May 26, 2026 – Washington, D.C. – Today, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced the proposed expansion of 1,450 new hunting and fishing opportunities on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) lands across 111 stations in 32 states, representing the largest expansion of hunting and fishing access in the history of the USFWS. This announcement follows Secretary Doug Burgum’s Secretarial Order directing the Department to remove barriers to hunting access, designating DOI-managed lands as “open unless closed.”  

“Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever thank Secretary Burgum and Director Nesvik for their work to increase access to high-quality habitat for upland hunters,” said Ariel Wiegard, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s vice president of government affairs. “Today’s announcement represents bold action to comprehensively expand access to our nation’s public lands for hunting and fishing, rather than incremental change. This is a win for wildlife conservation, sportsmen and women, and rural communities.” 

The proposal would open opportunities for hunting and fishing at multiple National Wildlife Refuge System lands and fish hatcheries across the country. USFWS manages hunting and fishing programs to ensure sustainable wildlife populations while balancing recreational access with conservation responsibilities. Hunting and fishing are permitted on refuges when determined to be compatible with each station’s purpose and mission under federal law. 

“For too long, access to hunting and fishing on federal lands has been limited by unnecessary restrictions and disconnected federal rules,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, we are opening more land, aligning with state expertise, and putting decision-making back where it belongs. This is about commonsense access, supporting rural economies, and ensuring the next generation can experience the outdoors the same way so many of us did growing up.”  

“Hunting and fishing are traditional recreational activities that bring families and communities together. Many national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries and other Service lands and waters offer hunting and fishing access that helps boost local economies and affords high-quality publicly available recreational opportunities to all Americans,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik. “We are pleased to continue to increase access for hunters and anglers while fulfilling our conservation mission, and we are committed to responsibly managing these areas for the benefit of future generations.” 

About Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever  

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever make up the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 500,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 580,000 habitat projects benefiting 31 million acres. 

Media Contact  
Mikayla Peper  
715-294-0688  
MPeper@quailforever.org