ABSTRACT
Subsistence use of fish, wildlife, and plants is part of the socioeconomic tradition of many Alaskan. Fishing and hunting locations are often determined by informal customary rules defining rights of access. Areas such as trap lines and set-net sites are recognized as “use areas” of particular communities and family groups. By 1990, the state’s subsistence management program was making extensive use of the existing hunting and fishing regulatory system, including two regulatory boards. The state Boards of Fisheries and Game had made considerable progress in identifying which uses of fish and game were “customary and traditional” subsistence uses. Hunting and fishing are important parts of the Alaskan way of life. This interest is manifested in a history of citizen involvement in hunting and fishing regulation. Continued subsistence hunting and fishing on the new park lands represents a significant liberalization of National Park Service traditional management policies.
