--- title: Interior Department Announces Expansion of Public Hunting Lands description: The Department of the Interior announced the expansion more than 1.4 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) lands and waters to hunting and fishing. image: https://nasgw.org/hubfs/Partner%20Logos/csf-logo.png --- [Go Back Up](https://nasgw.org/news/interior-department-announces-expansion-of-public-hunting-lands#top) [Skip to Content](https://nasgw.org/news/interior-department-announces-expansion-of-public-hunting-lands#body) [![nasgw-logo](https://nasgw.org/hubfs/nasgw-logo.svg "nasgw-logo")](https://nasgw.org/) Toggle Menu - Solutions Toggle children for Solutions Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Solutions - [Distribution Is The Solution](https://nasgw.org/distribution-is-the-solution) - [VAULT](https://itsonvault.com) - [Get SCOPE™](https://nasgwscope.org/) - [NASGW EXPO](https://nasgwexpo.org/) - [Fortify Insurance](https://www.choosefortify.com/) - [Bill Tracker](http://members.nasgw.org/bill-tracker) - Membership Toggle children for Membership Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Membership - [Join NASGW](https://nasgw.org/join-nasgw) - [New Member Info](https://nasgw.org/new-member-info) - [NASGW Directory](https://members.nasgw.org/membership/directory) - News / Media Toggle children for News / Media Main Menu (Press to Return) \> News / Media - [News](https://nasgw.org/news) - [Insight](https://nasgw.org/insight-newsletter) - [Webinars](https://nasgw.org/nasgw-webinars) - About Toggle children for About Main Menu (Press to Return) \> About - [Our Association](https://nasgw.org/about-nasgw) - [Board of Directors](https://nasgw.org/board-of-directors) - [FAQ's](https://nasgw.org/nasgw-faqs) - Industry Toggle children for Industry Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Industry - [Our Involvement](https://nasgw.org/industry) - [Partner Organizations](https://nasgw.org/partner-organizations) - [Affiliate Partners](https://nasgw.org/affiliate-partners) - [Join Now](https://nasgw.org/join-nasgw) - [Member Login](https://nasgw.memberclicks.net/login#/login) # Interior Department Announces Expansion of Public Hunting Lands [Recent News](https://nasgw.org/news/tag/recent-news) 6/7/19, 11:10 AM [Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation](https://nasgw.org/news/author/congressional-sportsmens-foundation) 2 min read [mailto:?subject=Interior%20Department%20Announces%20Expansion%20of%20Public%20Hunting%20Lands&body=https%3A%2F%2Fnasgw.org%2Fnews%2Finterior-department-announces-expansion-of-public-hunting-lands](mailto:?subject=Interior%20Department%20Announces%20Expansion%20of%20Public%20Hunting%20Lands&body=https%3A%2F%2Fnasgw.org%2Fnews%2Finterior-department-announces-expansion-of-public-hunting-lands) ![csf-logo](https://nasgw.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Partner%20Logos/csf-logo.png?width=192&name=csf-logo.png)On June 5, the Department of the Interior (DOI) [**announced**](https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-bernhardt-proposes-increasing-public-access-hunting-and-fishing-14-million) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service submitted a proposed rule to open or expand more than 1.4 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) lands and waters to hunting and fishing. There are more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges nationwide, including more than 360 refuges that are open to hunting, and more than 300 that are open to fishing. The proposed rule, which builds off of the success of Secretarial Order (S.O.) 3347 and 3356, will significantly increase public hunting and fishing opportunities by expanding access across approximately 1,451,131 acres spanning 74 refuges. The proposed rule will also open 15 national fish hatcheries to hunting and/or fishing, and further implement S.O. [**3347**](https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/revised_so_3447.pdf) and [**3356 **](https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/signed_so_3356.pdf)by revising existing Refuge regulations in all 50 states to make them more consistent with state hunting and fishing regulations. Prior to the DOI announcement, the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council (HSSCC), which is chaired by Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane, [**submitted**](https://www.fws.gov/hsscc/pdfs/hsscc%20refuge%20access%20final%20signed%20042519.pdf) a letter to Secretary of the Interior Bernhardt urging DOI to maintain momentum and increase efforts to prioritize public hunting and fishing opportunities that were expanded through S.O. 3347 and 3356. The HSSCC is a federal advisory council that develops and provides recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior as well as Agriculture to advance hunting and the shooting sports.  “The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation applauds Secretary Bernhardt for his efforts to expand hunting and fishing opportunities within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS),” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President Jeff Crane. “This announcement builds off momentum generated over the last few years through Interior Secretarial Orders, and advances recent recommendations submitted by the HSSCC to increase hunter and angler access to federal lands and waters, including the Refuge System.” CSF will continue to work with Secretary Bernhardt, DOI and the HSSCC to further advance public sporting opportunities on public lands and waters. ## Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation You May Like These ## Related Articles ![](https://nasgw.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Application%20of%20the%20Definition%20of%20Machinegun%20to%20Bump%20Fire%20Stocks%20and%20Other%20Similar%20Devices.jpg?width=700&name=Application%20of%20the%20Definition%20of%20Machinegun%20to%20Bump%20Fire%20Stocks%20and%20Other%20Similar%20Devices.jpg) ### [Application of the Definition of Machinegun to Bump Fire Stocks and Other Similar Devices](https://nasgw.org/news/application-of-the-definition-of-machinegun) ![](https://nasgw.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NASGW%20-Feb2018/images/23030564033_d280ed0715_h.jpg?width=700&name=23030564033_d280ed0715_h.jpg) ### [The Best Business Partner You'll Ever Have](https://nasgw.org/news/the-best-business-partner-youll-ever-have) ![](https://nasgw.org/hs-fs/hubfs/_MG_6035_72dpi.jpeg?width=700&name=_MG_6035_72dpi.jpeg) ### [NASGW Announces 2024 Appreciation Award Nominees](https://nasgw.org/news/2024-appreciation-award-nominees) [![nasgw-webinar-1](https://nasgw.org/hs-fs/hubfs/nasgw-webinar-1.jpg?width=300&height=131&name=nasgw-webinar-1.jpg "nasgw-webinar-1")](https://nasgw.org) [Join Now](https://nasgw.org/distribution-is-the-solution) ©© 2024 National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers All Rights Reserved.  [Privacy Policy](https://nasgw.org/privacy-policy)  101 S. Reid Street, Suite 307, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 P: [(605) 215-1187](tel:(IOI)%20HHF-OFNF) E: [staff@nasgw.org](mailto:gro.wgsan@ffats)   ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation", "url" : "https://nasgw.org/news/author/congressional-sportsmens-foundation" }, "dateModified" : "2019-06-27T16:10:55.710Z", "datePublished" : "2019-06-07T16:10:00.000Z", "headline" : "Interior Department Announces Expansion of Public Hunting Lands", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://nasgw.org/news/interior-department-announces-expansion-of-public-hunting-lands", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://nasgw.org/hubfs/nasgw-logo.svg" }, "name" : "NASGW" } } ```