Section 5 AAC 92.122 - Intensive Management Plan VI(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.Eff. 10/1/93, Register 127; am 8/18/95, Register 135; am 7/1/96, Register 138; add'l am 7/1/96, Register 138; am 7/27/97, Register 143; am 2/22/2000, Register 153; am 7/1/2000, Register 154; am 7/19/2000, Register 155; am 1/3/2001, Register 156; am 7/1/2001, Register 158; am 8/22/2001, Register 159; am 7/26/2003, Register 167; am 7/1/2004, Register 170; am 1/1/2005, Register 172; am 7/1/2005, Register 174; am 1/26/2006, Register 177; am 6/24/2006, Register 178; am 9/1/2006, Register 179; am 7/1/2007, Register 182; am 3/21/2008, Register 186; am 5/20/2008, Register 186; am 5/21/2009, Register 190; am 7/1/2009, Register 190; am 5/16/2010, Register 194; am 7/1/2010, Register 194; add'l am 7/1/2010, Register 194; am 12/15/2010, Register 196; am 1/29/2011, Register 197; am 5/14/2011, Register 198; am 7/1/2011, Register 198; am 3/24/2012, Register 201; am 4/1/2012, Register 201; am 7/1/2012, Register 202; am 7/1/2013, Register 206; am 7/1/2015, Register 214, July 2015; am 7/1/2018, Register 226, July 2018; am 6/23/2022, Register 242, July 2022Authority:AS 16.05.255
AS 16.05.270
AS 16.05.783