Safari Club International welcomed the release of a proposed rule by the National Park Service that will reopen certain hunting on national preserves in Alaska and withdraw unlawful procedures that allowed federal agencies to shut down hunting without due process. The proposed rule will unwind the contested 2015, 2017, and 2024 regulations governing hunting and trapping in Alaska's national preserves. The proposed rule seeks to realign federal regulations with Alaska state law and the statutory framework established under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (commonly referred to as ANILCA).
For decades, the State of Alaska managed fish and wildlife harvest on national preserves as Congress intended. Prior rulemakings disrupted that balance by overriding state-authorized harvest methods, layering on federal restrictions, and creating significant uncertainty for hunters and wildlife managers. Multiple rounds of litigation—including cases led or supported by SCI—highlighted the legal flaws and scientific deficiencies in the 2015, 2017, and 2024 rules.
The newly proposed rule will restore state-authorized harvest practices. It will also reinstate long-established process requirements for the closure of harvest opportunity on national preserves and eliminate duplicative federal provisions. These revisions reaffirm ANILCA's intent and reestablish a process in effect for more than three decades before the disputed rules were issued.
"Yesterday's proposal is a turning point," said Jeff Meyerl, SCI President. "SCI looks forward to supporting this rulemaking to ensure the final regulation not only adheres to ANILCA, but also preserves the balance Congress intended—where conservation, subsistence, and responsible harvest coexist. After years of uncertainty, Alaskans deserve a stable, lawful management system grounded in sound science, statutory fidelity, and respect for state expertise."
The National Park Service opened a 30-day public comment period, giving the public a renewed opportunity to weigh in on how national preserves should be managed. SCI encourages all Alaskans to participate meaningfully in this process. For more information and to comment, go to https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/10/2026-04606/alaska-hunting-and-trapping-in-national-preserves.