Image courtesy of Natalea Berganier.
The Federal Subsistence Board is in jeopardy. The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture are currently accepting comments on the future of the Federal Subsistence Board, because some organizations are opposing the rural subsistence priority for fish and game, aiming to significantly limit the Board's authority and eliminate the representation of rural Alaskans and Alaska Natives in the Board’s decisions.
BACKGROUND INFO:
Last May, the Safari Club International submitted a petition to diminish the authority of the Federal Subsistence Board (FSB), which would effectively eliminate the voices of rural Alaskans and Alaska Natives at the management table and end rural subsistence priority in Alaska. Shortly after, multiple organizations, including KRITFC, submitted responses in favor of maintaining the FSB:
On January 20, the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) hosted a webinar that addressed how the Board operates and its importance, explained the current threats to the FSB, and provided a tutorial on how to submit comments in support of the Federal Subsistence Board. You can watch that webinar here.
AFN also put together a comprehensive fact sheet to get you up to speed, but you can also learn more by reading this article from Rhonda McBride or this op-ed by Tom Kizzia.
SUBMITTING COMMENTS:
As part of the first step in the review process, the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture are currently accepting comments. Submitting a comment is currently the best way to make your voice heard. Comments are due February 13.
AFN has prepared a template letter that you may use to draft your comments. DOWNLOAD THAT HERE.
You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
Electronically (BEST WAY TO COMMENT / TO ENSURE COMMENTS GET POSTED): Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal. In the Search box, enter DOI-2025-0170, which is the docket number for this rulemaking action. Then, click on the Search button. On the resulting page, in the Search panel on the left side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, check the Notice box to locate this document. You may submit a comment by clicking on “Comment.”
Email: submit your comments via an email to subsistence@ios.doi.gov.
Physically: Submit by U.S. mail or hand delivery to Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, 4230 University Drive, Suite 300, Anchorage, Alaska 99508.
We can accept oral comments by telephone through an appointment request submitted by one of the above methods or during the open house. We intend to make all scoping comments publicly available.
The DOI is hosting an open house on February 3 from 3-7 p.m. in-person in the Gordon Watson Conference Room at 1011 E Tudor Road, Anchorage or virtually on Microsoft Teams. For more information on the scoping process and the open house, visit this link.
Read KRITFC’s comment here
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Kara Moriarty, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior for Alaska Affairs, by email at kara_moriarty@ios.doi.gov or by phone at 907-786-3888 (toll free 800-478-1456).