Section 5.92.113. Intensive Management Plans III.

	(a)  Plans established. Intensive management plans for the following areas are established in this section:  
		(1) Upper Yukon/Tanana Predation Control Area in Units 12, 20(B), 20(D), 20(E), and 25(C);  
		(2) Unit 20(A) Wolf Predation Control Area;  
		(3) Unit 20(D) Wolf Predation Control Area.  
	(b)  Upper Yukon/Tanana Predation Control Area in Units 12, 20(B), 20(D), 20(E), and 25(C): the Upper Yukon/Tanana Predation Control Area (UYTPCA) is established to increase the Fortymile Caribou Herd (FCH) throughout its range to aid in achieving intensive management (IM) objectives; the control area includes that portion of Unit 12 north of the Alaska Highway, that portion of Unit 20(D) within the Goodpaster River drainage upstream from and including the South Fork Goodpaster River drainage, and within the Healy River, Billy Creek, and Sand Creek drainages, that portion of Unit 20(B) within the Salcha River drainage upstream from and including the Goose Creek drainage, and within the Middle Fork of the Chena River drainage, all of Unit 20(E), and that portion of Unit 25(C) within the Birch Creek drainage upstream from the Steese Highway Bridge, and within the area draining into the south and west bank of the Yukon River upstream from the community of Circle, encompassing approximately 18,750 square miles; this predation control program does not apply to any National Park Service or National Wildlife Refuge lands unless approved by the federal agencies; notwithstanding any other provisions in this title, and based on the following information contained in this section, the commissioner or the commissioner's designee may conduct a wolf population reduction or wolf population regulation program in the UYTPCA in Units 12, 20(B), 20(D), 20(E), and 25(C):  
		(1) this is a continuing control program that was first authorized by the Board of Game in 2004 for wolf and brown bear control to increase the moose population and harvest in northern Unit 12 and in Unit 20(E); in 2006 wolf control was expanded by the board to increase the FCH population and harvest in its entire range; in 2009 bear control was deleted from the program because control methods available at the time were ineffective;  
		(2) caribou and wolf objectives are as follows:  
			(A) the FCH-IM population objectives established by the board are for a population of 50,000 - 100,000 caribou and an annual harvest of 1,000 - 15,000 caribou;  
			(B) the wolf population control objective for the wolf control area is 88 - 103 wolves; the pre-control wolf population in the wolf control area was estimated in fall of 2004 at 350 - 410 wolves; a minimum wolf population of 88 wolves is approximately a 75 percent reduction from the pre-control wolf population and will ensure that wolves persist in the plan area;  
		(3) board's findings concerning FCH populations and human use are as follows:  
			(A) the FCH population and harvest are within the lower end of the range of IM objectives:  
			(B) continued recovery of the FCH to a higher population and harvest within the range of the IM objectives is needed to provide for high levels of human consumptive use of the herd;  
			(C) predation by wolves is an important cause of the failure to achieve higher caribou population and harvest levels;  
			(D) a reduction of predation by wolves can reasonably be expected to aid in achieving higher prey population levels;  
			(E) reducing predation by wolves is likely to be effective and feasible utilizing recognized and prudent active management techniques and based on scientific information;  
			(F) reducing predation by wolves is likely to be effective given land ownership patterns;  
		(4) authorized methods and means are as follows:  
			(A) hunting and trapping of wolves by the public in the UYTPCA during the term of this program may occur as provided in the hunting and trapping regulations set out elsewhere in this title;  
			(B) notwithstanding any other provisions in this title, the commissioner may:  
				(i) allow department employees to conduct aerial, land and shoot, or ground-based lethal removal of wolves, using state-owned, privately-owned, or chartered equipment, including helicopters, under AS 16.05.783;  
				(ii) issue public aerial shooting permits or public land and shoot permits using fixed-wing aircraft as a method of wolf removal under AS 16.05.783;  
		(5) time frame is as follows:  
			(A) through June 30, 2020, the commissioner may authorize removal of wolves in the UYTPCA;  
			(B) annually, the department shall, to the extent practicable, provide to the board a report of program activities conducted during the preceding 12 months, including implementation activities, the status of the FCH and wolf populations, and recommendations for changes, if necessary to achieve objectives of the plan;  
		(6) the commissioner will review, modify, or suspend wolf control activities when wolf surveys or accumulated information from department personnel, hunters, trappers, and permittees indicate the need to avoid reducing wolf numbers in the UYTPCA below the control objective of 88 - 103 wolves specified in this subsection.  

Authorities

16.05.255;16.05.270;16.05.783;44.62;44.62.125

Notes

Reference

5 AAC 92.080

Authority

AS 16.05.255 AS 16.05.270 AS 16.05.783 Editor's note: As of Register 203 (October 2012), and acting under AS 44.62. 125(b)(6), the regulations attorney made technical revisions to 5 AAC 92, replacing former 5 AAC 92.125 with smaller sections to facilitate printing of the regulations in the Alaska Administrative Code. As part of those revisions, material formerly set out in 5 AAC 92.125(b), (g), and (i) was relocated to 5 AAC 92.113 without substantive change. The history note and authority citation for 5 AAC 92.113 carry forward the history of, and authority for, former 5 AAC 92.125. As of Register 203 (October 2012), the regulations attorney made a technical revision under AS 44.62.125(b)(6), to 5 AAC 92.113(d), formerly 5 AAC 92.125(i), to delete obsolete text that referenced former 5 AAC 92.125(h), a provision that the Board of Game repealed in 2006. Emergency amendments to 5 AAC 92.113(b), formerly 5 AAC 92.125(b), took effect on March 21, 2008. In making the emergency regulations "permanent," the regulations attorney made technical changes, even though the section's history note did not reflect an amendment. As of Register 205 (April 2013), the regulations attorney made a technical revision under AS 44.62.125(b)(6), to 5 AAC 92.113(b)(6).

History

Eff. 10/1/93, Register 127; am 8/18/95, Register 135; am 7/1/96, Register 138; add'l am 7/1/96, Register 138; am 7/27/97, Register 143; am 2/22/2000, Register 153; am 7/1/2000, Register 154; am 7/19/2000, Register 155; am 1/3/2001, Register 156; am 7/1/2001, Register 158; am 8/22/2001, Register 159; am 7/26/2003, Register 167; am 7/1/2004, Register 170; am 1/1/2005, Register 172; am 7/1/2005, Register 174; am 1/26/2006, Register 177; am 6/24/2006, Register 178; am 9/1/2006, Register 179; am 7/1/2007, Register 182; am 3/21/2008, Register 186; am 5/20/2008, Register 186; am 5/21/2009, Register 190; am 7/1/2009, Register 190; am 5/16/2010, Register 194; am 7/1/2010, Register 194; add'l am 7/1/2010, Register 194; am 12/15/2010, Register 196; am 1/29/2011, Register 197; am 5/14/2011, Register 198; am 7/1/2011, Register 198; am 3/24/2012, Register 201; am 4/1/2012, Register 201; am 7/1/2012, Register 202; 7/1/2014, Register 210

References

5.92;5.92.125;5.92.113