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Under the authority of: 36 CFR Part 242.10 and .19 50 CFR Part 100.10 and .19 Blue Lake, Medvejie Lake, and South Katlian River watersheds on Baranof Island in Unit 4 are closed to mountain goat harvest The
Sitka District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is taking action to close
Blue Lake, Medvejie Lake and the southern half of the Katlian River watersheds to the harvest of mountain goats. The closure will be effective at 12:01 a.m., Saturday August 1, 2015 and will remain in effect through the remainder of the 2015 season which
ends December 31, 2015. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has issued a closure in the same watersheds, effective August 1, 2015 to the close of the season on December 31, 2015. Continued mountain goat harvest in these areas would be detrimental
to the long term conservation of the mountain goat population.
A public hearing to discuss the 2015 Baranof Island Mountain Goat Management Plan was held on July 28 in Sitka, Alaska. The ability to teleconference was provided so residents of other affected communities could participate. Members of
the public who attended were not opposed to conserving mountain goats on Baranof Island through closures guided by the management plan. The 2015 management plan is similar to the 2014 plan with distinct male and female guideline harvest levels by zones on
Baranof Island. As in prior seasons, nanny harvest will be more restrictive than billy harvest when applied to the point total. If and when point totals are met, special actions will be issued to close additional watersheds or zones to prevent over harvest
of mountain goats. The remainder of Baranof Island will remain open for goat hunting unless closed by future special action.
A map and description of the
closed areas are available from the Sitka Ranger District Office and the Sitka Area Office of ADF&G.
Information on Federal subsistence management special actions for the Tongass National Forest can be found at
http://www.fs.usda.gov/news/tongass/news-events.
For additional information, call Subsistence Biologist Justin Koller at 907-747-4297 or e-mail him at
jpkoller@xxxxxxxxx.
Information on the Federal Subsistence Management Program can be found at
http://www.doi.gov/subsistence -end- |
