Yesterday the Federal Subsistence Board (FSB) officially restored the rural status of Saxman, Alaska. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) grants a harvest priority of fish and game on public lands, but this priority is only extended to “rural communities.” In 2006, under political pressure from the State of Alaska, the FSB terminated Saxman’s rural status and grouped the village with the larger city of Ketchikan. Represented by NARF, Saxman later filed suit to restore its rural status, but parties settled the case in favor of yesterday’s administrative fix.
Our client, the Organized Village of Saxman, worked for over ten years to restore the community’s rural status. We congratulate all of the tribal citizens and community members who worked for so long to restore their essential subsistence rights. The Organized Village of Saxman’s press release discussing this important milestone is available here.
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