The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) approved Emergency Wildlife Special Action Request WSA22-04 as modified by the Office of Subsistence Management (OSM) on November 21, 2022 by voting via e-mail.
Emergency Wildlife Special Action Request WSA22-04, submitted by the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), requested the Board amend an existing delegation of authority letter for moose in the Kuskokwim hunt area of Unit 18 to delegate the Yukon Delta NWR Manager the additional authority to determine the number of permits to be issued and any needed permit conditions for the may-be-announced winter moose season.
This addition to the delegation of authority letter only applies to the 2022/23 winter may-be-announced season. The Board approved this request as modified by OSM to clarify the effective period ends January 31, 2023, and to specify permit conditions must comply with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) information collection policy.
The Board noted that the authority delegated to the Yukon Delta NWR Manager in 2022 to manage the newly established winter moose hunt in the Kuskokwim hunt area of Unit 18 was intended to give Federally qualified subsistence users additional opportunity to harvest moose in Zone 2 when the quota is not met during the fall season.
In approving this request, they support limiting permits and setting any needed permit conditions to ensure the in-season manager can more effectively manage this hunt, safeguarding against overharvest while providing additional subsistence hunting opportunity. Further, the Board supported the OSM modification to ensure permit conditions are in accordance with current OMB information collection policy.
For more information, please contact
Robbin La Vine, Policy Coordinator
1011 East Tudor Road, MS121
Anchorage, AK 99503-6199
(907) 786-3353 or (800) 478-1456
Additional information about the Federal Subsistence Management Program may be found on the web at www.doi.gov/subsistence or by visiting www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska.
