OpportunityTitle: Regulatory Development for Subsistence Management Activities in Alaska
Description: The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Headquarters Region 7 intends to award a single source Cooperative Agreement as authorized by 505 DM 2.14 (B) (3 &amp; 4), to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This notice is not a request for proposals and the Government does not intend to accept proposals. Award will be made 15 days after this notice. PURPOSE: The purpose of this agreement is to enable the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Office of Subsistence Management to better meet their responsibilities to maintain healthy wildlife resources and provide continued harvest opportunities to Alaska residents, as mandated by the Alaska statutes and ANILCA. Additionally, the purpose of this workgroup will be to arrive at a common understanding of the scientific and technical issues surrounding moose and caribou population dynamics in Unit 9, geographic distribution, habitat issues, and local and regional harvest and use patterns. In addition, the group will develop management approaches that may be utilized by both the State of Alaska Board of Game and the Federal Subsistence Board to address the overlapping jurisdictions, declining harvests by both State and Federal subsistence users, and related management issues. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this agreement are to facilitate the interagency gathering and exchange of technical information related to subsistence management activities in Unit 9, and in support of the development and consideration of regulatory proposals for management of wildlife populations. BACKGROUND Under Title VIII of ANILCA, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are mandated to provide rural residents of Alaska with a priority for use of subsistence resources on Federal public lands. As a result of a State Supreme Court ruling in McDowell v. State of Alaska, the State of Alaska cannot allow a rural subsistence preference under its constitution and, consequently, does not comply with Title VIII of ANILCA. Management responsibility for subsistence uses on all Federal public lands in Alaska has, therefore, been assumed by the Federal Government. The Department spends approximately $2.0 million per year to collect subsistence information throughout Alaska. Data provided by the Department is used extensively by Federal and State fish and wildlife managing agencies and regulatory/advisory bodies. As provided for by ANILCA, Section 809, the Service has provided partial funding to the Department to support the coordination efforts to the benefit of both the State&#146;s Fish and Game regulatory process and the Federal Subsistence Management Program. Federal funding will facilitate continued coordination between the State and Federal programs and provide technical support to the Federal Subsistence Management Program by the Department. This cooperative agreement will help satisfy required provisions of ANILCA for the protection of rural subsistence activities. The moose population in Unit 9 is considered a low density moose population. In some parts of the subunit, there are pockets of better habitat with slightly higher populations. In recent years, local residents have reported that moose are harder to find in traditional hunting areas. This concern led to requests to the Board of Game (BOG) and Federal Subsistence Board (FSB) to change moose management regulations, e.g., shorten federal season and exclude non local hunters from part or all of this unit. The BOG considered but did not adopt such proposals in March 2007, and the FSB deferred similar proposals (WP08-30 and WP08-31) at its May 2008 meeting. The Bristol Bay Regional Advisory Council (RAC) considered similar proposals (WP10-47 and WP10-52) in March 2010 that called for closure of all federal public lands within a two mile buffer on either side of waterways to hunting of moose by non-federally qualified users in Units 9C and 9E. The RAC tabled the proposals pending recommendations from a working group. In March 2007, the BOG considered Proposals 110 and 112 to reduce competition between local and non-local hunters and between local and non-resident hunters. The BOG voted against any changes to the regulations regarding moose in Unit 9B. In November 2007, the Bristol Bay RAC submitted 2 proposals to the FSB, which were analyzed and considered by the FSB in May 2008. In addition to the Office of Subsistence Management (OSM) staff analysis, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&amp;G) presented an overview of the population status and harvest information. OSM staff disagreed with the ADF&amp;G interpretation of the Department&#146;s data at the FSB meeting. A long discussion by the FSB resulted in FSB member Blaszak (NPS) motion to defer the proposals to a later meeting which would allow state and federal staff the opportunity to meet with stakeholders and potentially craft a workable solution. State and federal agency representatives met in October 2008 and agreed that a meeting with local stakeholders would be helpful. Discussion topics could include implications of available biological data, harvest ticket data, household survey data, and potential effects of cow moose harvest. In the meantime, the ADF&amp;G Division of Subsistence produced maps showing harvest locations relative to land ownership patterns. At its March 2010 meeting, the Bristol Bay RAC deferred proposals WP10-47 and WP10-52 and recommended the FSB wait to hear back from a working group before acting on these or related proposals. Ideally, the workgroup will complete its work prior to the next scheduled meeting of the Bristol Bay RAC in fall 2010. This will also be prior to the deadline for submission of proposals to the BOG for the next Region II meeting in March 2011. REASON FOR SINGLE SOURCE: (1) Legislative intent &#150; The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress&#146; intent to restrict award to a particular recipient or purpose. This agreement is entered into under the authority of the Fish &amp; Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 USC 661 to 666C; and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, 16 USC 410hh, 43 USC 1602-1784. (2) Unique Qualifications &#150; The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability, if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is the only entity that has the technical and scientific capability to conduct a workgroup that will develop a product that is of use to both the Federal Subsistence Board and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The department collects biological data in the region, collects harvest ticket and household survey data. The proposed contractor&#146;s qualifications are unique, in that they also have management responsibilities for the subject wildlife populations (when they occupy non-Federal lands). As partners in the existing dual management system we have in Alaska, they are therefore exclusively qualified and experienced to carry out these activities.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Work
GrantorContactText: Chuck Ardizzone &lt;br/&gt;Supervisory Wildlife Biologist &lt;br/&gt;Phone: 907-786-3871