Interior Secretary Burgum Moves to Expand Hunting and Fishing Access on Public Lands

In a welcome move for sportsmen and conservationists alike, Doug Burgum, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, has issued a new directive aimed at removing unnecessary barriers to hunting and fishing on America’s public lands.

The seven-page order, Secretary’s Order 3447, affirms that “hunting and fishing are foundational components of the Nation’s conservation tradition” and directs all bureaus and offices within the Department of the Interior to identify and eliminate regulatory or administrative obstacles that limit lawful access. Where legally permissible, the order also encourages agencies to expand hunting and fishing opportunities consistent with conservation goals, safety considerations, and existing land-management statutes.

Importantly, the order does not impose restrictions on the use of traditional lead ammunition—an issue that has increasingly concerned hunters facing piecemeal bans across the country.

The Department of the Interior oversees more than 500 million acres of public land—roughly one-fifth of the United States—primarily through agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Burgum’s order signals a shift away from the slow creep of access restrictions that have increasingly sidelined hunters and anglers, even as those same groups continue to bankroll conservation through license fees, excise taxes, and habitat funding.

The directive was met with praise from conservation and industry organizations that recognize the central role hunters and anglers play in wildlife management. “Hunters and anglers have long been central to conserving wildlife and habitat in this country,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “These actions help reinforce that legacy and ensure public lands provide meaningful, well-managed opportunities to hunt and fish.”

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents the American firearms and outdoor industry, also welcomed the announcement. “Secretary Burgum is delivering for hunters and conservationists,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF’s Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs. “Public lands should be accessible to the Americans who pay for them. Wildlife conservation decisions must be grounded in sound science that supports healthy animal populations and responsible public use.”

Burgum, the nation’s 55th Secretary of the Interior, previously served as Republican governor of North Dakota and was confirmed to his current post by the U.S. Senate in a decisive 79–18 vote. During his tenure as governor, he signed multiple pro-Second Amendment bills into law, including legislation establishing permitless carry.

Shortly after assuming leadership of the Interior Department, Burgum also moved to open 87,000 acres of land managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to hunting and fishing—an early signal that his approach would favor access over restriction.

At a time when anti-gun and anti-hunting activists continue pushing to lock Americans out of their own public lands, Secretary Burgum’s order represents a course correction—one that recognizes hunters and anglers not as a problem to be managed, but as partners in conservation.

At 2 If By Sea Tactical, we believe the right to keep and bear arms doesn’t end at the trailhead. Responsible hunting, fishing, and outdoor traditions are inseparable from American liberty—and policies that expand lawful access help ensure those traditions endure for generations to come.

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