Alaska Subsistence Bird Hunt Rules Get Seasonal Tweaks
Published Date: 6/23/2026
Rule
Summary
Starting June 23, 2026, new rules update how Alaska Native communities can hunt migratory birds for food and tradition. These changes clarify when and where they can harvest certain birds, helping protect bird populations while supporting cultural practices. If you live in Alaska and rely on these birds, these updated rules affect your subsistence harvest seasons and locations.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
GMU 12 Added to All Communities' Harvest Area
The harvest area for the eight eligible communities is explicitly listed as Game Management Units (GMUs) 11, 12, and 13 in Sec. 92.31(i) effective June 23, 2026. This change clarifies that Cantwell and the other seven communities are eligible to harvest migratory birds in GMU 12 as well as GMUs 11 and 13.
Spring-Summer Season Dates Standardized
For the Ahtna Territory region (GMUs 11, 12, and 13) the subsistence season is set to April 2–June 14 and July 16–August 31; egg gathering is May 1–June 14 only; the closure period is June 15–July 15. These season dates take effect June 23, 2026 and apply to spring-summer subsistence harvest in that region.
Upper Copper River Renamed Ahtna Territory
If you live in one of the eight eligible communities, the regulation name changes from “Upper Copper River Region” to “Ahtna Territory Region” in 50 CFR sections 92.5, 92.11, and 92.31 effective June 23, 2026. The eligible communities listed are Gulkana, Chitina, Tazlina, Copper Center, Gakona, Mentasta Lake, Chistochina, and Cantwell, and the name change is intended to clarify which communities are included.
Rule Effective Immediately June 23, 2026
The final rule is effective immediately upon publication on June 23, 2026, so the name, harvest-area, and season-date changes apply for the 2026 spring-summer subsistence season. The Department cites the public interest and an APA exemption for rural Alaskans to make the rule effective immediately.
Emergency Closures May Be Implemented
The Service may implement emergency closures under Secs. 92.21 and 92.32 to protect threatened or endangered species or migratory bird populations if necessary; the final rule reiterates that authority. Neither spectacled nor Alaska-breeding Steller's eiders are present in the Ahtna Territory region.
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