The Trump administration is pushing to expand hunting and fishing access in national parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas by rolling back many existing restrictions on federal lands.In January, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed agencies under the U.S. Department of the Interior to remove “unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers” to hunting and fishing. Agencies must also justify any restrictions they wish to place.“Expanding opportunities for the public to hunt and fish on Department-managed lands not only strengthens conservation outcomes, but also supports the rural economy, public health, and access to America’s great places,” Burgum wrote. “The Department’s policy is clear: public and federally managed lands must be open to hunting and fishing unless a specific, documented, and legally supported exception applies.”
What changes can happen in the parks
The order applies to 55 National Park Service sites in the lower 48 states, according to the National Park Conservation Association.Its review found that some places have already begun lifting restrictions on hunting stands that damage trees, training hunting dogs, using vehicles to retrieve hunted animals, and hunting on trails.Specific park changes include:
- Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts may allow hunting during spring and summer
- Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Texas may let hunters clean up after animals in park bathrooms
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana may allow alligator hunting
The move comes as hunting participation in the US continues to decline.According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Census data, only 4.2% of Americans over the age of 16 identified as hunters in 2024. This has reduced revenues for state wildlife agencies that depend on hunting license sales and taxes on guns and ammunition.Hunting advocates and conservative policymakers are looking for ways to keep hunting active by expanding public land access, creating more hunting opportunities, and encouraging women and children to participate.
Current hunting access on National Park Service lands
Hunting is already permitted on approximately 51 million acres of National Park Service land in 76 sites, although only about 8 million acres are in the United States, the rest primarily in Alaska.Fishing is permitted at 213 sites.While national parks generally follow state hunting and fishing laws, they often add strict local rules to protect visitor safety and wildlife, including limits on hunting near trails or buildings.Dan Wenk, former superintendent of Yellowstone National Park and former deputy operations director of the NPS, said the rules were created through years of public discussion and collaboration.“The process with this administration never gets in the way of many things,” Wenk said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “It was never a big issue. I would love to know the problem we are trying to solve. Then I can understand the cost of solving it in terms of resources and visitor safety.”Ellen Leslie, former head of the National Park Service’s Biological Resources Division, also criticized the move, saying it undermines science-based management.“I don’t want to take my young grandchildren to a park unit to see a hunter drag a dead elk into the visitor center parking lot. Nor do I want to go into a restroom where hunters are cleaning up their game,” Leslie said in a text to the AP. “There is a time and place for hunting, trapping and fishing… But this does not mean that every space has to be open to every activity, especially at the expense of others and at the expense of our public resources.“
Interior Department defends order
Interior Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Peace called the order a “general approach to public land management.”He said any closures or restrictions necessary for public safety, legal compliance or resource conservation will remain in place.“For decades, sportsmen and women have been some of the strongest stewards of our public lands,” he said, “and this order ensures that their access is not unnecessarily restricted by outdated or overly broad limits that are not required by law.”Hunting and conservation groups that support expanded access have praised the order. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership states that it supports both wildlife management and outdoor traditions. Ducks Unlimited also supported the move, saying, “This process will streamline federal regulations, make them more consistent with existing state regulations, and provide greater public-land access for outdoor recreation. “Secretary Burgum, thank you for putting America’s hunters and fishermen first.”