More Hunting Opportunities On National Wildlife Refuges

As part of the Aug. 30 announcement, expanded hunting opportunities are coming to three Georgia refuges:

Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge: Expand season date ranges for existing upland game hunting to further align with state regulations and expand existing big game hunting by increasing quota numbers on 6,980 acres to increase access.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge: Expand method of take and season date ranges for existing big game hunting on 3,822 acres to further align with state regulations.

Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Expand season date range for existing raccoon, opossum and big game hunting on 33,744 acres to further align with state regulations.

“This is the largest single effort to expand hunting and fishing access in recent history,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “President Trump has made increasing public access and streamlining government functions priorities of his administration, and this new rule delivers on both fronts given the unprecedented expansion of public acreage and removal or revision of 5,000 hunting and fishing regulations to more closely match state laws. This is a big win for sportsmen and sportswomen across the country and our collective conservation efforts.”

The expansion included in the rule is more than double the acreage that has been opened or expanded compared to the last five years combined. Seventy-seven national wildlife refuges and 15 national fish hatcheries managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are incorporated in the new rule and are now open to hunting and fishing for the first time or have expanded opportunities for new game species.

“We are pleased to offer all Americans access to hunting and fishing opportunities and other recreational activities on refuge and hatchery lands where they are compatible with our conservation management goals,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Principal Deputy Director Margaret Everson.

This action will now bring the number of units in the Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System where the public may hunt to 381 and the number where fishing will be permitted to 316. In addition, this will formally open lands on 15 hatcheries of the National Fish Hatchery System to hunting and/or sport fishing for the first time.

A copy of the final rule and a complete list of all of the refuges and hatcheries affected are available online.

Hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities contributed more than $156 billion in economic activity in communities across the United States in 2016, according to the Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, published every five years. More than 101 million Americans — 40 percent of the U.S. population age 16 and older — pursue wildlife-related recreation, including hunting and fishing.