WASHINGTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft of its first Alaska Native relations policy, which the agency says is an effort to inform employees who have not previously worked with Alaska Native communities and cultivate trust with Indigenous groups.
Fish and Wildlife already has a broader Native American relations policy. But the draft Alaska Native relations policy, which was released Nov. 3, outlines key Alaska-specific considerations including subsistence needs and unique federal policies like the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The policy is intended to guide the agency's employees as they enforce Alaska-related rules and regulations.
Crystal Leonetti, who led work on the new policy as the agency's Alaska Native affairs specialist, said she hopes the first-of-its-kind document is widely used across the Fish and Wildlife Service.
