The period to provide public comment on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal that would rule over Alaska’s 16 national wildlife refuges closes this week.
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Manager Andy Loranger detailed the first of three parts of the proposal…
Loranger: “This first part addresses an overall policy relative to when, where, and how we conduct predator control on national wildlife refuges in Alaska and it basically says it has to be consistent with the mandates under which we administer the refuges.”
At the Refuge’s public hearing on the proposal in February, members of the public expressed concern that that section may take the authority to make decisions on predator control away from local staff, making it more difficult to get the process going if it is needed.
The second part of the proposal involves prohibitions on methods of hunting predators on federal lands.
Loranger: “Primarily bears, wolves, and coyotes, and those involve things like taking brown bears over bait, take of brown bear cubs and sows with cubs, a change in the season at least in some refuges, change in seasons for take of wolves, to not allow it during the summer reproductive season, the denning season.”
Loranger says the biggest impact locally would be the black bear hunting currently allowed wherein the animals can be spotted airborne and taken on the KNWR the same day if that bear is taken over bait. That will no longer be possible if these regulations pass.
The third section of the proposal updates how, when, and the notices required to close refuges temporarily.
The deadline to submit comments is this Thursday, April 7.
Anyone interested in submitting comments can visit the Federal Registry online at www.regulations.gov and inputting the docket number FWS R7 NWRS 2014 0005.
To mail in a public comment, submit an addressed envelope to:
Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R7-NWRS-2014-0005
Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041-3803
