Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/01/31/2019-00424/subsistence-management-regulations-for-public-lands-in-alaska-2020-21-and-2021-22-subsistence-taking
Timestamp: 2019-10-20 11:57:37
Document Index: 38912922

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 242', 'art 100', 'arts 242', 'arts 100', '§\u2009810', '§\u2009810', '§\u2009810', '§\u2009810', 'art 242', 'art 100', 'art 242', 'art 100']

Federal Register :: Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska-2020-21 and 2021-22 Subsistence Taking of Wildlife Regulations
A Proposed Rule by the Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service on 01/31/2019
Public meetings: The Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils will hold public meetings to receive comments and make proposals to change this proposed rule on several dates between February 5 and March 12, 2019, and then will hold another round of public meetings to discuss and receive comments on the proposals, and make recommendations on the proposals to the Federal Subsistence Board, on several dates between September 19 and November 5, 2019. The Board will discuss and evaluate proposed regulatory changes during a public meeting in Anchorage, AK, in April 2020. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific information on dates and locations of the public meetings.
623-627 (5 pages)
Docket No. FWS-R7-SM-2018-0015
FXFR13350700640-190-FF07J00000
FBMS#4500129154
1018-BD11
Developing the 2020-21 and 2021-22 Wildlife Seasons and Harvest Limit Regulations
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-00424 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-00424
Public meetings: The Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils will hold public meetings to receive comments and make proposals to change this proposed rule on several dates between February 5 and March 12, 2019, and then will hold another round of public meetings to discuss and receive comments on the proposals, and make recommendations on the proposals to the Federal Subsistence Board, on several dates between September 19 and November 5, 2019. The Board will discuss and evaluate proposed regulatory changes during a public meeting in Anchorage, AK, in April 2020. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific information on dates and locations of the public meetings.Start Printed Page 624
Public comments: Comments and proposals to change this proposed rule must be received or postmarked by March 27, 2019.
Public meetings: The Federal Subsistence Board and the Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils' public meetings will be held at various locations in Alaska. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific information on dates and locations of the public meetings.
Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov and search for FWS-R7-SM-2018-0015, which is the docket number for this rulemaking.
Chair, Federal Subsistence Board, c/o U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Attention: Thomas C.J. Doolittle, Office of Subsistence Management; (907) 786-3888 or subsistence@fws.gov. For questions specific to National Forest System lands, contact Thomas Whitford, Regional Subsistence Program Leader, USDA-Forest Service, Alaska Region; (907) 743-9461 or twhitford@fs.fed.us.
Under Title VIII of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) (16 U.S.C. 3111-3126), the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretaries) jointly implement the Federal Subsistence Management Program. This program provides a rural preference for take of fish and wildlife resources for subsistence uses on Federal public lands and waters in Alaska. The Secretaries published temporary regulations to carry out this program in the Federal Register on June 29, 1990 (55 FR 27114), and final regulations were published in the Federal Register on May 29, 1992 (57 FR 22940). The Program has subsequently amended these regulations a number of times. Because this program is a joint effort between Interior and Agriculture, these regulations are located in two titles of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): Title 36, “Parks, Forests, and Public Property,” and Title 50, “Wildlife and Fisheries,” at 36 CFR part 242.1-28 and 50 CFR part 100.1-28, respectively. The regulations contain subparts as follows: Subpart A, General Provisions; Subpart B, Program Structure; Subpart C, Board Determinations; and Subpart D, Subsistence Taking of Fish and Wildlife.
The Alaska Regional Forester, USDA-Forest Service; and
In administering the program, the Secretaries divided Alaska into 10 subsistence resource regions, each of which is represented by a Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council (Council). The Councils provide a forum for rural residents with personal knowledge of local conditions and resource requirements to have a meaningful role in the subsistence management of fish and wildlife on Federal public lands in Alaska. The Council members represent varied geographical, cultural, and user interests within each region. Members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior with the concurrence of the Secretary of Agriculture.
The Councils have a substantial role in reviewing this proposed rule and making recommendations for the final rule. The Federal Subsistence Board, through the Councils, will hold public meetings on this proposed rule at the following locations in Alaska, on the following dates:
Region 1—Southeast Regional Council Wrangell February 12, 2019.
Region 2—Southcentral Regional Council Anchorage February 26, 2019.
Region 3—Kodiak/Aleutians Regional Council Kodiak February 21, 2019.
Region 4—Bristol Bay Regional Council Naknek February 12, 2019.
Region 5—Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Council Bethel March 12, 2019.
Region 6—Western Interior Regional Council Anchorage February 20, 2019.
Region 7—Seward Peninsula Regional Council Nome March 5, 2019.
Region 8—Northwest Arctic Regional Council Kotzebue February 27, 2019.
Region 9—Eastern Interior Regional Council Fairbanks March 5, 2019.
Region 10—North Slope Regional Council Utqiagvik February 13, 2019.
During April 2019, the written proposals to change the subpart D, take of wildlife regulations, and subpart C, customary and traditional use determinations, will be compiled and distributed for public review. During a subsequent public comment period, written public comments will be accepted on the distributed proposals.
The Board, through the Councils, will hold a second series of public meetings in September through November 2019, to receive comments on specific proposals and to develop recommendations to the Board at the following locations in Alaska, on the following dates:
Region 1—Southeast Regional Council Petersburg October 8, 2019.
Region 2—Southcentral Regional Council Seward October 2, 2019.
Start Printed Page 625
Region 3—Kodiak/Aleutians Regional Council Kodiak September 19, 2019.
Region 4—Bristol Bay Regional Council Dillingham November 5, 2019.
Region 5—Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Council Bethel October 12, 2019.
Region 6—Western Interior Regional Council Aniak October 8, 2019.
Region 7—Seward Peninsula Regional Council Nome October 22, 2019.
Region 8—Northwest Arctic Regional Council Kotzebue October 28, 2019.
Region 9—Eastern Interior Regional Council Fairbanks October 15, 2019.
Region 10—North Slope Regional Council Utqiagvik October 22, 2019.
Prior to both series of meetings, notices will be published of specific dates, times, and meeting locations in local and statewide newspapers, along with announcements on radio, television and social media sites. Locations and dates may change based on weather or local circumstances. The amount of work on each Council's agenda determines the length of each Council meeting, but typically the meetings are scheduled to last 2 days. Occasionally a Council will lack information necessary during a scheduled meeting to make a recommendation to the Board or to provide comments on other matters affecting subsistence in the region. If this situation occurs, the Council may announce on the record a later teleconference to address the specific issue when the requested information or data is available. These teleconferences are open to the public, along with opportunities for public comment; the date and time will be announced during the scheduled meeting and that same information will be announced through news releases and local radio, television, and social media ads.
The Board will discuss and evaluate proposed changes to the subsistence management regulations during a public meeting scheduled to be held in Anchorage, Alaska, in April 2020. The Council Chairs, or their designated representatives, will present their respective Councils' recommendations at the Board meeting. Additional oral testimony may be provided on specific proposals before the Board at that time. At that public meeting, the Board will deliberate and take final action on proposals received that request changes to this proposed rule.
Proposals to the Board to modify the general fish and wildlife regulations, wildlife harvest regulations, and customary and traditional use determinations must include the following information:
The Board immediately rejects proposals that fail to include the above information, or proposals that are beyond the scope of authorities in § __.24, subpart C (the regulations governing customary and traditional use determinations), and §§ __.25 and __.26, subpart D (the general and specific regulations governing the subsistence take of wildlife). If a proposal needs clarification, prior to being distributed for public review, the proponent may be contacted, and the proposal could be revised based on their input. Once distributed for public review, no additional changes may be made as part of the original submission. During the April 2020 meeting, the Board may defer review and action on some proposals to allow time for cooperative planning efforts, or to acquire additional needed information. The Board may elect to defer taking action on any given proposal if the workload of staff, Councils, or the Board becomes excessive. These deferrals may be based on recommendations by the affected Council(s) or staff members, or on the basis of the Board's intention to do least harm to the subsistence user and the resource involved. A proponent of a proposal may withdraw the proposal provided it has not been considered, and a recommendation has not been made, by a Council. After that, the Board must approve withdrawal of a proposal. The Board may consider and act on alternatives that address the intent of a proposal while differing in approach.
You may submit written comments and materials concerning this proposed rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted on the website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying information, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold this information from public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We will post all hardcopy comments on http://www.regulations.gov.
The Federal Subsistence Board is committed to providing access to these meetings for all participants. Please direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, closed captioning, or other accommodation needs to the Office of Subsistence Management, 907-786-3888, subsistence@fws.gov, or 800-877-8339 (TTY), at least 7 business days prior to the meeting you would like to attend.
The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act does not provide specific rights to Tribes for the subsistence taking of wildlife, fish, and shellfish. However, because tribal members are affected by subsistence fishing, hunting, and trapping regulations, the Secretaries, through the Board, will provide federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native corporations Start Printed Page 626an opportunity to consult on this proposed rule.
The Board will engage in outreach efforts for this proposed rule, including a notification letter, to ensure that Tribes and Alaska Native corporations are advised of the mechanisms by which they can participate. The Board provides a variety of opportunities for consultation: Proposing changes to the existing rule; commenting on proposed changes to the existing rule; engaging in dialogue at Council meetings; engaging in dialogue at the Board's meetings; and providing input in person, by mail, email, or phone at any time during the rulemaking process. The Board commits to efficiently and adequately providing an opportunity to Tribes and Alaska Native corporations for consultation in regard to subsistence rulemaking.
Subpart C and D regulations are subject to periodic review and revision. The Federal Subsistence Board currently completes the process of revising subsistence take of wildlife regulations in even-numbered years and fish and shellfish regulations in odd-numbered years; public proposal and review processes take place during the preceding year. The Board also addresses customary and traditional use determinations during the applicable cycle.
The current subsistence program regulations form the starting point for consideration during each new rulemaking cycle. The regulations at § __.24 pertain to customary and traditional use determinations; the regulations at § __.25 pertain to general provisions governing the subsistence take of wildlife, fish, and shellfish; and the regulations at § __.26 pertain to specific provisions governing the subsistence take of wildlife.
The text of the proposed amendments to 36 CFR parts 242.24, 242.25, and 242.26 and 50 CFR parts 100.24, 100.25, and 100.26 is the final rule for the 2018-2020 regulatory period for wildlife (83 FR 50758; October 9, 2018).
These regulations will remain in effect until subsequent Board action changes elements as a result of the public review process outlined above in this document.
An ANILCA § 810 analysis was completed as part of the FEIS process on the Federal Subsistence Management Program. The intent of all Federal subsistence regulations is to accord subsistence uses of fish and wildlife on public lands a priority over the taking of fish and wildlife on such lands for other purposes, unless restriction is necessary to conserve healthy fish and wildlife populations. The final § 810 analysis determination appeared in the April 6, 1992, ROD and concluded that the Federal Subsistence Management Program, under Alternative IV with an annual process for setting subsistence regulations, may have some local impacts on subsistence uses, but will not likely restrict subsistence uses significantly.
During the subsequent environmental assessment process for extending fisheries jurisdiction, an evaluation of the effects of this rulemaking process was conducted in accordance with § 810. That evaluation also supported the Secretaries' determination that these rules will not reach the “may significantly restrict” threshold that would require notice and hearings under ANILCA § 810(a).
This proposed rule does not contain any new collections of information that require Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. OMB has reviewed and approved the collections of information associated with the subsistence regulations at 36 CFR part 242 and 50 CFR part 100, and assigned OMB Control Number 1018-0075, which expires June 30, 2019. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) requires preparation of flexibility analyses for rules that will have a significant effect on a substantial number of small entities, which include small businesses, organizations, or governmental jurisdictions. In general, the resources to be harvested under this proposed rule are already being harvested and consumed by the local harvester and do not result in an additional dollar benefit to the economy. However, we estimate that two million pounds of meat are harvested by subsistence users annually and, if given an estimated value of $3.00 per pound, this amount would equate to about $6 million in food value statewide. Based upon the amounts and Start Printed Page 627values cited above, the Departments certify that this rulemaking will not have a significant economic effect on a substantial number of small entities within the meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
Under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), this proposed rule is not a major rule. It will not have an effect on the economy of $100 million or more, will not cause a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, and will not have significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises.
Title VIII of ANILCA requires the Secretaries to administer a subsistence priority for rural Alaskan residents on public lands. The scope of this program is limited by definition to certain public lands. Likewise, these proposed regulations have no potential takings of private property implications as defined by Executive Order 12630.
Title VIII of ANILCA does not provide specific rights to tribes for the subsistence taking of wildlife, fish, and shellfish. However, as described above under Tribal Consultation and Comment, the Secretaries, through the Board, will provide federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native corporations an opportunity to consult on this proposed rule.
Executive Order 13211 requires agencies to prepare Statements of Energy Effects when undertaking certain actions. However, this proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action under E.O. 13211, affecting energy supply, distribution, or use, and no Statement of Energy Effects is required.
Theo Matuskowitz drafted this proposed rule under the guidance of Thomas C.J. Doolittle, Jr. of the Office of Subsistence Management, Alaska Regional Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska. Additional assistance was provided by:
Clarence Summers, Alaska Regional Office, National Park Service;
Thomas Whitford, Alaska Regional Office, USDA-Forest Service.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, the Federal Subsistence Board proposes to amend 36 CFR part 242 and 50 CFR part 100 for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 regulatory years.
The text of the proposed amendments to 36 CFR 242.24, 242.25, and 242.26 and 50 CFR 100.24, 100.25, and 100.26 is the final rule for the 2018-2020 regulatory periods for wildlife (83 FR 50759; October 9, 2018).
Thomas C.J. Doolittle,
Acting Assistant Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-00424 Filed 1-30-19; 8:45 am]
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