Alaskans Were Promised a Say Over Their Own Land. Interior Is Right to Restore It
A final rule rescinds the 2015, 2017 and 2024 changes to hunting and access in Alaska's national preserves while keeping the rural subsistence priority. In our view, it honors the 1980 bargain, and by the Park Service's own estimate its most controversial piece will affect only a handful of bears a year.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 17, 2026 | 6-min read When Congress set aside vast national parks and preserves in Alaska in 1980, it made a promise that Alaska would be managed differently from Yellowstone or the Smokies. Hunting, trapping and subsistence would continue, and the state would keep its role in managing wildlife. For more than three decades, that bargain held. Then Washington started rewriting it. On Oct. 16, the Interior Department announced a final rule that restores the Alaska-specific framework, rescinding regulatory changes made in 2015, 2017 and 2024 [1]. In our view, it is a welcome return to the deal Alaskans were promised, and it deserves a fair hearing even from those who dislike parts of it. Key Takeaways The rule restores state-authorized wildlife harvest methods in national preserves where consistent with federal law [1]. It restores public hearings and local notices, including newspaper, radio and post office notices, before certain harvest closures [1]. It does not change the federal subsistence priority for rural Alaskans under Title VIII of the 1980 law [1]. The