The Interior Department plans to expand hunting and fishing access across national parks and wildlife refuges.
Interior officials on Tuesday announced that the Fish and Wildlife Service would open or expand hunting and fishing in 32 states. Those figures include 14 national wildlife refuges opening up to new hunting or sport fishing opportunities. If completed, the changes would mean 95 percent of lands in the refuge system — 92 million acres — are open to hunting.
“America’s public lands belong to the American people, and they should be able to access them without unnecessary bureaucracy standing in the way,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The changes follow a January secretarial order by Burgum that told Interior bureaus to improve access for outdoorsmen and tackle rules that pose an “unnecessary regulatory burden.” That order said that federal land should be open to hunting “unless a specific, documented, and legally supported exception applies.”
