Rachel Ruston-Northern Center
The U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture are conducting a limited review of the Federal Subsistence Management Program (FSMP) under Title VIII of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). This review follows a petition submitted by Safari Club International, a national recreational hunting and fishing lobbying organization.
The petition proposes several changes that could significantly weaken federal subsistence protections in Alaska, including:
- Eliminating public seats on the Federal Subsistence Board, removing Indigenous and rural representation
- Limiting Board membership to federal agency officials, removing requirements for subsistence knowledge
- Changing the rural determination process, potentially affecting rural eligibility for some communities
- Requiring the Federal Subsistence Board to defer to the State of Alaska on subsistence regulations
Because the State of Alaska cannot legally implement a rural subsistence priority, these changes could effectively undermine the federal protections that currently exist under ANILCA.
Subsistence is a cornerstone of food security, culture, and community wellbeing across rural Alaska. Public participation in this process is critical to ensuring that federal subsistence management continues to reflect the needs and knowledge of the people who rely on these resources.
Submit Comments by March 30
NAEC encourages members and supporters to submit comments urging federal agencies to:
- Uphold the rural subsistence priority under ANILCA Title VIII
- Maintain public seats on the Federal Subsistence Board
- Protect a flexible rural designation process that reflects Alaska’s communities
Email: subsistence@ios.doi.gov
Online: regulations.gov (Docket: DOI-2025-0170)
Your voice matters in protecting subsistence rights and ensuring that federal management decisions reflect the realities of Alaska’s rural communities.
Not Sure What to Write?
If you’re unsure what to include in your comment, even a short statement can help. You can share why subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering are important to you, your family, or your community, and why it is important to maintain rural and subsistence representation in federal decision-making.
If helpful, you are welcome to copy and paste the information below into your comment and add your own perspective or experiences. Personal comments help demonstrate how these decisions affect real people and communities across Alaska.
You can use the following language as a starting point for your comment:
I support protecting subsistence rights under Title VIII of ANILCA and believe that rural and subsistence users should continue to have a voice in federal subsistence management decisions. Subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering are important to me because ____________________. These practices support food security, cultural traditions, and community wellbeing in Alaska. Federal subsistence management should continue to prioritize rural subsistence uses and ensure that the people who rely on these resources have meaningful representation in decision-making.