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North Katlian River
zone on Baranof Island in Unit 4 is closed to the harvest of mountain goats The
Sitka District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is taking action to close
the North Katlian River zone to the harvest of mountain goats. The closure will go into effect at 11:59 p.m., Wednesday October 7, 2015 and will remain in effect through the remainder of the 2015 season which ends December
31. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has issued a closure in the same zone at the same time, also effective to the close of the season on December 31, 2015. Continued mountain goat harvest in this area 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, 2015 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 to goat hunting unless closed by 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- |
