The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will open or expand public hunting opportunities on 17 national wildlife refuges under a rule published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, Sept. 11.
That rule, the 2012-2013 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations, will expand opportunities for hunters in 14 states in fulfillment of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, which NRA championed and helped draft. The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 made hunting, fishing and other wildlife-oriented activities priority uses on national wildlife refuges.
In accordance with that act, the USFWS is opening the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge in Michigan to migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and big game hunting for the first time.
“The National Wildlife Refuge System, one of America’s greatest conservation success stories, is committed to offering quality hunting and fishing programs for all Americans wherever they are compatible with refuge purposes,” said UWFWS Director Dan Ashe.
The following is a break-down of the refuges that will see expanded hunting opportunities under the new rule (in addition to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge):
-- Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge (Missouri): Expands area for migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and big game hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (Indiana): Expands big game hunting area. The refuge is also open to upland game hunting and sport fishing.
-- Block Island National Wildlife Refuge (Rhode Island): Adds deer to the refuge’s big game hunting program. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (Georgia): Adds migratory bird hunting and upland game hunting; expands area for big game hunting, and adds turkeys to the big game hunting program. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge (Tennessee): Expands area for migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and big game hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge (Idaho): Expands area for big game hunting. The refuge is also open to migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and sport fishing.
-- Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (Texas): Adds turkey to species for big game hunting. The refuge is also open to migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and sport fishing.
-- Saddle Mountain (Hanford Reach) National Wildlife Refuge (Washington): Expands area for migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and big game hunting. Adds chukar to upland game hunting program. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Julia Butler Hanson Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer (Oregon): Expands area for migratory bird hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge (Tennessee): Expands area for migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and big game hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (Minnesota): Expands area for migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and big game hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge (Rhode Island): Adds deer to species for big game hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (Montana): Expands area for migratory bird hunting and big game hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
-- Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge (Louisiana): Expands area for migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting, and big game hunting. The refuge is open to sport fishing.
-- Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge (South Carolina): Expands area for big game hunting. Adds woodcock to species for migratory bird hunting. The refuge is also open to upland game hunting and sport fishing.
-- William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge (Oregon): Expands area for big game hunting. The refuge is also open to sport fishing.
In addition to these expanded hunting opportunities, the rule will also close Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii to big game hunting. With this change, the refuge will be closed to all hunting activity. The refuge is also closed to sport fishing. The new rule will also close Santee National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina to migratory bird hunting, although the refuge remains open to sport fishing.
Notice of the proposed changes was published in the Federal Register on July 11, 2012, and public comments were accepted through Aug. 10, 2012.
While definitions of hunting categories vary by refuge and state, migratory bird hunting generally includes ducks and geese. Upland game hunting may cover such animals as game birds, rabbit, squirrel, opossum and coyote. Big game hunting may include such animals as wild turkey, deer and feral hogs.
Under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the USFWS can permit hunting and fishing along with four other types of wildlife-dependent recreational uses where they are compatible with refuge purpose and mission. Hunting, within specified limits, is permitted on more than 300 national wildlife refuges. Fishing is permitted on more than 270 national wildlife refuges. Other wildlife-dependent recreation on national wildlife refuges includes wildlife observation, photography, interpretation and education.
“Hunters have been a mainstay of conservation in America for more than 100 years, and expanding hunting opportunities helps ensure that we will have the resources to care for our wildlife and its habitat in the future,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
For more information on hunting programs offered in the National Wildlife Refuge System, please visit www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting/.
