(a)
Plan
established. The intensive management plan for the Unit 16 Predation
Control Area is established in this section.
(b)
Unit 16 Predation Control
Area: the Unit 16 Predation Control Area is established, which is
focused primarily on mainland Unit 16(B), and consists of all lands within the
mainland portion of Unit 16(B) and that portion of Unit 16(A) west of a line
beginning at the confluence of the Yentna and Susitna Rivers, then northerly
along the western bank of the Susitna River to the confluence with the Deshka
River, then northerly to 61 ° 48.80' N. lat., 150° 2 1.77' W. long.,
then west to 62° 0 1.47' N. lat., 150° 24.06' W. long., then north to
the northern end of Trapper Lake at 62° 0 1.47' N. lat., 150° 16.67' W.
long., then west to 62° 01.47' N. lat., 150° 24.06' W. long., then
north to 62° 09.65' N. lat., 150° 24.06' W. long., then west to the
southwestern end of Amber Lake at 62° 09.65' N. lat., 150° 33.42' W.
long., then north to 62° 18.03' N. lat., 150° 33.42' W. long., then
west to 62° 18.03' N. lat., 150° 51.04' W. long., then north to 62°
27.97' N. lat., 150° 51.04' W. long., then west to the Denali National Park
boundary at 62° 27.97' N. lat., 151° 09.22' W. long., encompassing
approximately 11 ,105 square miles; notwithstanding any other provision in this
title, and based on the following information contained in this section, the
commissioner or the commissioner's designee may conduct a wolf and black bear
and brown bear population reduction or wolf and black bear and brown bear
population regulation program in the Unit 16 Predation Control Area. the
control program for this area is as follows:
(1) this program is currently designed to
increase moose numbers and harvest by reducing predation on moose and is
expected to contribute to achieving the intensive management (IM) objectives in
Unit 16.
(2) moose, wolf, black
bear and brown bear objectives are as follows:
(A) moose IM objectives established in
5
AAC 92.108 by the board for Unit 16(B) are 6,500 - 7
,500 moose with a sustainable annual harvest of 310 - 600 moose; this
population is composed of subpopulations that reside within in the unit;
however, a subpopulation from the flanks of Mount Yenlo and in the upper Lake
Creek drainage mixes in winter with moose from Unit 16(a) in the Kahiltna River
drainage, and a subpopulation from the flanks of Mount Susitna and the
drainages of Alexander Creek and lower Yentna River winters with moose from
Units 14(A), 14(B), and 16(A) in the lower Yentna and Susitna rivers;
(B) the wolf control objective is
to reduce the population to 35 - 55 wolves in Unit 16(B);
(C) the black bear control objective is to
reduce the population to 700 black bears in Unit 16(B);
(D) the brown bear control objective is to
reduce the population to a minimum of 375 brown bears in Unit 16(B);
(3) board findings
concerning populations and humans use are as follows:
(B) predation by wolves and bears is an
important cause of the failure to achieve moose population and harvest
objectives;
(C) a reduction in
wolf and bear predation in the mainland portion of Unit 16(B) and portions of
Unit L6(A) can reasonably be expected to make progress towards achieving the
Unit 16(B) intensive management objectives for moose;
(D) reducing predation is likely to be
effective and feasible using recognized and prudent active management
techniques and based on scientific information;
(E) reducing predation is likely to be
effective given land ownership patterns;
(4) authorized methods and means are as
follows:
(A) hunting and trapping of wolves
by the public in the Unit 16 Predation Control Area during the term of the
program will occur as provided in the hunting and trapping regulations set out
elsewhere in this title, including use of motorized vehicles; as provided in
5
AAC 92.080;
(B) notwithstanding any other provisions in this title, the
commissioner may issue public aerial shooting permits or public land-and-shoot
permits as a method of wolf removal under
AS
16.05.783;
(C) hunting of black and brown bears by the
public in the Unit 16 Predation Control Area during the term of the program
will occur as provided in the hunting regulations set out elsewhere in this
title;
(D) the commissioner may
issue public bear control permits to reduce the black bear and brown bear
populations within the Unit 16 Predation Control Area by the following methods
and means:
(i) legal animal is any black
bear, including sows and cubs, and any brown bear, except sows with cubs of the
year and cubs of the year;
(iii) same-day-airborne
taking of black bears if the permittee is at least 300 feet from the
airplane;
(iv) same-day-airborne
taking of bears if the permittee is at least 300 feet from the aircraft,
including the use of any type of aircraft, such as fixed-wing aircraft or
helicopter, to access bear baiting stations from April 15 through October 15,
except that helicopters may not be used from August 5 through September
25;
(v) April 15 through October 15
baiting season for bears; up to four bear bait stations per permittee;
(vii) repealed 6/23/2022;
(viii) repealed 6/23/2022;
(5)
time frame is as follows:
(A) through July 1,
2031, the commissioner may authorize the removal of wolves, black bears, and
brown bears in the Unit 16 Predation Control Area;
(B) annually, the department shall, to the
extent practicable, provide to the board a report of program activities
conducted during the preceding 12 months, including implementation activities,
the status of moose, wolf, and bear populations, and recommendations for
changes, if necessary, to achieve the objectives of the plan;
(6) the commissioner
will review, modify, or suspend program activities as follows:
(A) when the mid-point of intensive
management objectives for the moose population are achieved;
(B) when wolf population surveys or
accumulated information from permittees indicate the need to avoid reducing
wolf numbers below the midpoint of the intensive management objective of 35 -
55 wolves specified in this subsection;
(C) when black bear population inventories or
accumulated information from permittees indicate the need to avoid reducing
black bear numbers below the management objective of 700 black bears specified
in this subsection;
(D) when brown
bear population inventories or accumulated information from permittees indicate
the need to avoid reducing brown bear numbers below the management objective of
375 brown bears specified in this subsection;
(E) if after three years if the harvest of
predators is not sufficient to make progress towards the intensive management
population objectives for wolves, black bears, or brown bears; the program may
be temporarily suspended for one or more of the predator species;
(F) predator control activities may be
terminated:
(i) if the moose population can
be maintained at the midpoint of the IM population objectives, and moose
harvest objectives have been met;
(ii) if after three years, there is no
detectable increase in the total number of moose in the assessment
area.
