The Federal Subsistence Board will meet January 17th to the 20th to consider more than 100 proposed changes to Federal subsistence hunting and trapping regulations. The proposals to be considered include requests to:

Require that prior to selling handicrafts incorporating a brown bear claw(s), the hide or claw(s) not attached to the hide, must be sealed by an authorized Alaska Department of Fish and Game representative and that a copy of the ADF&G sealing certificate accompany the handicraft when sold;

Close the Red Sheep and Cane Creek drainages to non-qualified subsistence users during the August 10th to September 20th portion of the sheep season in the Arctic Village Sheep Management Area in Unit 25; and

Establish a hunt for the Chisana Caribou herd in Unit 12.

In addition, the board will discuss the rural/nonrural determinations that will become effective in May 2012 and procedures for the next decennial rural/nonrural determinations review. The board will also hear an update on the progress that has been made on the Tribal and ANCSA Corporation consultation protocols.

The meeting will be held at the Egan Civic Center, at West 5th Avenue in Anchorage starting at 8:30 am on January 17th. The January 20th portion of the meeting will be held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gordon Watson Conference Room, on 1011 East Tudor Road in Anchorage. Photo identification, such as a driver’s license, must be presented at the building reception desk.

Throughout the meeting, there will be opportunities for the public to testify on both agenda and non-agenda items.

The Board will provide the opportunity for Tribal leaders to consult on the proposed changes to subsistence hunting and trapping regulations on January 17th, starting at 1:00 pm.

To teleconference this meeting, dial 800-857-1034, the pass-code is 5793113.

Listen-only access to the meeting will be provided through Internet live streaming. Connection information will be posted to the Federal Subsistence Management Program’s website: https://alaska.fws.gov/asm/board.cfml. The Board’s progress through the agenda will be noted on the Internet live stream.

For more information regarding this meeting, contact the Office of Subsistence Management at 800-478-1456 or 907-786-3888 or by email, subsistence@fws.gov. If you need special accomodations for disabilities, please contact the Office of Subsistence Management by January 11th. Meeting materials and additional information on the Federal Subsistence Management Program can be found at https://alaska.fws.gov/asm/home.html.