The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced earlier this week that it will open up more than 1,500 hunting and fishing opportunities at over 100 national wildlife refuges and hatcheries across 32 states. 95% of all land contained within national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries will now be available for hunting and fishing.
Many wildlife refuges and hatcheries are currently open for hunting and fishing, but some have been historically closed-off. This order will allow for those activities for the first time at 14 refuges and three hatcheries.
“America’s hunters and anglers now have something significant to look forward to in the fall as we plan to open and expand hunting and fishing opportunities nationwide. We are also promoting good government by reducing the regulatory burden and working with states to facilitate these outdoor activities,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
This rule change comes on the heels of an executive order that demanded deregulation, as well as a Secretary’s Order from Burgum to “remove barriers to hunting and fishing access and better align federal regulations with state wildlife management frameworks.”
The executive order demanding deregulation also prompted USFWS to streamline its current rulebook, which the agency says resulted in more than 1,000 modifications to existing hunting and fishing regulations. The agency says this was done to reduce “complexity and (make) it easier for hunters and anglers to understand and comply with applicable rules.”
In May, when USFWS first published a draft of this rule ahead of a public feedback period, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers came out in support of the expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities. The group has not commented yet since the decision was made public. Many other conservation groups have also applauded the effort to increase access.