Section 5.92.122. Intensive Management Plan VI.

	(a)  Plan established. The intensive management plan for the Unit 16 Predation Control Area is established in this section.  
	(b)  Unit 16 Predation Control Area: the Unit 16 Predation Control Area is established, which is focused primarily on mainland Unit 16(B), and consists of all lands within the mainland portion of Unit 16(B) and that portion of Unit 16(A) west of a line beginning at the confluence of the Yentna and Susitna Rivers, then northerly along the western bank of the Susitna River to the confluence with the Deshka River, then northerly to 61_ 48.80' N. lat., 150_ 21.77' W. long., then west to 62_ 01.47' N. lat., 150_ 24.06' W. long., then north to the northern end of Trapper Lake at 62_ 01.47' N. lat., 150_ 16.67' W. long., then west to 62_ 01.47' N. lat., 150_ 24.06' W. long., then north to 62_ 09.65' N. lat., 150_ 24.06' W. long., then west to the southwestern end of Amber Lake at 62_ 09.65' N. lat., 150_ 33.42' W. long., then north to 62_ 18.03' N. lat., 150_ 33.42' W. long., then west to 62_ 18.03' N. lat., 150_ 51.04' W. long., then north to 62_ 27.97' N. lat., 150_ 51.04' W. long., then west to the Denali National Park boundary at 62_ 27.97' N. lat., 151_ 09.22' W. long., encompassing approximately 11,105 square miles; notwithstanding any other provision in this title, and based on the following information contained in this section, the commissioner or the commissioner's designee may conduct a wolf and black bear and brown bear population reduction or wolf and black bear and brown bear population regulation program in the Unit 16 Predation Control Area.  
		(1) This is a continuing control program that was first authorized by the board in 2004 for wolf control and was modified by the board to authorize black bear control in 2007 and brown bear control in 2011; it is currently designed to increase moose numbers and harvest by reducing predation on moose and is expected to make a contribution to achieving the intensive management (IM) objectives in Unit 16.  
		(2) Moose, wolf, black bear and brown bear objectives are as follows:  
			(A) Moose IM objectives established by the board for Unit 16(B) are 6,500 - 7 ,500 moose with a sustainable annual harvest of 310 - 600 moose. This population is composed of subpopulations that reside within in the unit; however, a subpopulation from the flanks of Mount Yenlo and in the upper Lake Creek drainage mixes in winter with moose from Unit 16(A) in the Kahiltna River drainage, and a subpopulation from the flanks of Mount Susitna and the drainages of Alexander Creek and lower Yentna River winters with moose from Units 14(A), 14(B), and 16(A) in the lower Yentna and Susitna Rivers;  
			(B) the wolf control objective is to reduce the population to 35 - 55 wolves in the mainland portion of Unit 16(B);  
			(C) the black bear control objective is to reduce the population to 700 black bears in the mainland portion of Unit 16(B);  
			(D) the brown bear control objective is to reduce the population to a minimum of 375 brown bears in the mainland portion of Unit 16(B);  
		(3) Board findings concerning populations and human use are as follows:  
			(A) the population objectives for moose in mainland Unit 16(B) are not being met, largely due to high predator numbers and the inability of the moose population to recover given the high predation rates;  
			(B) predation by wolves and bears is an important cause of the failure to achieve moose population and harvest objectives;  
			(C) a reduction in wolf and bear predation in the mainland portion of Unit 16(B) and portions of Unit 16(A) can reasonably be expected to make progress towards achieving the Unit 16(B) intensive management objectives for moose;  
			(D) reducing predation is likely to be effective and feasible using recognized and prudent active management techniques and based on scientific information;  
			(E) reducing predation 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 Unit 16 Predation Control Area during the term of the program will occur as provided in the hunting and trapping regulations set out elsewhere in this title, including use of motorized vehicles;  
			(B) notwithstanding any other provisions in this title, the commissioner may issue public aerial shooting permits or public land and shoot permits as a method of wolf removal under AS 16.05.783;  
			(C) hunting of black and brown bears by the public in the Unit 16 Predation Control Area during the term of the program will occur as provided in the hunting regulations set out elsewhere in this title;  
			(D) the commissioner may issue public bear control permits to reduce the black bear and brown bear populations within the Unit 16 Predation Control Area by the following methods and means:  
				(i) legal animal is any black bear, including sows and cubs, and any brown bear, except sows with cubs of the year and cubs of the year;  
				(ii) no bag limit;  
				(iii) same-day-airborne taking of black bears if the permittee is at least 300 feet from the airplane;:  
				(iv) same-day-airborne taking of bears if the permittee is at least 300 feet from the aircraft, including the use of any type of aircraft, such as fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter, to access bear baiting stations from April 15 through October 15, except that helicopters may not be used from August 5 through September 25;  
				(v) April 15 through October 15 baiting season for bears; up to four bear bait stations per permittee;  
				(vi) same-day-airborne taking of bears if the permittee is at least 300 feet from the aircraft, including the use of any type of aircraft, such as fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter, from April 15 through October 15, except that a helicopter may not be used from August 5 through September 25; a helicopter may be used only to transport resident permittees, gear, and harvested bears and parts of bears directly to and from a foot-snaring camp; up to 10 helicopter permits may be issued to helicopter pilots; helicopter permits may be issued at the discretion of the department and a permittee must attend a department-approved orientation course;  
				(vii) taking of bears by foot-snaring by permit only from April 15 through October 15; permittees must be accompanied by another person, age 16 or older, when conducting foot-snaring activities in the field; foot-snaring permits will be issued at the discretion of the department based on previous trapping experience, ability to help train other participants, and length of time available for participation in a snaring program; a selected foot-snaring permittee must successfully complete a department-approved training program, must be a resident 16 years of age or older, and report all animals taken by the permittee to the department within 48 hours of taking;  
				(viii) foot snares may only be placed on the ground directly under the bucket snare, or in buckets, and must be checked by the permittee at least once each day;   
				(ix) all brown bears that are cubs of the year or a sow accompanied by cubs of the year incidentally snared must be immediately reported to the department; if practicable, an incidentally snared brown bear will be released by department staff; hides and skulls of incidentally snared brown bears are the property of the state and must be salvaged and delivered to the department;  
		(5) Time frame is as follows:  
			(A) through July 1, 2021, the commissioner may authorize the removal of wolves, black bears, and brown bears in the Unit 16 Predation Control Area;  
			(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 moose, wolf, and bear populations, and recommendations for changes, if necessary, to achieve the objectives of the plan;  
		(6) The commissioner will review, modify, or suspend program activities as follows:  
			(A) when the mid-point of intensive management objectives for the moose population are achieved;  
			(B) when wolf population surveys or accumulated information from permittees indicate the need to avoid reducing wolf numbers below the midpoint of the intensive management objective of 35 - 55 wolves specified in this subsection;  
			(C) when black bear population inventories or accumulated information from permittees indicate the need to avoid reducing black bear numbers below the management objective of 700 black bears specified in this subsection;  
			(D) when brown bear population inventories or accumulated information from permittees indicate the need to avoid reducing brown bear numbers below the management objective of 375 brown bears specified in this subsection;  
			(E) if after 3 years if the harvest of predators is not sufficient to make progress towards the intensive management population objectives for wolves, black bears, or brown bears; the program may be temporarily suspended for one or more of the predator species;  
			(F) predator control activities may be terminated:  
				(i) if the moose population can be maintained at the midpoint of the IM population objectives, and moose harvest objectives have been met;  
				(ii) if after 3 years, there is no detectable increase in the total number of moose in the assessment area.  

Authorities

16.05.255;16.05.270;16.05.783;44.62

Notes

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(d) was relocated to 5 AAC 92.122 without substantive change. The history note and authority citation for 5 AAC 92.122 carry forward the history of, and authority for, former 5 AAC 92.125. Emergency amendments to 5 AAC 92. 122(b), formerly 5 AAC 92.125(d), 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.

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; am 7/1/2013, Register 206; 7/1/2015, Register 214

References

5.92;5.92.125;5.92.122