[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1605-1606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00339]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R7-SM-2022-N037; FF07J00000 FXRS12610700000 234]


Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council Meetings for 2023

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) announces the public 
meetings of the 10 Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils 
(Councils) for the winter and fall cycles of 2023. The Councils each 
meet approximately twice a year to provide advice and recommendations 
to the Board about subsistence hunting and fishing issues on Federal 
public lands in Alaska.

DATES: 
     Winter 2023 Meetings: The Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory 
Councils will meet between February 22, 2023, and April 6, 2023, as 
shown in table 1. A teleconference will substitute for an in-person 
meeting if public health or safety restrictions are in effect. For more 
information about accessing the meetings, including start times and 
whether the meetings will be in person or via teleconference, visit the 
Federal Subsistence Management Program website, at https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/regions.

    Table 1--Winter 2023 Meetings of the Alaska Subsistence Regional
                            Advisory Councils
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Regional Advisory Council          Dates       Location (if in person)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southeast Alaska--Region 1...  February 28-      Juneau.
                                March 2.
Southcentral Alaska--Region 2  March 15-16.....  Anchorage.
Kodiak/Aleutians--Region 3...  March 29-30.....  Kodiak.
Bristol Bay--Region 4........  March 8-9.......  Naknek.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta--Region  April 4-6.......  St. Mary's.
 5.
Western Interior--Region 6...  April 4-5.......  Aniak.
Seward Peninsula--Region 7...  March 22-23.....  Nome.
Northwest Arctic--Region 8...  March 6-7.......  Kotzebue.
Eastern Interior--Region 9...  March 1-2.......  Arctic Village.
North Slope--Region 10.......  February 22-23..  Kaktovik.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Fall 2023 Meetings: The Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory 
Councils will meet between September 19, 2023, and November 2, 2023, as 
shown in table 2. A teleconference will substitute for an in-person 
meeting if public health or safety restrictions are in effect. For more 
information about accessing the meetings, including start times and 
whether meetings will be in person or via teleconference, visit https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/regions.

 Table 2--Fall 2023 Meetings of the Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory
                                Councils
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Regional Advisory Council          Dates       Location (if in person)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southeast Alaska--Region 1...  October 24-26...  Sitka.
Southcentral Alaska--Region 2  October 2-3.....  Kenai.
Kodiak/Aleutians--Region 3...  September 19-20.  King Cove.
Bristol Bay--Region 4........  October 24-25...  Dillingham.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta--Region  October 10-12...  Anchorage.
 5.
Western Interior--Region 6...  October 11-12...  Fairbanks.
Seward Peninsula--Region 7...  November 1-2....  Nome.
Northwest Arctic--Region 8...  October 16-17...  Kotzebue.
Eastern Interior--Region 9...  October 4-5.....  Tok.
North Slope--Region 10.......  November 1-2....  Utqiagvik.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    All meetings are open to the public. For more information, see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, below.

ADDRESSES: Specific information about meeting locations and the final 
agendas can be found at https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/regions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chair, Federal Subsistence Board, c/o 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Attention: Sue Detwiler, Assistant 
Regional Director, Office of Subsistence Management; (907) 786-3888 
(phone) or [email protected] (email). For questions specific to 
National Forest System lands, contact Gregory Risdahl, Subsistence 
Program Leader, (907) 302-7354 (phone) or [email protected] 
(email). Individuals in the United States who are deaf, blind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States.
    Reasonable Accommodations: The Federal Subsistence Board is 
committed to providing access to these meetings for all participants. 
Please make requests in advance for sign language interpreter services, 
assistive listening devices, or other reasonable accommodations. Please 
make requests to Katerina Wessels, (907) 786-3885 (phone), 
[email protected] (email), at least 7 business days prior to the 
meeting you would like to attend to give the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service sufficient time to process your request. All reasonable 
accommodation requests are managed on a case-by-case basis.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) 
announces the 2023 public meeting schedule for the 10 Alaska 
Subsistence

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Regional Advisory Councils (Councils), in accordance with the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2). Established in 1993, the 
Councils are statutory Federal advisory committees that provide a 
public forum for their regions and recommendations to the Federal 
Subsistence Board about subsistence hunting, trapping, and fishing 
issues on Federal public lands in Alaska, as authorized by section 805 
of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA; 16 
U.S.C. 3111-3126).
    The Councils are a crucial link between federally qualified 
subsistence users and the Board. The Board is a multi-agency body with 
representation from a chair and two public members who are appointed by 
the Secretary of the Interior with the concurrence of the Secretary of 
Agriculture. The Board includes representatives of the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, and U.S. Forest Service.
    Each Council meets approximately two times per calendar year, once 
in the winter and once in the fall, to attend to business and develop 
proposals and recommendations to the Board.

Meeting Agendas

Winter Meetings

     General Council business: Review and adoption of agenda; 
election of officers; review and approval of previous meeting minutes; 
Council Chair and members reports; public and Tribal comments on non-
agenda items.
     Develop proposals and accept public comments on potential 
changes to regulations for subsistence take of wildlife.
     Review and approve Annual Report.
     Review and propose changes to the Council charter.
     Agency, Tribal governments, State of Alaska, and non-
governmental organizations reports.
     Future meeting dates.

Fall Meetings

     General Council business: Review and adoption of agenda; 
review and approval of previous meeting minutes; Council Chair and 
members reports; public and Tribal comments on non-agenda items.
     Prepare recommendations and accept public comments on 
proposals to change subsistence take of wildlife regulations and review 
and prepare recommendations on wildlife closures.
     Define issues for upcoming Annual Report.
     Develop priority information needs for the Fisheries 
Resource Monitoring Program.
     Agency, Tribal governments, State of Alaska, and non-
governmental organizations Tribal governments, and Native organizations 
reports.
     Future meeting dates.
    A notice will be published with specific dates, times, and meeting 
locations in local and statewide newspapers prior to both series of 
meetings; in addition, announcements will be made on local radio 
stations and posted on social media and the Federal Subsistence 
Management Program website (https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/regions). 
Locations and dates may change based on weather or local circumstances. 
A teleconference will substitute for an in-person meeting if public 
health or safety restrictions are in effect. The final draft agendas, 
call-in numbers, instructions on how to participate and provide public 
comments, and other related meeting information will be posted on the 
Federal Subsistence Management Program website and on social media at 
https://www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska/. Transcripts of the 
meetings are maintained by the program and will be available for public 
inspection within 14 days after each meeting at https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/regions.

Public Submission of Comments

    Time will be allowed for any individual or organization wishing to 
present oral or written comments. If you are not available to submit 
your comments, you may have another party present your comments on your 
behalf. Any written comments received will be presented to the Council 
members by staff.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifiable information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifiable 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifiable 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

(Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2.)

Sue Detwiler,
Assistant Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Bridget Darr,
Director of Natural Resources, USDA-Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-00339 Filed 1-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P; 4333-15-P