5 AAC 92.066. Permit for access to Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary

A permit is required for access to Round Island and adjacent waters within three miles of Round Island in the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary (Bristol Bay-Unit 17); permits will be issued as follows:

(1) an application for a permit must be submitted to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, P.O. Box 1030, Dillingham, Alaska 99576;

(2) a wildlife viewing permit may be issued to an individual for a specified period of time during the period from May 1 - September 1 only; under this permit, a person entering the sanctuary shall abide by the following rules established to preserve the natural habitat flora and fauna of the sanctuary; as provided in AS 16.05.925 , a violation of these rules is a misdemeanor and may be a basis for immediate expulsion from the sanctuary:

(A) camping is allowed only in the designated camping area;

(B) visitors shall remove all personal gear and garbage upon departure from the sanctuary;

(D) discharge of firearms, disturbance or harassment of wildlife, removal of wildlife or parts of wildlife, swimming, and recreational diving are all prohibited on Round Island and in adjacent waters within three miles of Round Island;

(E) unless authorized in writing by sanctuary staff, access to all beaches and adjacent waters is prohibited except during arrival and departure at Boat Cove; authorization for beach and water access may be granted for scientific or educational activities and that access requires the presence of sanctuary staff;

(F) all aircraft access to Round Island is prohibited except with permission of the area wildlife biologist, or the biologist's designee, in Dillingham; access to Round Island is allowed only through an access corridor designated by the department; helicopter landings are restricted to the area directly behind the cabin; seaplane landings must be made at least one-half mile offshore within the access corridor;

(G) upon request by an employee of the department, a permittee shall present his or her permit and personal identification for inspection; and

(H) a permit becomes invalid if the permittee fails to contact Round Island staff or the Dillingham wildlife conservation area office before 9:00 a.m. on the morning of the permittee's scheduled arrival at Round Island;

(3) visitor access to Round Island for wildlife viewing is allowed by permit issued on a first-come first-served basis; not more than 30 permittees may be permitted to visit Round Island each day, nor may more than 15 be permitted to remain overnight; 10 of the 15 permits available for an overnight period may be issued up to six months in advance; the remaining five may not be issued more than 30 days in advance; at the discretion of the department, up to three of the 15 individual overnight permits may be issued at any time for scientific or educational purposes;

(4) an access permit for hunting may be issued under the conditions specified by the department on a case-by-case basis, subject to the application procedures and rules set out in (1) and (2) of this section, to hunting parties for the period of September 10 - October 20 only.

History: Eff. 7/5/85, Register 95; am 8/8/87, Register 103; am 8/20/89, Register 111; am 8/10/91, Register 119; am 7/16/95, Register 135; am 7/26/97, Register 143; am 7/1/2003, Register 166

Authority: AS 16.05.255

AS 16.05.925

AS 16.20.094

Editor's note: Department of Fish and Game fees for Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary access permits are set out in 5 AAC 93.035.

Before 8/20/89, Register 111, the substance of 5 AAC 92.066 was contained in former 5 AAC 83.250. The history note for 5 AAC 92.066 includes the history of the provision before 8/20/89.

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