Federal subsistence permits and harvest reports move online in new Alaska portal

Rural Alaskans who hold federal subsistence permits can now apply and file harvest reports online.

The Office of Subsistence Management's new portal lets users submit applications and harvest reports, check the status of a request and see when reports are due. It does not replace filing by mail or phone, which remain available.

Arctic IT Government Solutions, part of Doyon Technology Group, rebuilt the office's permitting system and announced the work this week. The system it replaced "no longer aligned with modern federal security and usability requirements," the company said. Users sign in through Login.gov. Field officers review and approve requests digitally, and the system holds community records, contact information, hunting and fishing permits, regulatory years, harvest reports and proposals in one place.

The office began modernizing its permit application in 2024 and described an online option in its annual report to the Federal Subsistence Board.

The announcement gives no rollout date. The federal subsistence priority applies only to rural residents, and the announcement does not address internet access in those communities. No permit holder is quoted in it.

Federal subsistence management on Alaska's federal lands began July 1, 1990, with final regulations following in 1992.