4 F. 6 : &3

S. R. A.— B. S. 43. Septemtx r LO, 1921.

United States Department of Agriculture,

NIV. OF Fi- LIB;

MEN is J^ ^^ ^F BIOLOGICAL SURVEY.

f

Nelson, Cfi uf of Bureau.

U.S gg^g$:Qirfo_ REGULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS.

REGULATIONS FOR THE PROTECTION OF LAND FUR-BEARING ANIMALS

IN ALASKA.

The act of May 31. 1920, entitled "An act making appropriations
for the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1921 " (41 Stat., 694, at pp. 716-717), conferred upon the Secretary of
Agriculture the powers and duties theretofore conferred upon the
Secretary of Commerce, by law, proclamations, or Executive orders,
with respect to any mink, marten, beaver, land otter, muskrat, fox,
wolf, wolverine, weasel, or other land fur-bearing animal in Alaska.

Section 1956 of the Revised Statutes, as amended by section 173
of the act of March 3, 1S99 (30 Stat., 1253), and by section 4 of the
act of April 21, 1910 (36 Stat,, 326-327), provides that—

No person shall kill any otter, mink, marten, sable, or fur seal, or other fur-bearing
animal, within the limits of Alaska Territory or in the waters thereof; and every person
guilty thereof shall, for each offense, be fined, not less than two hundred nor more than
one thousand dollars or imprisoned hot more than six months, or both ; and all vessels,
their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo found engaged in violation of this section
shall be forfeited; but the Secretary of Commerce and Labor shall have power to
authorize the killing of any such mink, marten, sable, fur seal, or other fur-bearing
animal under such regulations a- he may prescribe; and it shall be the duty of the
Secretary of Commerce and Labor to prevent the killing of any fur seal except as
authorized by law and to provide for the execution of the provisions of thi. section
until it is otherwise provided by law.

Pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Secretary of Agricul-
ture under the aforesaid acts of Congress, the following regulations
effective September 1, 1921, are prescribed to govern the killing of
land fur-bearing animals in Alaska :

REGULATION 1.— DISTRICTS.

The climatic and physiographic features of different part.-. 01 Alaska vary bo greatly
that in order to serve the convenience of trappers and the cause of conservation with
justice it has been deemed advisable to divide the Territory into three distri I
each of which the conditions relating to fur are comparatively uniform. These dis-
tricts are shown in the accompanying map and may be described a^ folio*

District 1 includes the A eutian Islands, Alaska Peninsula and neighboring i-i
and Southeastern Ala-ka. mainland and islands; from Yakutat Lay to Dixon Entrance.

65656—21

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY.

IS. R. A.

District 2 includes the mainland and islands from Yakutat Bay, Gulf of Alaska,
Iliamna Lake, and Bristol Bay, northward to the headwaters of the streams flowing
into the Arctic Ocean north of the sixty-eighth parallel of north latitude.

District 3 include? the region drained by the streams entering the Arctic Ocean north
of the sixty-eighth parallel of north latitude.

Map of Alaska showing fur districts.

REGULATION 2.— UNPRIME PELTS.

No land fur-bearing animal shall be killed when it^ pelt is imprime.

REGULATION 3.— OPEN SEASONS.

The black, glacier, and cinnamon bear, wolf, wolverine, squirrel, marmot, varying
hare (rabbit), and Arctic hare may be killed at any time.

The following land fur-bearing animals may be killed in the specified districts during
the following open seasons:
District. J:

Muskrat, December 16 to April 30, both date-; inclusive.

1 leaver, December 1 to March 31, both dates inclusive.

Marten (American sable), November 16 to March 31, both dates inclusive.

Mink, otter (land), and weasel (ermine), December 16 to March 31, both date*

inclusive.
Kox and lynx. December 1 to February 28, both dates inclusive.
District 2:

Muskrat, December 1 to May 31, both dates inclusive.

Beaver, marten (American sable), mink, otter (land), and weasel (ermine),

November 1(5 to March 31, both dates inclusive.
Pox and lynx, December 1 to March 15, both dates inclusive.
District S:

Muskrat, December 1 to May 31. both dates inclusive.

Beaver, marten (American sable), mink, otter (land), and weasel (ermine),

November 16 to March 31, both dates inclusive.
Fox and lynx, December 1 to March 15, both dates inclusive.

B. S. 43.] BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 3

REGULATION 4.— ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS AND SHOOTING.

The killing of any of the following land fur-bearing animals, viz, white fox, blue
fox, red fox, cross fox, black or silver fox, mink, marten (American sable), weasel
(ermine), otter I land;, muskrat, and beaver by use of a jack or pit lamp or any other
artificial light, or by shooting with either a rifle, shotgun, or pistol, is prohibited at
all times.

REGULATION 5.— TRAPS.

The killing of any land fur-bearing animal at any time by means of the trap or
device known as the "klips," or by means of any steel bear trap or any other trap
with ja^s having a spread exceeding 8 inches is prohibited.

REGULATION 6.— DOGS.

The use of dogs for pursuing and killing any land fur-bearing animal for which a
close season is prescribed for any period is prohibited.

REGULATION 7.— POISON.

The killing of any land fur-bearing animal by means of strychnine or any other
poison ie prohibited at all times.

Note.— The Criminal Code of Alaska Title I. chap. 13, sec. 186) provides that all
persons concerned in the commission of a crime, whether they directly commit the
act constituting the crime or aid and abet in its commission, though not present,
are principals, and to be tried and punished as such. By this section any person
knowingly sslling poison for the purpose of killing land fur-bearing animals is a
participator in the crime and is likewise punishable.

REGULATION 8.— SEIZURE OF SKINS.

All skins of land fur-bearing animals killed in violation of these regulations found
in the possession of any person in Alaska shall be seized by wardens and other officers
designated by the Secretary of Agriculture, or other officers authorized by law, and
such wardens and other officers shall hold said skin3 for such disposition as shall be
ordered by the court having jurisdiction of a suit for condemnation and forfeiture
thereof.

Shipments of fur from Alaska, whether shipped as personal baggage or otherwise,
will be subject to examination by proper authorities and may be detained if the ship-
ment was made in violation of these regulation-.

REGULATION 9.— PENALTIES FOR UNLAWFUL SHIPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION.

The following statute (act Mar. 4, 1909, 35 Stat., 1137-1138) will be strictly enforced:

Sec 242. It shall be unlawful for any person to deliver to any common carrier
for transportation, or for any common carrier to transport from any State, Terri-
tory, or Di-trict of the United States, to any other State, Territory, or District
thereof, any foreign animals or birds, the importation of which is prohibited, or
the dead bodies or parts thereof of any wild animals or birds, where such animals
or birds have been killed or shipped in violation of the laws of the State, Terri-
tory, or District in which the same were killed, or from which they were shipped:
Provided, That nothing herein ..hall prevent the transportation of any dead birds
or animal- killed during the season when the same may be lawfully captured,
and the export of which is not prohibited by law in the State, Territory, or
District in which the same are captured or killed: Provided further, That nothing
herein shall prevent the importation, transportation, or sale of birds or bird
plumage manufactured from the feathers of barnyard fowl.-.
*******

Sec. 244. For ea''h evasion or violation of any provision of the three sections
last preceding the shipper shall be fined not more than two hundred dollar^: the

4 BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. [S. R. A., B. S. 43.J

consignee knowingly receiving such articles so shipped and transported in vio-
lation of said sections shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars; and the
carrier knowingly carrying or transporting the same in violation of said sections
shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars.

REGULATION 10.— SHIPMENTS OF FURS TO BE REPORTED.

Shipments of furs consigned to points outside of Alaska, which may be made at
any time, should be reported to the Bureau of Biological Survey, Department of
Agriculture, on appropriate blanks which will be supplied for that purpose.

REGULATION 1 1 .— PEN ALTIES AND FORFEITURES.

The penalties and forfeitures imposed will be strictly enforced against all persons
who commit acts in violation of law or the regulations promulgated in accordance
therewith.

On and after September 1, 1921, all regulations for the protection
of land fur-bearing animals in Alaska made and published by the
Secretary of Agriculture under authority of the Alaska fur law prior
to the regulations hereby made and published shall be and are hereby
revoked.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the
official seal of the United States' Department of Agriculture to be
affixed, in the District of Columbia, this 30th day of August, 1921.

[seal.] Henry C. Wallace,

Secretary of Agriculture.

r-oei-rv OF FLORIDA

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WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1921