Department of the Interior Proposing to Open Select Public Lands to Hunting, Fishing

The rule would open millions of acres of National Park and Wildlife Refuge lands. The public comment period on the proposed rule closes on June 26.

An oil tanker passes at sunrise while a man fishes in Port Aransas, Texas, on Aug. 9, 2025. Eric Gay/AP Photo

The Department of the Interior is proposing to open millions of acres of public land to hunting and fishing.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would open 1,450 new chances for hunting and sport fishing across 111 locations in 32 states, including 107 national wildlife refuges and four national fish hatcheries, under a proposed rule announced on May 27.