration hunts in Unit 13 are for residents of Units 11, 13, and residents along the Nabesna Road in Unit 12 and Delta Junction in Unit 20. In 1998 the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) adopted Proposal P98-036 to extend the winter caribou season from Jan. 5–Mar. 31 to Oct. 21–Mar. 31 (FWS 1998a). This gave Federally qualified subsistence users the same opportunity to harvest an animal as those hunting under the State regulations. In 1998, the Board adopted Proposal P98-034, which opened the Federal registration hunt to residents of Unit 12, Dot Lake, Healy Lake and Mentasta between November and April when the NCH migrate through the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge (FWS 1998b). In 2001, the Board adopted Proposal WP01-07, which changed the harvest limit from 2 caribou to 2 bulls by Federal registration permit only, for all of Unit 13 (FWS 2001). In 2003, the Board adopted Proposal WP03-14, which changed the harvest limit for Units 13A and 13B back to 2 caribou from 2 bulls, with the harvest of bulls being allowed only during the Aug. 10 – Sept. 30 season. For the Oct. 21 – Mar. 31 winter season, the BLM Glennallen Field Office Manager was delegated authority to determine the sex of animals taken in consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) area biologist and the Chairs of the Eastern Interior Alaska and Southcentral Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils.