A rural and Tribal voice in subsistence regulations

In May 2025, the Safari Club International, a global recreational hunting, and fishing lobbying group, filed a petition to the Department of Interior to change the regulations around subsistence management on federal lands, and to change how the Federal Subsistence Board is structured.

The Safari Club petition asked the Secretary of Interior, Doug Burgum, to put the State of Alaska in charge of subsistence regulations, which would do away with our rural subsistence priority!

Safari Club has also asked for all public seats on the board to be removed, leaving only the federal agency heads. If the changes are made, rural Alaskans would have no representation on the Board.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

It is important that the Secretaries hear directly from you about how these federal rules impact your freezer, your table, and your community. You can submit a comment!

DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS:
Comments are due by March 30, 2026 at 7:59 pm Alaska time

To help put together your thoughts, check out our sample comment letters:

• For individuals: view our sample comment letter 
• For Tribes and Alaska Native Corporation leaders: view sample comment letter

Comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/DOI-2025-0170-0001

Or you can email your comments to: subsistence@ios.doi.gov

Tribal Leaders and Alaska Corporation Leaders can request formal Tribal Consultation on this issue with the Department of Interior. To do so, contact: Kara Moriarty, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior for Alaska Affairs, by email at kara_moriarty@ios.doi.gov or by phone at 907-786-3888 (toll free 800-478-1456).

View our sample letter for Tribes or Alaska Native Village Corporations to Request for Formal Tribal Consultation.

Read Kawerak’s comment letter.

To view the federal register follow this link: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-12-15/pdf/2025-22837.pdf

For more information, reach out to:

Brandon Ahmasuk, Vice President of Natural Resources at Kawerak, Inc. at 907-443-5231, or by email at: bahmasuk@kawerak.org

Charles Menadelook, Subsistence Program Director at Kawerak, at 907-443-4265, or by email: at cbmenadelook@kawerak.org

Kara Moriarty, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior for Alaska Affairs, by email at kara_moriarty@ios.doi.gov  or by phone at 907-786-3888 (toll free 800-478-1456).

The Board of Game is currently accepting proposed changes to hunting and trapping regulations for the Western Arctic / Western Region which covers Game Management Units 18, 22, 23, and 26A; and Interior and Eastern Arctic Region Regulations which covers Game Management Units 12, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26B, and 26C. Proposed changes to 5 AAC Chapter 92, Statewide Provisions, specific to Game Management Units (GMUs) within the Western Arctic / Western and Interior and Eastern Arctic Regions will also be accepted, excluding changes to Game Management Unit Boundaries.

Submission Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 1, 2026

If you would like to submit a proposal to change to current hunting rules and regulations, Kawerak Subsistence Director Chuck Menadelook is available to help you draft and submit it. Contact 907-891-2819 cmenadelookl@kawerak.org.

Please review the Call for Proposals (PDF 136 kB) and the proposal submission form(Word doc 33 kB) for more detailed information.

Submit proposals online here.

Support Walrus Ivory Artist Rights

Kawerak has been working to increase awareness among lawmakers regarding the challenge to Walrus Ivory sales and support under attack due to sweeping ivory bans in the United States. Hunting for walrus for food security, utilizing the animal for cultural purposes and selling the crafted ivory byproduct is a legal right under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

For more details, resources and background on the issue visit kawerak.org/ivory and walrusivory.org.