President Trump signed two orders on Thursday that open more public land to be used for hunting and fishing. The orders open what was previously restricted to the public.
In his order opening land for hunting, Trump wrote, “Hunting opportunities in our Nation have declined due to the Federal Government’s regulatory overreach, confusing and inconsistent access policies, and heavy-handed restrictions on hunter education and recruitment efforts. Reform of these restrictions is long overdue. 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 Trump administration vows to “conserve and protect America’s natural resources by stewarding Federal lands and promoting cooperative federalism,” the order adds. Under the directive, volunteers are encouraged to participate in wildlife management, and federal agencies are to review access lotteries and “cultivate the hunting tradition in young Americans and veterans using existing Federal funding and authorities,” a fact sheet reads.
President Trump also signed a similar order addressing fishing. “It is the policy of the United States to elevate the marine recreational fishing industry as an important consideration in all Federal ocean, coastal, and public land decision-making,” it says. The order directs agencies to eliminate red tape that harms the nation’s coastal economy and limit public access to resources.
The order also directs the Department of the Interior to develop artificial reefs by using decommissioned oil and gas structures in the ocean. It further calls for the establishment of an Interagency Shark and Pinniped Depredation Task Force to address predator populations.
Discussing the orders, President Trump declared, “Under the Trump administration, we believe that public lands belong to the American people.”
