Federal Hunting Access Expansion: USFWS Proposes 1,450 New Refuge Opportunities
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed the largest federal hunting access expansion in its history, opening or expanding more than 1,450 hunting and fishing opportunities across 92 million acres of public land. The catch for hunters who want a say: the public comment window closes June 26, 2026. That is three days from today.
This is not a season opener or a new tag allocation. It is a rulemaking. And rulemakings move on deadlines, not on hope.
What the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service actually proposed
On May 26, 2026, the Department of the Interior announced a proposed rule to open or expand access at 111 field stations in 32 states. That total includes 107 national wildlife refuges and four national fish hatcheries.
The agency calls it the largest proposed expansion of hunting and sport fishing access in its history. If finalized, the rule would make more than 92 million acres — over 95% of the National Wildlife Refuge System — available for hunting.
Fourteen refuges and three hatcheries would open to hunting or fishing for the first time. The Service also proposed more than 500 revisions and deletions to existing regulations, with the stated goal of aligning federal rules with state wildlife law.
The proposal carries out Secretary’s Order 3447 and Executive Order 14192. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum framed it as removing “unnecessary restrictions” and putting decisions closer to state wildlife managers.
The numbers behind the federal hunting access expansion
One word does a lot of work in this rule: “opportunity.” The Service defines an opportunity as the ability to hunt or fish one species at one location. That is how 111 stations produce more than 1,450 new chances to hunt or fish.
| Measure | Proposed figure |
|---|---|
| New hunting/fishing opportunities | 1,450+ |
| Field stations affected | 111 |
| National wildlife refuges | 107 |
| National fish hatcheries | 4 |
| States | 32 |
| First-ever access sites | 14 refuges, 3 hatcheries |
| Acres open to hunting | 92 million (95%+ of refuge system) |
| Regulations cut or revised | 500+ |
For scale, the refuge system spans 573 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts. It draws more than 71 million visitors a year. This rule reaches a large share of that map.
What the federal hunting access expansion changes on the ground
The headline number is access. The practical change is variety. The Service listed four kinds of openings in the proposal.
- First-time hunting or fishing at refuges and hatcheries that were closed before.
- More acres for upland game, migratory bird, and big game seasons.
- New sport fishing access at waters that had been off-limits.
- Station-specific rules rewritten to match current conditions.
Because the federal hunting access expansion spans 32 states, the odds are decent that a station near you appears in the docket — whether you hunt waterfowl, chase upland birds, or fish public water. The only way to know is to read the station list for your state, which the Federal Register notice spells out refuge by refuge.
This is where last month’s public-land prep checklist earns its keep. New ground means new gates, new boundaries, and new access points to scout before opening day.
The lead-ammo reversal buried in the rule
One detail matters for anyone who shoots traditional ammunition. The proposal would rescind nonlead ammunition, shot, and tackle requirements at nine national wildlife refuges. Those requirements had been finalized to take effect September 1, 2026.
In plain terms, the rule would keep traditional lead ammo and tackle legal at those nine stations rather than forcing a switch this fall. For hunters who had budgeted a copper-bullet changeover, that is a real and immediate change worth watching.
Lead policy on federal land has swung back and forth for years. The lesson is the same each time: read the station-specific regulation before you load a vest or a rifle, because the rule for one refuge rarely matches the rule next door.
How to comment before the June 26 deadline
The Service opened a 30-day comment period when the rule published in the Federal Register on May 27, 2026. Comments are due June 26. Here is how to file one that counts.
- Go to regulations.gov and search docket number FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1223.
- Open the proposed rule and find the stations listed for your state.
- Name the specific refuge, species, or access provision you are addressing.
- Say plainly what you support, what concerns you, and what should change.
- Submit before the June 26 close. The Service will not take comments by email or fax.
Specific beats generic. A comment that names a refuge, a season, and a reason carries more weight than a form letter. Wildlife agencies weigh substance, not volume alone.
Hunters and anglers have done this before. When the ATF opened its own rulemaking this spring, gun owners flooded the docket — our sister site Freedom’s Lodge walked readers through how to file a federal public comment step by step. The mechanics here are the same.
Why the federal hunting access expansion matters for 2026–2027 seasons
Access is the quiet engine of American hunting, and the federal hunting access expansion is the biggest single jolt to it in years. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, 14.4 million Americans hunt and 39.9 million fish, together adding more than $144 billion to the economy each year.
Hunter numbers have slid in many states over the past two decades, and access loss is one reason. Leased ground, posted land, and shrinking public acreage push new hunters out before they start. The federal hunting access expansion pushes the other direction. It opens 92 million federal acres and hands first-time hunters and out-of-state travelers a place to legally go.
That spending funds conservation through license sales and the excise taxes on guns, ammo, and gear. More legal access tends to mean more hunters afield, which means more dollars routed back into habitat. It is the same hunter-funded model that groups like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation have leaned on for decades.
The rule is not final. The Service will review comments after June 26 and is expected to publish final regulations later this summer — in time to shape some 2026–2027 seasons. If you already drew a tag in this year’s Western draw, a newly opened refuge could add ground you had written off.
Frequently asked questions
Is the federal hunting access expansion final?
No. It is a proposed rule. The Fish and Wildlife Service published it in the Federal Register on May 27, 2026, and opened a 30-day comment period that closes June 26. Final regulations are expected later in summer 2026 after the agency reviews public input.
How many places would open to hunting and fishing?
The proposal opens or expands more than 1,450 opportunities at 111 stations in 32 states, including 107 national wildlife refuges and four national fish hatcheries. Fourteen refuges and three hatcheries would allow hunting or fishing for the first time.
How do I submit a comment on the rule?
Go to regulations.gov and search docket FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1223. Open the proposed rule, find the stations in your state, and submit a written comment that names the specific refuge or provision you support or oppose. Comments are due June 26, 2026, and the Service does not accept them by email or fax.
Does the rule ban lead ammunition?
No. The opposite, in part. The proposal would rescind nonlead ammunition, shot, and tackle requirements at nine refuges that were set to take effect September 1, 2026. Always confirm the station-specific regulation for the refuge you plan to hunt.
How do I find a wildlife refuge open to hunting near me?
Check the Federal Register notice for the proposed rule, which lists affected stations by state, or use the refuge locator at fws.gov to find a national wildlife refuge near you and its current hunting and fishing rules.
Ninety-two million acres is a lot of country. Three days is not a lot of time. Read the docket, find your refuge, and put your name on the record before the window closes — the seasons that follow will be written by the people who showed up for this one.
Updated June 23, 2026. Sourcing note: Figures in this article come from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s May 26, 2026 press release and the agency’s 2026–2027 station-specific hunting and sport fishing proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on May 27, 2026 (Docket FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1223). Economic and participation figures are from the Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Comment-process details reflect the docket as of June 23, 2026.
By James Nicholas, Hunting & Outdoor Guide. NFA firearms manufacturer, professional gunsmith for 20+ years, and a firearms and outdoors writer and photographer.
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