Public Hearings and Comment Period for Compendiums, Including Temporary Wildlife Hunting Restrictions

Date: January 15, 2015
Contact: Rebecca Talbott, [phone]

National Park Service compendiums for Alaska will be open for a 30-day public comment period. A compendium – one for each NPS area in Alaska -- is a compilation of all designations, closures and restrictions adopted under the discretionary authority within the regulations covering national parks. This regulatory tool helps manage Alaska's national park areas for the public’s enjoyment, use and protection.

Only a handful of changes are proposed in this year’s compendiums. These include:

• A prohibition on the use or possession of domestic goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas or related animals, which are sometimes used for packing or as pets. Wildlife biologists have found there is a significant risk of disease transmission from these domestic species to Alaska’s Dall’s sheep, mountain goat and other ungulate populations.
  
• A prohibition on the use of bicycles in the Valley of 10,000 Smokes in Katmai National Park due to the potential damage of sensitive soils that are home to cyanobacteria, lichens and mosses.
• Several national preserves are incorporating temporary wildlife sport hunting restrictions into their compendiums. These are generally identical to provisions in earlier compendiums.
  

A written copy may be requested directly from the park or the National Park Service, 240 W. 5th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501, Attn: Compendium. Each park's proposed 2015 compendium is available at https://www.nps.gov/akso/management/proposed_compendiums.cfm. Copies are also available at park offices around the state.

Comments will be accepted by mail or on-line between January 15 and February 15, 2015. Comments are welcome at any time in addition to this time-frame, but comments received after February 15 will be considered in future compendium revisions. Electronic comments should be submitted by using the link at the website listed above. Email comments will not be accepted.

NPS units which are proposing restrictions on sport hunting in national preserves will also hold open houses on a wide range of topics; incorporated into those meetings will be a public hearing where participants can comment on the proposed sport hunting restrictions. The meetings are set at the following locations:

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Eagle: Wednesday, January 21, 7-8:30pm, Eagle School

Denali National Preserve
Denali Park: Thursday, January 22, 5-7pm, Murie Science and Learning Center

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Nome: Monday, January 26, 6-7:30pm, 214 Front Street, Beringia Room in Nome

Gates of the Arctic National Preserve
Bettles: Monday, January 26, 5:30-7:00pm, Bettles Ranger Station

Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve
Copper Center: Tuesday, January 27, 4-6pm, Wrangell-St. Elias Headquarters Administrative Building

Lake Clark National Preserve
Port Alsworth: Wednesday, January 28, 6-7:30 pm, NPS Visitor Center

Katmai National Preserve
Aniakchak National Preserve
Naknek: Monday, February 9, 7-9pm, Naknek Native Village Council Building (Dolly's Hall)

Noatak National Preserve
Kotzebue: Wednesday, February 11, 6-7:30pm, NPS Heritage Center

Dial In Teleconference
Thursday, January 29, 12-2pm, 1-888-957-9843. Passcode: 6859267

Participants in these public hearings are also invited to comment on proposed permanent National Park Service regulations, which cover some related sport hunting issues as well as procedural changes for future closures. The NPS conducted 17 public hearings on the proposed regulations in fall 2014. In response to several requests, the comment period is being re-opened, concurrent with the comment period on the superintendent compendiums. Information about the proposed regulation, and other ways to comment on it, is available at https://www.nps.gov/akso/management/regulations.cfm.