National Wildlife Refuge System; 2026-2027 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations
- Published
- Sep 1, 2026
- Effective
- Aug 31, 2026
- Comments close
- Oct 1, 2026
- Citation
- 91 FR 56290
- Docket
- Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1223, FXRS12610900000-267-FF09R20000
- Agencies
- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Fish and Wildlife Service
Final rule.
Summary
The rule expands hunting and sport‑fishing opportunities on lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It opens or adds more than 1,450 hunting and fishing chances across 111 field stations—107 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System and four National Fish Hatcheries. For the first time, 14 wildlife refuges and three hatcheries will allow these activities. The changes are intended to give the public greater access to outdoor recreation, while also making the regulations clearer, reducing paperwork for users, and ensuring the rules are consistent and written in plain language as directed by the Interior Department’s leadership. The regulation is issued by the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and applies to anyone who hunts or fishes on the specified refuges and hatcheries, as well as to the agencies that manage those lands. It becomes effective on August 31 2026. Although the rule is final, the Service will accept public comments until October 1 2026; those comments will be reviewed before the agency finalizes any further adjustments and fully implements the new hunting and fishing provisions.
AI-generated summary — verify against the Federal Register text.
Official abstract
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS or Service), open or expand hunting opportunities on 111 field stations, including 107 units of the National Wildlife Refuges System (Refuge System or NWRS) and 4 units of the National Fish Hatchery System (Hatchery System or NFHS). This includes opening hunting or sport fishing opportunities for the first time on 14 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and 3 National Fish Hatcheries (NFH). These actions will open or expand more than 1,450 opportunities for hunting and fishing across the NWRS and NFHS in order to increase access for the American public. In accordance with Secretary's Order (S.O.) 3447 and Director's Order (D.O.) 233, we also make changes to existing station-specific regulations in order to improve the clarity and accuracy of regulations, reduce the regulatory burden on the public, ensure consistency across FWS lands and waters, and comply with a Presidential mandate for plain-language standards.
Topics
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