The Trump administration is advancing efforts to expand hunting and fishing access across national parks, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas by rolling back several existing restrictions on federal land.
Interior Department Directive
In January, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed agencies under the U.S. Department of the Interior to eliminate what he termed 'unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers' to hunting and fishing. Agencies must now justify any restrictions they wish to retain.
'Expanding opportunities for the public to hunt and fish on Department-managed lands not only strengthens conservation outcomes, but also supports rural economies, public health, and access to America's outdoor spaces,' Burgum wrote. '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.'
Potential Changes in Parks
According to the National Parks Conservation Association, the order applies to 55 National Park Service sites in the lower 48 states. A review found that some locations had already begun lifting restrictions on hunting stands that damage trees, training hunting dogs, using vehicles to retrieve hunted animals, and hunting along trails.
Specific Park Changes Include:
- Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts could allow hunting through spring and summer.
- Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Texas could permit hunters to clean animals in park bathrooms.
- Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana could allow alligator hunting.
Declining Hunting Participation
The move comes as hunting participation continues to decline in the U.S. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Census data, only about 4.2% of Americans over age 16 identified as hunters in 2024. This has reduced revenue for state wildlife agencies that depend on hunting license sales and taxes on guns and ammunition. Hunting supporters and conservative policymakers have sought to maintain hunting activity by expanding public land access, creating more opportunities, and encouraging women and children to participate.
Current Hunting Access on National Park Service Land
Hunting is already allowed on around 51 million acres of National Park Service land across 76 sites, though only about 8 million acres are in the contiguous United States, with the rest primarily in Alaska. Fishing is permitted at 213 sites. While national parks generally follow state hunting and fishing laws, they often add stricter local rules to protect visitor safety and wildlife, including limits on hunting near trails or buildings.
Criticism from Former Officials
Dan Wenk, former Yellowstone National Park superintendent and former NPS deputy operations director, said these rules were built through years of public discussion and cooperation. 'Process never seems to stand in the way of many things with this administration,' Wenk said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. 'This was never a big issue. I'd love to know the problem we're trying to solve. Then I could understand the costs that it's going to take to solve it in terms of resources and visitor safety.'
Elaine Leslie, former head of the National Park Service’s biological resources department, also criticized the move, saying it weakens science-based management. 'I don't want to take my young grandchildren to a park unit only to have a hunter drag a gutted elk they shot across a visitor center parking lot. Nor enter a restroom where hunters are cleaning their game,' Leslie said in a text to the AP. 'There is a time and place for hunting, trapping and fishing ... but that doesn't mean every place has to be open to every activity especially at the expense of others and degrading our public resources.'
Interior Department Defends the Order
Interior Department spokesperson Elizabeth Peace called the order a 'commonsense approach to public land management.' She said any closures or restrictions needed for public safety, legal compliance, or resource protection would remain in place. 'For decades, sportsmen and women have been some of the strongest stewards of our public lands,' she said, 'and this order ensures their access is not unnecessarily restricted by outdated or overly broad limitations that are not required by law.'
Support from Hunting and Conservation Groups
Hunting and conservation groups backing expanded access have praised the order. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership stated that it supports both wildlife management and outdoor traditions. Ducks Unlimited also backed the move, saying, 'This process will streamline federal regulations, make them more consistent with existing state rules, and provide more public-land access for outdoor recreation. Thank you, Secretary Burgum, for prioritizing America’s hunters and anglers.'
