management activities necessary to conserve the 
species. 
At about the same time, the Marine Mammal 
Commission completed work on a series of species 
accounts with research and management recommenda- 
tions for ten species of marine mammals in Alaska, 
including walruses (see Appendix B, Lentfer 1988). 
The Commission forwarded those accounts to the Fish 
and Wildlife Service on 11 January 1989. In its 
transmittal letter, the Commission recommended that 
the Service use the walrus species account as the basis 
for preparing a conservation plan for the population 
off Alaska. The Service replied positively in March 
1989; however, the Exxon Valdez oil spill and other 
demands on Service staff in the ensuing months 
prevented progress on drafting a plan. 
To help speed development of a plan, the Commis- 
sion offered to contract for the preparation of a draft 
walrus conservation plan. The offer was discussed 
during a review of Alaska marine mammal issues held 
at the Commission’s 1991 annual meeting in Bellevue, 
Washington. Service participants in the review noted 
that they remained committed to the planning effort, 
and shortly after the meeting the Service accepted the 
Commission’s offer. Shortly thereafter the Commis- 
sion contracted for development of a draft plan. 
The contractor’s draft plan was reviewed by the 
Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors 
late in 1991 and was judged to provide a sound basis 
for moving ahead with the planning process. It 
included a thorough review of walrus biology and 
conservation issues. It also addressed specific tasks to 
monitor population status and trends, define the 
optimum sustainable population level, monitor Native 
subsistence harvests, and coordinate Federal, State, 
Native, industry, and international efforts to conserve 
the Pacific walrus population. 
The Commission forwarded the draft walrus 
conservation plan to the Service on 23 December 
1991. At that time, the Commission recommended 
that (1) the draft plan be circulated for review and 
comment by the Service’s Walrus Management Plan 
Advisory Team; (2) the Service prepare a final draft 
conservation plan based on the Commission’s draft 
and comments received from the advisory team; and 
45 
Chapter III — Species of Special Concern 
(3) the final draft plan be circulated by the Service to 
the Commission and others for agency and public 
review prior to adoption. 
On 5 February 1992 the Service replied, express- 
ing its appreciation to the Commission for contribut- 
ing to the planning process. It also advised that a 
meeting of the Walrus Management Plan Advisory 
Team was scheduled for 13 February to review the 
Commission’s draft plan, that the draft had been sent 
to team members to help them prepare for the meet- 
ing, and that during 1992 the Service would be 
placing high priority on management planning for 
walruses, as well as polar bears and Alaska sea otters. 
During the advisory team’s 13 February meeting, 
members agreed that the draft plan provided a useful 
basis for the Service to develop a conservation plan 
for walruses, and it suggested changes that the Service 
should take into account. A schedule was suggested 
for completing a final draft plan by June 1992 al- 
though it was understood that the schedule might be 
difficult to meet. It also was agreed that a separate 
implementation plan should be developed in conjunc- 
tion with the conservation plan. The purpose of the 
implementation plan would be to set forth task priori- 
ties and cost estimates and to identify cooperative 
work by agencies and groups able to assist in carrying 
out certain important tasks. 
Because of work required to reestablish a walrus 
harvest monitoring program in the spring of 1992 (see 
below), the Service’s staff was unable to meet the 
schedule for completing a draft conservation plan or 
an implementation plan by June. However, the 
Eskimo Walrus Commission, an organization repre- 
senting Alaska Native walrus hunters, was particularly 
interested in working with the Service on walrus 
research and management and expressed its willing- 
ness to help develop the implementation plan. 
In view of these developments, the Marine Mam- 
mal Commission agreed to provide funds to secure the 
services of a biologist familiar with walrus manage- 
ment needs. His task is to work with the Eskimo 
Walrus Commission to help the Service complete and 
implement the conservation plan, develop a coopera- 
tive agreement between the Service and the Walrus 
Commission to manage walruses, and explore a 
