Overview
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has published a proposed station-specific rule that would open or expand hunting and sport-fishing at 111 field stations, including 107 refuges and four hatcheries, adding more than 1,450 defined opportunities across 32 states.
- If finalized as proposed, the package could make hunting available on roughly 95 percent of refuge lands — about 92 million acres — though each refuge would still set species, seasons, bag limits, permits, and other local restrictions through compatibility reviews.
- The proposal would rescind previously finalized nonlead-ammunition and tackle requirements at nine refuges and ask whether Canaan Valley Refuge should require lead-free hunting, reviving a long-running wildlife and public-health debate over lead poisoning.
- The rule includes more than 500 regulatory revisions meant to align federal refuge rules with state fish-and-game laws, and the agency says the change could produce roughly $1.1 million in likely annual local spending, with a maximum estimate of $2.2 million.
- The proposal is not final and is open for public comment through June 26, 2026, after which the agency will review input and may finalize, modify, or withdraw provisions while stakeholders prepare for possible legal and administrative challenges.