Hunting and fishing access expanded

A new Secretarial order sets hunting and fishing as the default on public lands, requiring closures to have clear legal and documented justification. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum issued Secretarial Order 3447—Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of Interior Lands and Waters. The order directs the agencies of the Interior to identify and remove unnecessary regulatory and administrative barriers to hunting and fishing access on Department of Interior (DOI) lands and waters, increasing senior-level review for proposed closures. The order directs DOI agencies to identify lands and waters suitable for expanded access within 60 days. To reduce confusion among regulations on land in proximity to one another, the order also requires improved alignment of regulations across state, Tribal and territorial wildlife agencies.

Read the order released by the U.S. Department of the Interior.