Last week, Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced that 30 wildlife refuges will be opened or provide expanded hunting and fishing opportunities in time for the 2018-2019 season. The decision will open more than 251,000 acres within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System and increases the number of public hunting units to 377 and fishing units to 312. The final rule also simplifies “regulations to more closely match state hunting and fishing regulations” and “outlines expanded hunting and fishing opportunities at 136 national wildlife refuges,” according to the Department of the Interior (DOI).
“American sportsmen and women contribute over a billion dollars a year to fund conservation. Without hunters and anglers, we wouldn't be able to conserve wildlife and habitat; and, without access to our public lands like National Wildlife Refuges, many hunters would have nowhere to go,” said Zinke in a press release. “The last thing I want to see is hunting to become an elite sport, rather than a tradition passed on from generation to generation. Today's announcement protects critical conservation funding, and ensures sportsmen have access to public lands for generations to come.”
While Zinke’s push for public land access and more hunting and fishing opportunities have garnered support within the outdoor industry, some opponents say that opening up wildlife refuges to hunting and fishing isn’t necessary – even though federal law only allows hunting and fishing in these areas if “it does not conflict with conservation,” according to The Hill.
However, those involved with the decision say it will be beneficial.
“Hunting and fishing are family activities that pass down from generation to generation. National wildlife refuges provide all Americans with places to hunt, fish, observe the natural world firsthand and experience the great outdoors,” said Cynthia Martinez, Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System, in a press release. “We are pleased to be able to offer hunting and fishing opportunities and other recreational activities where they are compatible with national wildlife refuge management goals.”
Per the DOI, hunting and/or fishing will be expanded or opened on the following refuges:
Arkansas
Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge: Expand existing migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting.
California
San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird hunting, and open sport fishing for the first time.
Florida
Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge: Opens wild turkey hunting for the first time.
Illinois
Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting.
Illinois and Missouri
Great River National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting.
Illinois and Wisconsin
Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge: Opens migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting to all legal species in the State of Illinois.
Indiana
Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird, upland game, big game hunting and sport fishing
Maine
Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting.
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing white-tailed deer and wild turkey hunting.
Maine and New Hampshire
Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge: Opens wild turkey hunting for the first time, and expand existing migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting.
Maryland
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird and big game hunting.
Patuxent Research Refuge: Expands existing white-tailed deer and wild turkey hunting.
Michigan
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge: Opens hunting of certain migratory bird, small game, and furbearers, and expand existing migratory game bird and big game hunting.
Minnesota
Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge: Opens certain gamebird and small mammal hunting for the first time, and expand existing migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting.
Montana
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing big game hunting.
Swan River National Wildlife Refuge: Opens big game hunting for the first time.
New Jersey
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge: Opens wild turkey and squirrel hunting for the first time, and expand existing migratory game bird and big game hunting.
New Jersey and New York
Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird hunting and sport fishing.
New Mexico
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge: Opens Eurasian-collared dove and Gambel’s quail hunting, and expand existing migratory game bird hunting.
North Dakota
J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge: Opens moose hunting for the first time.
Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge: Opens moose hunting for the first time.
Ohio
Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge: Opens white-tailed deer hunting for the first time.
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge: Opens hunting of certain game birds small mammals and furbearers for the first time, and expand existing migratory game bird and big game hunting.
Oregon
Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting.
Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird hunting.
William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing sport fishing.
Pennsylvania
Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird, upland game and big game hunting.
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum: Opens white-tailed deer hunting for the first time.
Utah
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge: Expands existing migratory game bird and upland game hunting.
Wisconsin
Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge: Opens hunting of certain game birds small mammals and furbearers for the first time, and expand existing migratory game bird and big game hunting.