The Biden Administration announced a finalized ruling on Oct. 16 that will add three new positions to the Federal Subsistence Board. For the first time, nominations for the seats will come from federally-recognized tribes in Alaska.
The Alaska Federation of Natives’ Subsistence Committee Chairman, Gayla Hoseth, said it's a big step forward in ensuring that Alaska Native groups have a larger seat at the table.
“I just cannot emphasize that we already have [...] checked off the box with three tribal seats that were on the Federal Subsistence Board that are going to be happening, and that's huge,” Hoseth said.
The board manages subsistence on federal lands. Subsistence is a broad term that includes the harvesting, use, and sharing of wild plants and animals for a variety of purposes and is rooted in Alaska Native culture.
The board currently has eight members, five from federal wildlife management organizations — United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Parks Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Bureau of Land Management — and three members of the public. Now with tribal representation, Hoseth said the new tribally appointed members will also streamline decision making.
“That Federal Subsistence Board is an 11-member board, and it will no longer be an even board, and then that way they can make a decision at every meeting," Hoseth said. "There will no longer be any failed proposals.”
Hoseth encouraged Alaska Native tribes to submit nominations for the positions, but it was unclear how tribal members would be selected from those nominations. While nominations must come from any of Alaska's 229 federally recognized tribes, they are not required to be Alaska Native or a member of a tribe. Board appointments are typically made by the U.S. Department of Interior with the agreement of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
