FONSI for Hunting Guide Concessions in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska

The Superintendent for Bering Land Bridge National Preserve recommended and the Alaska Regional Director approved a decision to select Alternative C (Award up to Three Guided Hunting Contracts for Separate Guide Areas in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve). Guided hunting operations will not be permitted within a designated area of about 44 square miles around the Serpentine Hot Springs. This restricted area may be re-evaluated in the future. Guide areas in the preserve will be based on four State Guide Use Areas (GUAs) that occur in the preserve. Client limits for each contract will be apportioned according to GUAs and area big game resources available to each awardee. Guided sport hunting services are considered to be an appropriate and necessary means to provide hunting opportunities for both Alaska resident and nonresident hunters in Alaska national preserves. Alternative C enables the NPS to authorize gudied hunting services within the preserve to provide an opportunity for all interested U.S. citizens to hunt brown bear and foreign hunters to hunt any big game animal in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve pursuant to federal and State of Alaska laws and regualitons. This alternative also minimizes conflicts with local subsistence hunters better than alternative A (no-action) and alternative B (with overlapping guide use areas) because it distributes up to 20 guided hunters over 2.5 million acres and farther from areas close to local rural communities.

Document Content:

FONSI & Appendices - BELA Hunt Guides EA   (594.6 KB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of Acrobat Reader from Adobe Systems.