Home
Department Of The Interior Opens More Federal Land For Hunting, Fishing Opportunities

Department Of The Interior Opens More Federal Land For Hunting, Fishing Opportunities

By January13, 2026 Featured Content, Fishing, Hunting 0 Comments

The U.S. Department of the Interior, which hasn’t exactly been popular among some Alaskans lately, provided some promising news for the fishing and hunting community nationwide with the announcement of increased opportunities on federal land. From the Interior Department:

The Order directs all Bureaus and Offices to:
a. Identify and remove unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers to hunting
and fishing on Department-managed lands and waters;
b. Expand access and opportunities where compatible with law, refuge purposes,
park enabling statutes, reclamation area requirements, safety, and conservation
needs;
c. Improve coordination and regulatory alignment with State, Tribal, and Territorial
wildlife agencies; and
d. Elevate any proposed reduction or incompatibility determination involving
hunting or fishing to appropriate Bureau or Office leadership for transparent and
accountable review.
The Department’s policy is clear: public and federally managed lands should be open to hunting
and fishing unless a specific, documented, and legally supported exception applies.
This Order builds upon prior Secretary’s Orders (SO) and modernizes them with a renewed focus
on access, cooperation, accountability, and deregulation.

Here’s some reaction from the Sportsmen’s Alliance:

Victory for Sportsmen: Secretarial Order 3447 Opens Federal Lands for Hunting and Fishing

January 13, 2026

DOI Issues Order to Expand Hunting and Fishing Access on Public Lands

Important Step Forward for Sportsmen 

Today, January 13, the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) and Secretary Doug Burgum released Secretarial Order 3447 to expand hunting and fishing access on all federally managed public lands unless lawful exceptions exist.

New Directives for DOI-Managed Lands and Waters

Among other things, the order directs DOI offices to:

  • Identify and remove unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers to hunting and fishing on DOI-managed lands and waters;
  • Expand access and opportunities where compatible with law, refuge purposes, park enabling statutes, reclamation area requirements, safety, and conservation needs;
  • And improve coordination and regulatory alignment with state, tribal, and territorial wildlife agencies.

A Victory in the Open-Access Battle

“Today’s order is a victory in the open-access battle the Sportsmen’s Alliance has been fighting for decades,” said Rob Sexton, Senior Vice President at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “We have never wavered from our mission to shift the presumption of public lands to open for hunting and fishing, and our multiple successes across DOI’s land holdings show that. We welcome SO 3447, and we stand ready to ensure that its directives are carried out in future agency actions.”

Decades of Advocacy and Legislation

The Sportsmen’s Alliance has been instrumental in opening public lands for outdoorsmen, including leading the campaign to pass the 1997 Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act that clarified that hunting and fishing were priority uses of National Wildlife Refuges. This landmark legislation has resulted in millions of acres opened for sportsmen. Additionally, the Sportsmen’s Alliance has long championed “open-until-closed” legislation for federal lands, which changed the assumption that activities related to hunting and fishing are open unless closed for specific cause. This legislation was signed into law during President Trump’s first term.

Conservation and Economic Impact

SO 3447 highlights that “[h]unting and fishing are foundational components of the Nation’s conservation tradition,” noting that hunters and anglers contribute to conservation in many ways, including funding via license sales and excise taxes and hunting and fishing equipment and on-the-ground conservation efforts. The expanded opportunities to hunt and fish on federal public lands will advance these conservation outcomes, support rural economies, bolster public health, and improve access to America’s enviable landscapes.

Implementation and Agency Oversight

The order directs all DOI offices, within 60 days, to identify lands to open to hunting and fishing, prioritize opportunities recommended by state and tribal wildlife agencies, review outdated and unnecessary restrictions, and ensure that any lands currently closed to hunting and fishing are done so according to law. Lands specifically addressed by SO 3447 are those managed by:

  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) 
  • The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
  • The National Park Service (NPS) 
  • The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) 
  • The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 

Importantly, the order directs that restrictions on lead ammunition or tackle may not be included in station-specific regulations, except in rare circumstances. Instead, voluntary and incentive-based lead-free programs will continue where already in use.

Ensuring Visible Impact on Public Lands

“SO 3447 outlines important directives that align with the goals and priorities of the Sportsmen’s Alliance and hunters and anglers nationwide,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “While this is an important first step, we must ensure that the directives are carried out by the various departments and offices, and that the order’s intended impacts are visible on federal public lands across the country. The Sportsmen’s Alliance is equipped to make sure that happens.”

About the Sportsmen’s Alliance

The Sportsmen’s Alliance has always been a steadfast advocate in the fight to protect public land access for hunting, fishing, and trapping. Whether it’s the White House, Congress, a state legislature, a governor, or courts, we will fight for all our members to continue enjoying our public lands across the country. The legacy of hunting, fishing, and trapping depends on our actions today.

Please stand with us or donate to the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund in the fight against those who are working to bully and erode our heritage and traditions.

The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Some other reactions: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) announced a new directive that opens most of its public lands to hunting and fishing. The seven-page Secretarial Order 3447 seeks to ensure consistency and remove barriers to public access for hunting and fishing among its 11 bureaus, which include the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatcheries).

“We’re cutting barriers and streamlining regulations so Americans have the access they deserve on our public lands,” tweeted DOI Secretary Doug Burgum.

“The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has a clear track record defending and expanding hunter access to public lands, as well as defending hunters’ ability to use the ammunition of their choice,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “Secretarial Order 3447 is aligned with our approach to these issues and we commend Secretary Burgum for making it clear that public lands should default to being open.”

The announcement does not apply to national parks where hunting is not currently allowed.

“We’ll be implementing the secretary’s order by identifying new hunting and fishing opportunities on Service lands and waters, cutting red tape for hunters and anglers, and strengthening our collaboration with states, tribes and territories,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik. “Looking ahead to future annual updates, my goal is that all refuges and hatcheries are open to hunting and fishing within two years, except in rare cases where there are conflicts with legal mandates, public safety or sensitive species or habitats exist.”

The individual bureaus will need to take additional steps to meet requirements of the order.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

TRCP Welcomes Interior Actions Affirming Hunting and Fishing on Public Lands

An updated approach strengthens responsible hunting and fishing opportunities  

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership welcomed Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3447, signed by Secretary Doug Burgum, which reaffirms hunting and fishing access on public lands, including updates to how these opportunities are managed on National Wildlife Refuges. These efforts reflect a balanced commitment to wildlife management and the outdoor traditions supported by hunters and anglers. 

“Hunters and anglers have long been central to conserving wildlife and habitat in this country – funding conservation and supporting science-based management – and these actions help reinforce that legacy,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We appreciate the Department of the Interior’s focus on ensuring that public lands provide meaningful, well-managed opportunities to hunt and fish.” 

The Secretarial Order contains directives for five DOI Bureaus. Among those are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-administered National Wildlife Refuges, which were created with strong support from hunters—who continue to contribute significantly to conservation funding today.  The 1997 Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act identified hunting as one of six priority, wildlife-dependent public uses that receive enhanced consideration in refuge management. By increasing scientifically regulated hunting opportunities consistent with state management, refuges can demonstrate effective wildlife stewardship and provide the public with a direct connection to conservation.  

The Secretarial Order also addresses how certain refuge management policies will be applied going forward, including the continued implementation of existing voluntary lead-free incentive programs.  

“TRCP contributed to the development of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s voluntary lead-free program, and we appreciate DOI continuing to implement this incentive-based approach,” continued Pedersen “We are excited to dig in and help the Department implement this important Secretarial Order.”

The Secretarial Order aligns with the broader direction set by the Make America Beautiful Again Commission by emphasizing collaborative conservation and agency coordination around public access for hunters and anglers. Together, these actions reflect an ongoing federal focus on expanded recreational opportunities.

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

Boone and Crockett Club:

Related Posts

About Author

chrisco2