COPPER CENTER, AK - Federal subsistence fishing in both the Glennallen and Chitina Subdistricts of the Upper Copper River opens on May 15. This fishing opportunity is available to qualified local rural residents and a federal permit is required. The permit is a household permit, and only one permit will be issued per household for a given subdistrict.
Permits will be available at the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Visitor Center in Copper Center beginning Friday May 10. The Visitor Center will be open only for permits on May 10, 13, and 14 between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Starting Wednesday May 15, the Visitor Center including the bookstore, theater, exhibits, and fish permit station will be open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Permits will be available at the Slana Ranger Station beginning Monday, May 20, daily between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Permits will be available at the Chitina Ranger Station starting Friday, May 24, daily between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A photo ID (such as a driver’s license) and additional proof of the physical address of your primary residence is required when you come to get a permit. Documentation of physical address can include a voter registration card or a utility bill listing your physical address. Permit applicants must be federally qualified subsistence users. To be eligible for a permit, your primary permanent residence must be in rural Alaska and your community must be listed in the “Customary & Traditional Use Determination" (C&T) column of the Federal Subsistence Management Regulations Booklet for the Harvest of Fish and Shellfish for the intended species and location. For more information, contact the park headquarters at (907) 822-5234.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
