Submitted Electronically via eRulemaking Portal

1. Organization: Denali Subsistence Advisory Commission Address: Denali National Park, PO Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755 Phone: (Amy Craver, Denali Subsistence Coordinator) (907) 683-9544 E-mail: amy_craver@nps.gov 2. New Regulation. Create a community winter hunt in GMU 19C for Dall sheep for residents of Nikolai. 3. How would the new regulation read? Under Unit 19 hunting regulations, sheep: Rural residents of Nikolai -- Create a community winter hunt for rural residents of Nkiolai (a resident zone community of Denali Park) with a quota of 3 sheep; all rams or ewes without lambs October 1 to March 30. 4. Why should this regulation change be made? The residents of Nikolai have a long tradition of harvesting sheep in the Alaska Range, but the current season of August 10 to September 20 does not take place at a time of year when access to the mountains is possible without aircraft. By establishing a winter community harvest, residents can resume their traditional patterns of winter travel and harvest of sheep. If this regulation is not implemented the sheep numbers could decline from loss of habitat due to overgrazing. The people who have customarily and traditionally used the resource do not have access during the August and September hunt because they traditionally hunt after it snows by dog sled or snowmachine. 5. What impact will this change have on wildlife populations? The removal of a small number of ewes or young rams should not greatly affect local sheep populations. If possible, harvest would be shifted from year to year to avoid excessive impacts on one area. Many of the large rams are harvested by non-residents, people who are not from the immediate area. If sheep numbers are low the park superintendent will have the authority to close the season by emergency order. 6. How will this change affect subsistence uses? This change would provide an additional subsistence opportunity that is currently denied by the timing of the sheep hunti