The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) is amending the permanent migratory bird subsistence-harvest regulations in Alaska. This rule enables Alaska Natives to sell authentic native articles of handicraft or clothing that contain inedible byproducts from migratory birds that were taken for food during the Alaska migratory bird subsistence-harvest season. This rule was developed under a co-management process involving the Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Alaska Native representatives.

We are amending the permanent migratory bird subsistence-harvest regulations in Alaska. This rule was developed under a co-management process involving the Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Alaska Native representatives.

The Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management Council (Co-management Council) held meetings on April 8-9, 2015, to develop recommendations for changes that would take effect starting during the 2016 harvest season. Changes were recommended for the permanent regulations at subpart A of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 92 to allow sale of handicrafts that contain the inedible parts of birds taken for food during the Alaska spring and summer migratory bird subsistence harvest. These recommended changes were presented first to the Pacific Flyway Council and then to the Service Regulations Committee (SRC) for approval at the committee's meeting on July 31, 2015. We published a proposed rule to make the recommended changes to the regulations at subpart A of 50 CFR part 92 on June 17, 2016 (81 FR 39618). We accepted public comments on the proposed rule for 60 days, ending August 16, 2016. A summary of the comments we received, and our responses to them, is provided below, under Summary of Comments and Responses.