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.
