President Trump signed an executive order Thursday that expands hunting and fishing access on federal land and rolls back a series of regulations that had restricted the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle.
The order directs the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of Commerce to work on opening up so-called checkerboarded and landlocked parcels of land — areas that are difficult or impossible for the public to reach because they are surrounded by private property. The agencies are instructed to pursue voluntary access easements, land exchanges, and cooperative agreements, while respecting private property rights.
The order also directs the Secretary of the Interior to streamline the rules for authorizing seasonal migratory game bird hunting seasons and to encourage states to promote and expand Sunday hunting on both state and federal lands.
The White House said the order reverses years of regulatory actions targeting lead ammunition and tackle, and argued that hunting opportunities in the United States have declined over time because of federal overregulation, inconsistent policies, and restrictions it described as heavy-handed. The administration said America’s hunting heritage needs to be reinvigorated, protected, and expanded.
The move builds on an earlier order signed in August that opened more than 92 million acres of federal land across 32 states, according to The Hill.
Not everyone welcomed the announcement. Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States, raised concerns about the order’s implications for wildlife management. “The order raises serious concerns about how wildlife on public lands, which belong to all Americans, will be managed, including whether decisions will continue to prioritize science-based conservation and the health of wildlife and their habitats,” the group said.
