Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik appeared on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to trumpet the Trump administration’s plans to expand hunting and fishing on the nation’s wildlife refuges, with lawmakers responding with bipartisan support for shoring up those public lands.
Nesvik testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, using his appearance to showcase a new Interior Department-wide directive to “identify and remove unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers to hunting and fishing” on wildlife refuge lands.
Nesvik told lawmakers he’ll work to see “all refuges and hatcheries are open to hunting and fishing within two years,” except where specific conflicts exist.
His remarks came in the wake of an order quietly signed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Jan. 7 that directed all Interior bureaus to “identify and remove unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers to hunting and fishing” on their lands.
