For Immediate Release: 

Sept. 8, 2025 

Contact: 

Media@backcountryhunters.org 

 

Public Hunting, Fishing Expanded on 16 National Wildlife Refuges

MISSOULA, Mont.—Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) applauds the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) decision to open more than 40 new hunting and fishing opportunities across more than 87,000 acres within the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).  

As the “voice for our wild public lands, waters, and wildlife,” BHA welcomed the continued expansion as an important step forward for sportsmen and women.  

“Expanding opportunities for hunters and anglers on public lands and waters is a step worth celebrating,” said Christopher Borgatti, Eastern Policy and Conservation Manager at BHA. “Lack of access is one of the main reasons people set aside their rods and rifles, so every step forward matters. We applaud the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s progress in increasing access on refuges and its acknowledgment that hunting and fishing are not only part of our heritage but a vital, ongoing use of our public lands.” 

The USFWS action opens or expands opportunities across 17 federal sites, including 16 National Wildlife Refuges. These refuges span Alabama, California, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.  

Highlights include the first hunting opportunities at Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge and the formal opening of hunting at Grasslands Wildlife Management Area. DOI also announced administrative updates to simplify and clarify station-specific regulations, aligning them more closely with state rules. 

“Streamlining regulations and aligning them with state management is a win for access and enjoyment,” Borgatti added. “When barriers are reduced, more people can experience the benefits of time afield.”

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Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife.