A hunter motors up an Alaska river after a successful caribou hunt, with harvested animals and gear staged on the tundra shore. Photo by Bureau of Land Management.
By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | December 2025
The U.S. Department of the Interior has formally launched a review of Alaska’s Federal Subsistence Management Program, beginning a public scoping process that could shape how subsistence hunting and fishing are managed on federal lands and waters in the years ahead.
The review was announced through an official notice published in the Federal Register by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal officials emphasize that this is not a rule change. Instead, it is an early step designed to gather public input and identify specific areas of the program that may warrant further evaluation before any proposed regulations are drafted.
What the Federal Review Does and Does Not Do
According to the Federal Register notice, the scope of the review is limited to examining recent regulatory and organizational changes within the Federal Subsistence Management Program and identifying issues that may require closer scrutiny. The notice makes clear that no subsistence rules are being altered at this stage.
The Federal Subsistence Management Program operates under Title VIII of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, commonly known as ANILCA. That law requires a priority for subsistence uses by rural Alaskans when fish and wildlife on federal public lands and waters are limited.
Federal officials describe the scoping review as a way to ensure the program continues to meet its statutory responsibilities while accounting for changes that have occurred since earlier regulations were adopted.
How and When the Public Can Comment
Alaskans have until February 13, 2026, to share their views on what the review should examine and how it should proceed.
Public comments may be submitted in several ways:
Comments can be filed online through Regulations.gov under Docket DOI-2025-0170.
Written comments may also be sent by email to subsistence@ios.doi.gov.
Hard copy comments can be mailed to the Office of Subsistence Management at 1011 East Tudor Road, MS-121, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-6199. Mailed comments should reference Docket DOI-2025-0170.
For questions about the process, the Office of Subsistence Management can be reached by phone at 800-478-1456 or 907-786-3888.
The Interior Department has also indicated that an open house is anticipated in Anchorage during the comment period, giving the public an opportunity to learn more about the review and ask questions directly of federal officials.
Additional background on the program’s structure, authority and advisory councils is available on the Department of the Interior’s Federal Subsistence Management Program website.
Alaska Federation of Natives Outlines Concerns and Priorities
While the Alaska Federation of Natives has not issued a stand alone press release specific to this December 2025 review, the organization has published formal written recommendations that outline its position on any review or revision of the federal subsistence system.
AFN’s policy documents call for any review to allow sufficient time for meaningful participation and urge federal agencies to fully integrate Regional Advisory Councils and Alaska Native perspectives into both the review process and any resulting recommendations.
The organization emphasizes that subsistence must remain a priority for rural and Alaska Native communities, describing subsistence as central to cultural survival, food security and community well being. AFN also opposes granting special standing to groups it considers hostile to subsistence protections and argues that federal decisions should remain grounded in obligations under ANILCA rather than deferring to state management preferences.
These positions are published directly by AFN and represent the organization’s formal policy guidance, not secondary interpretations.
What Happens Next
The Federal Register notice serves as the official legal action initiating the review. It does not change who qualifies for subsistence, how harvest limits are set or how the program is administered.
Any future changes would require additional public processes and formal rule-making. For now, federal officials are seeking input on what should be reviewed, how the program should be evaluated and what issues matter most to the people who rely on subsistence resources across Alaska.
