Alaska Llamas & Outdoors Blog

W e need your help again. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) recently announced that it is proposing to eliminate the pack llama (camelid) user group as part of a proposed regulation package. This is yet another attempt (in Alaska) to ban camelids as a disease threat to wildlife that is scientifically untenable. Because of your help earlier this year we were able to defeat a similar proposal by the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska (Chugach National Forest). Your participation will be critical in order to win this next battle. Again, this could set a precedent and adversely affect our future access on public lands throughout all of the United States if allowed to stand. Please object to this proposal by submitting a comment as per the instructions below.   Thank you in advance for your support! You can submit a comment on this to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in one of two ways described below. All comments need to be submitte...

See article "Pack Llamas Under Siege on Alaska's Public Lands." Lots of good info in this newsletter. Support LANA! LANA's Spring Newsletter Llama Association of North America (LANA) Spring newsletter cover photo features llamas on Lost Lake Trail (Alaska) with Resurrection Bay in the background.

We just received word from Chugach National Forest (CNF) late January 28th that announced CNF's decision to rescind the llama ban in Chugach National Forest. (See previous blog posts for background/history on CNF's LMP and llama ban.) The "Reviewing Officer's Response to Eligible Objections" to the Chugach National Forest Land Management Plan (CNFLMP) was attached to an email sent to objectors. In the Conclusion section David Schmid (CNF Regional Forester) states: "After considering the planning record, discussions with Forest staff, and the thoughtful dialog at the resolution meeting, I’ve decided to provide Forest Supervisor Schramm instructions to change FWWLGOAT-S (2) to the following: Personnel conducting Forest Service management actions or authorized activities (employees, contractors, cooperators, and special use permit holders) shall not use or keep domestic goats or sheep on National Forest System lands within the Chugach National Forest." (No...

The Chugach National Forest (CNF) "objections resolution meeting" took place during the afternoon of January 14, 2020 in Anchorage, Alaska. (See previous posts for background on CNF Llama Ban.) The purpose of the meeting was to discuss remedies regarding objections to restrictions on the use of llamas that are being imposed in the Chugach National Forest Land Management Plan (CNFLMP). Dave Schmid, Alaska Regional Forester (meeting facilitator) confirmed that this is our last opportunity to comment/object to the Chugach National Forest Land Management Plan which will be final in 2020. Meeting attendees representing the llama community in-state and out-of-state participated via teleconference and reiterated concerns to CNF staff that were previously expressed in their written objections which can be found here. https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/ReadingRoom?project=40816 . At issue is the restricted use of pack llamas in Chugach National Forest (the forest) based ...

UPDATE: CNF llama ban has been rescinded.  More at -   Victory! CNF Llama Ban Rescinded Chugach National Forest (CNF) "short circuited" the NEPA process by providing no pubic notice to eliminate commercial use of pack llamas based on a perceived disease threat to wild sheep and goats. Since CNF's ban identifies pack llamas as a disease threat, this opens the door to eliminate them for all uses (including recreational) in the future. The public process was "short circuited" because CNF did not include verbiage that banned llamas in their draft Chugach National Forest Land Management Plan that was open for public comment in 2018.  However, this pack llama ban was added to the Final Chugach National Forest Land Management Plan after the public comment period was over which effectively eliminated comment by the pack llama user group . Now the pack llama user group is faced with protesting the final CNF decision during the objection period. Your comments on p...

The comment/objection (below) was made by Alaska Llamas (Phil) to Chugach National Forest (CNF) llama ban.  Linda's comment/objection can be viewed (along with comments/objections posted so far) in the CNF Reading Room at this link:  CNF Reading Room. Go here to see the letter of objection by Pack Animal Magazine: Editor's Letter of Objection to CNF - Pack Animal Magazine . _______________________________________________________________________________ By this comment I am providing formal notice of objection to the Final Chugach National Forest Land Management Plan (signed by Jeff E. Schramm, Forest Supervisor) during the 60 day objection period beginning approximately August 30, 2019. I strongly object to the "final" Chugach National Forest Land Management Plan (CNFLMP) restrictions/prohibitions on pack llamas because llamas do NOT pose a disease threat and should not be banned or restricted for any use within the Chugach National Forest (CNF). In the following...