"Our national parks are the gold standard for American conservation where we must maintain a careful balance between fish and wildlife restoration, recovery, and recreational and subsistence access." -- NPCA's Bart Melton
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, the Department of Interior issued Secretarial Order 3447, Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and Waters. The order directs the National Park Service and other land management agencies including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation to “Identify and remove unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers to hunting and fishing on Department-managed lands and waters.” It also calls for these federal agencies to prioritize hunting and fishing by expanding access and opportunities to improve collaboration with state and Tribes, and aims to elevate decision-making on hunting, fishing, and trapping decisions on Department of Interior lands and water to political appointees for review.
This Order does not override the foundational Organic Act that drives decision making in parks or individual park legislation passed by Congress, which generally prohibits hunting in national parks unless specifically authorized.
Statement by Bart Melton, Senior Wildlife Program Director for the National Parks Conservation Association
“Many of our 433 national park sites already offer opportunities for hunting and fishing – including 51 million acres across Alaska and the lower forty-eight, and 213 parks where fishing access is available. For the parks that allow hunting already, Congress specifically did so when establishing these parks. For parks that don’t, it’s for good reason and was intentional.
“For over 100 years, experts at the Park Service have successfully conserved, restored, and managed wildlife populations based on foundational laws like the Organic Act and the best available science. They have done so in partnership with the hunting and angling communities, Tribes, states, and local community partners to ensure wildlife populations in our parks continue to thrive now and for generations to come.
“Our national parks are the gold standard for American conservation where we must maintain a careful balance between fish and wildlife restoration, recovery, and recreational and subsistence access. Our parks are for everyone and provide numerous experiences for exploration and adventure. At a time when park staffing is at an all-time low, with more than 25% of park experts lost since January 2025, Secretary Burgum should be investing in the success of professional wildlife management in our parks, not exploring opportunities to inject more process into wildlife decision-making.
“When it comes to America’s national parks, what problem is this Secretarial Order proposing to solve? Many unanswered questions exist and we look forward to reviewing the Interior Department’s analysis.”
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
