The National Park Service is proposing changing regulations for sport hunting and trapping on Alaska’s national preserves—but while the changes mostly impact a variety of predator species like wolves and bears, new regulations on caribou hunting are drawing concern from local hunters.
“Our prohibition would apply in the Bering Land Bridge, Gates of the Arctic, and Noatak National Preserve. I would not have any effect on Title 8 subsistence users, only sport hunters,” said Jeannette Koelsch—superintendent at Bering Land Bridge—who introduced the proposals at Monday night’s meeting.
Koelsch says the new regulations are not equivalent to subsistence fish and wildlife proposals handled by Regional Advisory Councils established under ANILCA—the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
The new regulations would prohibit taking wolf and coyote pups and adults during the summer denning season; to taking of brown bears over bait stations; and the use of artificial light to take black bear cubs—or sows with cubs—at their den sites. One of the proposals would also prohibit hunting caribou in the water.
“Is one foot in the water? The most open shooting lines are at the river’s edge. When is a caribou actually swimming versus walking?” Charlie Lean explained his concerns after introducing himself as a 40-year Nome resident and fisheries biologist. Lean says the new regulations on the northwest Arctic caribou heard would be unenforceable—and could disenfranchise local hunters.
Calling the new federal regulations a “clash of culture” and not biological tools, Lean says the new rules would label many locals as “sport hunters”—which, he says, for the most part would be family members visiting from elsewhere in the state. Lean says local boat drivers could be cited for allowing family members to accompany them on a hunt.
Saying he and others were blindsided by the new caribou regulations, Lean also says the new rules on bear and wolves don’t address local needs, like predator management, which Leans says could be handled better at a local level.
“Once again I’ll say these are not threatened species. The large predator populations are growing. There is a harvestable surplus,” said Lean. “I hope that the Park Service does their homework and they drop their preconceived ideas that local use has damaged the local ecosystem.”
Other attendees said they would like more local input into the regulations—and added they’d like more time to consider the new caribou hunt restrictions as well. One attendee did speak out in favor of the proposed changes as a pro-wolf advocate, nothing the changes would ban what the speaker identified as “inhuman” practices.
Koelsch with the Park Service confirmed the park service was following official process for making changes to the federal register, adding that people were able to ask for more hearings and time to review the proposals. Written comments on the proposal are also being taken through early December. You can visit this link to read more about the proposals and submit comment to the Park Service.
