President Donald Trump has ordered federal agencies to reverse the bureaucratic presumption that public land can be closed first and opened to hunters only after they fight through Washington’s red tape.
Trump’s September 17 executive order, “Reinvigorating America’s Hunting Heritage,” declares that federally managed land should generally be open to hunting unless officials can justify a particular closure based on local resource conditions. It also directs agencies to protect the use of traditional lead ammunition and tackle, improve access to difficult-to-reach public land, and help recruit a new generation of hunters.
The order recognizes a truth hunters already understand: Sportsmen are not enemies of conservation. Hunters, anglers, and firearm owners finance wildlife management through license purchases and excise taxes, while contributing their own time and money to habitat restoration and responsible game management.
“It is therefore the policy of my Administration to reinvigorate, protect, and expand America’s hunting heritage to benefit our people and our land,” the order states.
Federal Land Should Be Open Unless a Closure Is Justified
Within 180 days, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and War must propose changes to policies or regulations that restrict hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and other outdoor recreation on lands under their jurisdiction.
The most consequential instruction is that agencies should generally allow hunting unless a specific closure is justified by local resource conditions. National parks are excluded, as are national monuments except for two locations addressed separately in the order.
Interior has 90 days to allow hunting of species not listed under the Endangered Species Act within Castle Mountains National Monument in California and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho. Trump determined that properly managed hunting would not endanger the historic and scientific objects those monuments protect.
The order also directs agencies to improve access to landlocked and difficult-to-reach federal property through voluntary easements, land exchanges, cooperative agreements with state and local governments, and other measures that respect private-property rights. Federal officials must also consider the construction, repair, and maintenance of infrastructure needed for recreation and wildlife management.
Trump’s Order Protects Traditional Ammunition
Of particular importance to gun owners, Trump directed the responsible agencies to propose changes permitting the use of traditional lead ammunition and fishing tackle.
Lead-ammunition restrictions can turn an ordinary hunt into a more expensive proposition by forcing hunters to purchase costlier alternatives that may be less available. The order rejects the idea that unelected federal officials should be able to steadily price hunters out of public lands through sweeping administrative restrictions.
Agencies were also told to authorize assistive technology on access trails and at hunting locations, encourage qualified volunteers to help control invasive species and manage wildlife populations, and streamline the process for authorizing seasonal migratory-game-bird hunting.
Building the Next Generation of Hunters
Trump’s order addresses the long-term survival of America’s hunting culture as well. The Education and Labor departments have 90 days to clarify that federal education funding may be used for school archery and hunter-education programs.
Interior must identify additional opportunities to help states recruit young hunters and veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs must prioritize qualifying hunting and fishing opportunities through its Adaptive Sports Grant Program.
The order also encourages states to expand Sunday hunting and directs federal land managers to work with state wildlife agencies on predator management, invasive-species control, prescribed fire, habitat improvement, water development, grazing, and other tools intended to increase game populations. Separate provisions support state programs that donate harvested venison to schools, food banks, and the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
The executive order does not instantly open every acre of federal property or erase every restriction. Many of its provisions require agencies to propose or implement changes over deadlines ranging from 60 days to one year. Its direction, however, is unmistakable: Public land belongs to the American people, hunting is a legitimate and valuable use of that land, and federal bureaucrats should have to justify shutting hunters out—not force hunters to justify being there.
About Duncan Johnson:
Duncan Johnson is a lifelong firearms enthusiast and unwavering defender of the Second Amendment—where “shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says. A graduate of George Mason University, he enjoys competing in local USPSA and multi-gun competitions whenever he’s not covering the latest in gun rights and firearm policy. Duncan is a regular contributor and editor-in-chief for AmmoLand News and is responsible for AmmoLand’s daily gun-rights reporting and industry coverage.
