Subsistence Council to Address Hunting Regulations in Southeast Alaska
Juneau, Alaska – The Southeast Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council will convene a four-day meeting from Tuesday, March 11, 2026, through Friday, March 13, 2026, to deliberate on critical hunting and fishing regulations governing federal lands in Southeast Alaska. The council, one of ten in Alaska, provides recommendations to the Federal Subsistence Board, the primary decision-making body for the Federal Subsistence Management Program .
Deer Harvest Limits and Ketchikan’s Rural Status
Central to the discussions are six federal regulatory proposals focused on curtailing deer harvest opportunities in Prince of Wales Island’s Unit 2. These proposals stem from the Federal Subsistence Board’s 2025 decision to designate the entire Ketchikan area as “rural” under the Federal Subsistence Management Program . This ruling extended hunting privileges typically reserved for long-term rural Alaskans to Ketchikan residents on federal lands throughout Southeast Alaska, including the prime deer hunting grounds of Prince of Wales Island.
Residents of Prince of Wales Island have voiced concerns that the expanded access has increased hunting pressure in Unit 2. In response, the Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) has proposed measures to mitigate the impact, including a shorter hunting season for non-rural users, a reduction in the allowable buck harvest from two to one, and a prioritization analysis to restrict harvests by rural users not residing on Prince of Wales Island . Five additional proposals from the East Prince of Wales Fish and Game Advisory Committee, the Klawock Fish and Game Advisory Committee, and the Southeast Regional Advisory Council seek further limitations on deer harvests in the area .
Wolf Trapping and Hunting Hours
Beyond deer regulations, the Council will also consider two proposals concerning wolf trapping season dates in Unit 2. The size of the wolf population in the Prince of Wales Island area is considered an essential factor in the health of the deer population . A wildlife proposal will be reviewed that would prohibit hunting on federal lands throughout Southeast Alaska (Units 1-5) during the hours between civil sunset and civil sunrise. The Alaska Board of Game previously voted against a similar state-level proposal in January .
Program Review and Tongass National Forest
The meeting will also address broader issues impacting subsistence management. During a December meeting, the Council discussed a review of the Federal Subsistence Management Program initiated by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior in response to a 2025 executive order and a petition from Safari Club International . Council members expressed concerns that the review could lead to changes undermining subsistence harvest rights and drafted an eight-page letter detailing these concerns.
Discussions will also include the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Rule and potential changes to the Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, aimed at maximizing timber harvest and mineral extraction . Public comment periods are open for both issues, with the Forest Service hosting a community workshop on April 1, 2026, at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in Juneau, and additional workshops planned for other Southeast communities .
Meeting Participation
The Southeast Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council meeting will be held at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall in Juneau, beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and continuing through Friday, March 13, 2026. Remote participation is available by phone at 1-833-436-1163, using conference ID 245 785 455#, or via Microsoft Teams using meeting ID 220 150 997 463 and passcode P5a8WU2L .
The Council comprises members representing both customary and traditional (subsistence) users and commercial/sport users of fish and wildlife species, including Patricia Phillips, James Slater, Albert Howard, Frank Wright Jr., Larry Bemis, Calvin Casipit, John Smith III, Theodore Sandhofer, Louie Wagner, Michael Douville, Lewis Hiatt, and Donald Hernandez (Chair) .