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NAKWASINA RIVER WATERSHED ON BARANOF ISLAND IN UNIT 4 CLOSED TO THE HARVEST OF MOUNTAIN GOAT
The Sitka District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is taking action to close the Federal goat hunting season within the Nakwasina River watershed on Baranof Island in Game Management Unit 4 effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday August 28, 2013 through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, October 26, 2013. A public meeting will be held in Sitka in September, date and location to be determined, to discuss the possibility of extending the closure through the end of the season. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has also issued a State season closure in the same watershed, effective at 11:59 p.m. August 23, 2013 through December 31, 2013.
The harvest quota for the Nakwasina River watershed as discussed in the 2013 Baranof Mountain Goat Management Plan has been met. As of Thursday August 22, 2013, five male goats had been reported harvested. Additional harvest in this area would be detrimental to the long term conservation of the mountain goat population.
The 2013 management plan is similar to 2012 with distinct male and female goat harvest caps on Baranof Island. Nanny harvest will be more restrictive than billy harvest when applied to the harvest caps. As harvest caps in each of the sub-management areas are reached, those areas will be closed to mountain goat harvest.
The remainder of Baranof Island will remain open for goat hunting with the exception of the closure of the Blue Lake, Medvejie Lake, Nakwasina River and the South Fork Katlian River watersheds.
A map and description of the closed areas are available from the Sitka Ranger District Office and the Sitka ADF&G area office. Information on Federal subsistence management special actions for the Tongass National Forest may be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/news/tongass/news-events. For additional information, contact the Sitka Ranger District. Justin Koller (Subsistence Biologist) may be reached by phone at 907-747-4297 or e-mail at jpkoller@xxxxxxxxx. Perry Edwards (Staff Leader) may be reached by phone at 907-747-4220 or e-mail at pedwards@xxxxxxxxx.
Information on the Federal Subsistence Management Program can be found at http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/home.html.
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