# 2026-12576: Alaska Subsistence Bird Hunt Rules Get Seasonal Tweaks

2026-12576, Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest in Alaska, is a Federal Register rule from Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service published 2026-06-23, effective 2026-06-23 (as of 2026-06-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12576
- As of: 2026-06-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-12576
- Title: Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest in Alaska
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service
- Citation: 91 FR 37336
- Published: 2026-06-23
- Effective: 2026-06-23
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: 1018-BI70
- Last updated: 2026-06-30

## In one line

Alaska Subsistence Bird Hunt Rules Get Seasonal Tweaks

## 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.

## Abstract

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are revising the migratory bird subsistence harvest regulations in Alaska. Subsistence harvest regulations allow for the continuation of customary and traditional subsistence uses of migratory birds in Alaska and establish when and where the harvesting of certain migratory birds may occur within each subsistence region. Subsistence harvest regulations, including the changes set forth in this document, were developed through a cooperative process involving the Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Alaska Native representatives.

## Effects PRIA read

- Upper Copper River Renamed Ahtna Territory: benefit, low. 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, Men…
- GMU 12 Added to All Communities' Harvest Area: benefit, medium. 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…
- Spring-Summer Season Dates Standardized: benefit, medium. 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 tha…
- Rule Effective Immediately June 23, 2026: benefit, low. 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: cost, low. 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 regio…

## Related documents

- [2026-14629](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14629): Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Designating Critical Habitat, 2026-07-21
- [2026-14633](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14633): Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations Pertaining to Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, 2026-07-21
- [2026-14299](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14299): Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Contiguous U.S. Distinct Population Segment…, 2026-07-16
- [2026-14195](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14195): Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act, 2026-07-14
- [2026-12955](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12955): Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting, 2026-06-26
- [2026-12951](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12951): Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting, 2026-06-26

## Sources
- [2026-12576 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/23/2026-12576/migratory-bird-subsistence-harvest-in-alaska)
- [2026-12576 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-23/pdf/2026-12576.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-12566, Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12566)
- [Next: 2026-12578, Definition of Shellfish; Inclusion of Cephalopods](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12578)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12576 (as of 2026-06-30).