The United States v. Alaska case, where AFN is defending the federal subsistence priority for fishing on the Kuskokwim River, had been scheduled for oral argument in April. In early March, the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the court to pause the case to give the DOJ time to evaluate President Trump’s Executive Order 14153 (“Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential”), which directs the Department of the Interior to “ensure to the greatest extent possible that hunting and fishing opportunities on Federal lands are consistent with similar opportunities on State lands.”
On May 12, 2025, DOJ and the State of Alaska filed a joint update with the court stating that DOJ is not taking any action on review of the case, and no supplemental briefing will be required. Accordingly, we expect the case to be put back on an oral argument calendar sometime this summer or fall. AFN praises DOJ’s decision not to change its longstanding position on the Katie John cases and we look forward to arguing alongside the United States in defense of the rural subsistence priority.