Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which parks and preserves have Title VIII subsistence use authorizations?

Can you sport fish in national parks and preserves?
Yes. Fishing is permitted in all park and preserve areas in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws and regulations.

Can you sport hunt in a national park?
No. Sport hunting is not an activity authorized by ANILCA in Alaska national parks and monuments.

Can you sport hunt and trap in a national preserve?
Yes. Hunting and trapping are allowed in national preserves in accordance with applicable Federal and non-conflicting State laws and regulations.

What is a Resident Zone Community?

Resident zone communities are designated by the NPS and include the area within a national park or monument and communities and areas near a national park or monument in which persons who have customarily and traditionally engaged in subsistence uses within the national park or monument permanently reside.

How can I find out which communities are resident zone communities?
Resident zone communities are listed in the National Park Service regulations.

Do national preserves have resident zone communities?
No. Resident zone designations define who is allowed to hunt and trap in park and monument areas for subsistence. Since national preserves are open to hunting and trapping under State regulations, they are available to a wider range of users from non-local areas inside and outside Alaska.

Is same-day airborne hunting permitted?
A subsistence user may not harvest or assist someone else to harvest a moose, bear, wolverine or other furbearer until after 3:00 a.m. on the day after the day in which the flying occurred. While State of Alaska regulations may allow same-day airborne hunting in some areas that overlap federal public lands, it is strictly prohibited in the Park or Preserve.

What is a national park?
A national park is an area of unusual scenic or historic interest owned by the federal government and administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, to conserve the scenery, the flora and fauna, and any natural and historical objects within its boundaries for public enjoyment in perpetuity. It has more than one type of national significance.

What is a national preserve?
A national preserve is similar to a national park, but allows other human activities to occur, such as sport hunting.

A mixture of oils and seasoning is poured over jarred salmon in preparation for storage.

NPS photo

What is the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA)?
The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) was an American law passed in 1980 by U.S. Congress and signed by President Jimmy Carter on December 2, 1980.

Which parts of ANILCA authorizes subsistence use in National Park Service areas in Alaska?

Titles I, II, VIII and Section 13.13 authorize subsistence uses in NPS system units in Alaska. Title I talks about the purpose, definitions and maps. Title II covers the National Park system. Title VIII is all about subsistence on federal public lands. Title XIII section 13 describes the administration of national preserves.

What is a Subsistence Resource Commission?

Section 808 of ANILCA established subsistence resource commissions to recommend to the Governor of Alaska and the Secretary of the Interior a program for subsistence hunting within Alaska national parks and monument where federal subsistence is authorized. Each of the seven commissions are comprised of nine local rural residents representing geographic, cultural, and user diversity from within the region. the governor, the Secretary of the Interior and charter-authorized federal subsistence regional advisory councils each appoint three members to the nine member commissions. Each commission reports to a park superintendent. The commission generally meets twice a year and meetings are open to the public. There are seven subsistence resource commissions in Alaska.

How does ANILCA define the term "subsistence uses"?

The term “subsistence uses” means the customary and traditional uses by rural Alaska residents of wild, renewable resources for direct personal or family consumption as food, shelter, fuel, clothing, tools, or transportation; for the making and selling of handicraft articles out of nonedible byproducts of fish and wildlife resources taken for personal or family consumption; for barter, or sharing for personal or family consumption; and for customary trade.