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The National Park Service is holding public hearings in March on temporary restrictions for certain sport hunting practices in several national preserves in Alaska. The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve hearing will also take comments on a proposal to prohibit domestic goats for subsistence and all other uses in the park and preserve. Public comments on these provisions will be taken from March 9 through March 22. Pursuant to both 43 CFR 36.11(e) and 36 CFR 13.460, the superintendent is proposing to prohibit domestic goats in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The reason for the proposed restriction is to avoid disease transmission from domestic goats to Alaska's Dall's sheep and mountain goat populations. Additional information about the proposed restriction on domestic goats can also be found in the draft 2014 Superintendent's Compendium for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve at: https://www.nps.gov/akso/management/compendium_docs/2014-Proposed/WRST-2014-Proposed-Compendium.pdf. The temporary wildlife restrictions generally mirror those in place last year.These restrictions are in response to decisions by the Alaska Board of Game to liberalize hunting seasons and methods for wolves, coyotes, and bears. The board has also rejected proposals by the National Park Service to exclude preserves from these practices, an action that would have made federal restrictions unnecessary.The NPS restrictions do not affect subsistence harvest under Federal Subsistence Regulations. The restrictions include:
The full text of the temporary wildlife restrictions for each affected national preserve will be posted before March 9 at https://www.nps.gov/akso/management/compendiums.cfm In accordance with 36CFR 13.50, public hearings will be held in a community in or near each of theaffected national preserves during the weeks of March 10 and March 17. In addition, hearings will be held in Anchorage and Fairbanks, and written comments may be mailed. The NPS will also open a Facebook chat on the topic on March 20 from 10 a.m. to Noon and postings will be retained for the record.
Copper Center Monday, March 17, 4-5:30 p.m. Wrangell-St. Elias N.P. Visitor Center NPS Alaska Region |
Last updated: April 14, 2015