Crystal Leonetti Named Director of Office of Subsistence Management
Ciisquq Crystal Leonetti, a Curyung tribal citizen with ties to Dillingham and Anchor Point, has officially taken on the role of director for the Office of Subsistence Management (OSM). She previously served as acting director for six months before formally assuming the position on January 6, 2025.
Leonetti describes this as a pivotal time for subsistence in Alaska, stating, “I just think that there’s potential to increase a cultural understanding of what subsistence is. It is so much more than food or nutrition. It is deeply spiritual and cultural. We can’t lose that.”
The OSM manages the Federal Subsistence Management Program, a collaborative initiative that preserves subsistence practices and conserves natural resources across Alaska’s 222 million acres of federal land. The program was established under the Alaska Native Interest Lands Conservation Act and includes the Federal Subsistence Board, composed of federal agency leaders and public members representing rural subsistence users.
In her new role, Leonetti will also work closely with the state’s 10 regional subsistence boards to address proposals such as the one in Bristol Bay that seeks to expand fish harvest access near stream mouths.
Born in Anchor Point and familiar with subsistence fishing in Dillingham during her youth, Leonetti brings over 30 years of federal conservation expertise to the OSM. Her career includes significant roles with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and as the first Indigenous woman to serve as the Alaska Native Affairs Specialist and Native American Liaison for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Addressing subsistence challenges posed by climate change, Leonetti emphasized the need for adaptive management: “Salmon, caribou, and sheep populations are changing rapidly, and our program must be flexible to implement changes even within a season, rather than adhering strictly to a two-year regulatory cycle.”
A recent administrative move of the OSM to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget has improved efficiency and visibility, allowing the office to better address the needs of Alaska Native communities.
Leonetti hopes to deepen relationships with tribes, state agencies, and regional boards while educating policymakers on the significance of subsistence practices. She aims to foster a greater understanding by inviting national leaders to experience Alaska’s subsistence practices firsthand.
The Federal Subsistence Board’s next meeting on fish and shellfish regulations for the 2025-2027 cycle is scheduled for early February in Anchorage.
Reference News :- Curyung tribal citizen, Ciisquq Crystal Leonetti, appointed director of Alaska’s Office of Subsistence Management
