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Re-issuance of Transporter CUA's (2012 - 2013)

Western Arctic National Parklands » Re-issuance of Transporter CUA's (2012 - 2013) » Document List

Commercial Use Authorizations (CUA's) for Commercial Transporter Visitor Services have been issued for the Noatak National Preserve (NOAT) since its establishment in 1980. The 2010/2011 CUA's expired on 12/31/2011. The proposed action will renew the CUA's for 2012-13.

The far western portion of NOAT (i.e., west of the Kugururok River & Maiyumerak Mountains) receives a substantial amount of hunting use due to its proximity to Kotzebue. Since at least 1990, subsistence hunters in this area have consistently contended that transporter services negatively impact subsistence opportunities. Village representatives express concern that competition exists between non-federally qualified hunters and subsistence hunters for specific groups of caribou. Village representatives consistently state that activities associated with transporter visitor services (i.e. aircraft overflights, hunting, camping along migration corridors) actually alter local migration patterns or behavior, interfering with or even precluding subsistence hunting opportunities in those local areas.

In previous years, Commercial Transporter Visitor Services CUA's issued by Western Arctic National Parklands have included a generic stipulation stating that transporters will seek to 'minimize potential conflicts with traditional subsistence hunters'. No specific guidance was provided. To address this, the NPS issued a moratorium on new transporters for 2008-09 (8 CUA's were issued for this period) and issued a competitive solicitation for this service for 2010-11 (5 companies applied and all 5 were issued CUA's). The CUA holders were authorized to transport a cumulative total of 357 clients into NOAT each year. The 2010-11 CUA's also included a stipulation that transporters avoid conflicts with subsistence hunters but generally did not restrict where or when the 357 hunters could be dropped-off or picked-up.

The 2010-11 system unduly restricted transporters and did not adequately address the stipulation to minimize the potential for conflicts with traditional subsistence users. To resolve these issues, the NPS will implement the following changes for the 2012-13 CUA's:

oThe limits on the number of transporters and clients will be eliminated.

o Commercial Transporter Visitor Services CUA holders will be authorized to transport non-federally qualified caribou hunters into the area west of the Kugururok River and Maiyumerak Mountains after September 15th unless authorized by the Superintendent to provide services before September 15th.

oThe Superintendent will consult with Commercial Transporter Visitor Services CUA holders, local villages and other agencies on a regular basis beginning on August 15 of each year to discuss the status of the caribou migration across the Noatak National Preserve.

oThe State of Alaska Noatak Controlled Use Area and pilots of private aircraft will be unaffected by these conditions (see map in PEPC file attachments). Holders of Commercial Transporter Visitor Service CUA's will still be authorized to transport non-federally qualified caribou hunters east of the Kugururok River and Maiyumerak Mountains throughout the hunting season, without a restriction on dates or numbers of clients.

Commercial Transporter Visitor Services for Dall Sheep and Moose sport hunters are not limited by the September 15 provision.

The CUA's will continue to include stipulations for transporter operations to protect wilderness values, visitor experience, and biological and cultural resources. The CUA stipulations will be reviewed by the Superintendent and revised as appropriate at the end of every year.

See 'Document List' for maps and stipulations.


Contact Information

Frank Hays, Superintendent (907-442-8301)