Federal Board Bans Urban Moose Hunting, Favors Rural

It's April 29th.

You're listening to Anchorage News today, AI-powered local news.

At the Federal Substance Board Meeting in Anchorage, they passed the proposal to shut down

Moose Hunting on federal lands in parts of game management, unit 13 for non-rural and

non-federally qualified hunters.

The push came from rural folks in the Aotna region, facing a big drop in the Nelchina

Caribou herd, making Moose their main food source, but urban.

Hunters were crowding the state season.

Earlier in the meeting, the board unanimously approved a different idea, extending the

Federal Moose season by 10 days for rural residents, giving.

Them even more exclusive time without urban competition.

Groups like resident hunters of Alaska testified against the closure, arguing it wouldn't

boost rural success rates since federal lands make up just.

A small slice of the area in rural seasons are already way longer.

This decision has spokespired up, splitting Alaskans along rural urban lines and stirring

frustration with the federal system.

Past closures didn't help much, and critics say it ignores better options while pitting

communities against each other under the Alaska National.

Interest Lands Conservation Act rules, during deliberations, board members heard that the

affected federal lands are only 6% of the total, making enforcement tough, and the office,

of subsistence management opposed it for not fitting the law.

Federal agency directors mostly voted no, but public members and the Bureau of Indian Affairs

director tipped it to pass.

Rural Hunters now get all of August and September on federal lands in Unit 13 East, and the

remainder plus the 20-day state season, so hopefully that covers their needs.

Time to rethink the board's setup for fairer calls that keep everyone hunting without

the drama.