Amidst a Flurry of Recent Actions, Another Significant Land-Use Plan is Released in Alaska

The TRCP commits to seeing hunting, fishing opportunities maintained in BLM’s Central Yukon plan

(Fairbanks, Alaska)— Today the Bureau of Land Management released a draft resource management plan that—when finalized—will guide future public land management decisions on 13.1 million acres of public lands in central and northern Alaska for the next 15 to 20 years.

“The outcome of this process will have big implications for recreational and subsistence hunters, anglers, and trappers due to the Central Yukon planning area’s enormous acreage and unique qualities,” said Jen Leahy, Alaska field representative with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “From the boreal forests and river valleys of Interior Alaska to the towering Brooks Range and vast tundra of the Arctic, these public lands provide the type of wild, backcountry opportunities that many sportsmen and sportswomen dream of experiencing someday.”

The Central Yukon planning area stretches across approximately 56 million acres, extending from the northern border of Denali National Park and Preserve to the Arctic Ocean. The region’s diverse wildlife habitat supports several caribou herds including the Western Arctic—the largest herd in Alaska and an important food source for many rural communities—plus Dall sheep, brown bears, black bears, muskoxen, moose, and furbearers. The Brooks Range is revered among sportsmen and sportswomen for its remarkable solitude and world-class hunting, trapping, fishing, and wildlife-viewing opportunities.

The release of the draft RMP is a key step in the public process of land-use planning, which helps determine how fish and wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation opportunities, and resource development are balanced in a particular area. The Central Yukon RMP presents five different management approaches and names one option—Alternative C2—as the agency’s preferred alternative.

“The BLM needs to conserve important habitats in the Central Yukon planning area in order for future generations to continue to enjoy our hunting, trapping, and fishing traditions,” said Leahy. “This planning process still has a long way to go before it will be completed, and the TRCP is rolling up our sleeves to engage with our members, local stakeholders, and agency partners to ensure that the final plan reflects our shared conservation goals.”

The 90-day public comment period begins December 11, 2020, and is slated to close March 11, 2021.

Founded in 2002, the TRCP is the largest coalition of conservation organizations in the country, uniting and amplifying the voices of sportsmen and women by convening hunting and fishing groups, conservation organizations, and outdoor businesses to a common purpose.