WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior will add 1,488 hunting and sport fishing opportunities across 111 federal refuges and hatcheries in 32 states, expanding public access across more than 92 million acres while also rewriting more than 1,000 regulatory provisions to align federal rules more closely with state wildlife laws.
The final rule represents the largest expansion of hunting and sport fishing access in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service history, according to the department. More than 95% of National Wildlife Refuge System lands will be available for hunting under the changes.
Interior defines an “opportunity” as the ability to hunt or fish a specific species at a particular location. The new rule affects 107 national wildlife refuges and four national fish hatcheries.
Fourteen refuges and three hatcheries will offer hunting or sport fishing for the first time.
The expansion includes additional opportunities for upland game, migratory birds, big game and sport fishing, as well as new access at locations that were previously closed.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum framed the changes as both an access and deregulation initiative, pointing to the department’s effort to reduce regulatory complexity for hunters and anglers.
“We are also promoting good government by reducing the regulatory burden and working with states to facilitate these outdoor activities,” Burgum stated.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is making more than 1,000 modifications to existing regulatory provisions as part of the same rulemaking. The changes are intended to reduce overlapping or outdated federal requirements and make station-specific rules easier to understand.
The agency is also moving federal requirements closer to state fish and wildlife regulations, reinforcing the role of states as primary managers of wildlife resources.
Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik linked the changes to both recreation and local economic activity.
“These new opportunities will also better align with state regulations, help promote healthy wildlife habitats and boost local recreation economies,” Nesvik stated.
The department cited federal survey data showing that more than 39.9 million Americans fish and 14.4 million hunt, generating more than $144 billion annually in economic activity.
The National Wildlife Refuge System includes 573 refuges and 38 wetland management districts and receives about 71 million visitors each year. Hunting and fishing are permitted when the activities are determined to be compatible with a refuge’s conservation purpose.
The National Fish Hatchery System includes 71 hatcheries and serves more than 1 million visitors annually. Those facilities raise and release fish for recreational fisheries, species restoration and tribal trust responsibilities.
The final rule also advances President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14192, “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” and Secretary’s Order 3447, which directs Interior to remove barriers to hunting and fishing access and better align federal requirements with state wildlife frameworks.
The rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register in time for the upcoming hunting season.
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