MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett thanked Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt for his proposal to expand hunting and fishing opportunities on more than 2.3 million acres of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) properties across the country. The proposal announced today would provide new or expanded recreational opportunities on 97 national wildlife refuges in almost every state. Of particular note is the opening of Bamforth National Wildlife Refuge near Laramie, Wyoming for upland and big game hunting for the first time, as well as opening the Everglades Headwaters NWR in Florida, Fallon NWR in Nevada and Leslie Canyon NWR in southeastern Arizona for migratory bird, upland and big game hunting for the first time. When finalized, the new rule will continue to add to the Administration’s efforts to expand hunting and fishing access on refuges bringing the total expansion to 4 million acres nationwide.
“As the oldest wildlife conservation organization in the country, the Boone and Crockett Club was involved in President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision over one hundred years ago to create the national wildlife refuge system. The action today by Secretary Bernhardt to create new access opportunities on many of these properties shows the tremendous success of wildlife restoration efforts to build the sustainable populations that allow regulated hunting and fishing programs to expand,” commented Club president, Timothy C. Brady. “We thank Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith, Secretary Bernhardt and President Trump for this Administration’s continued commitment to the sportsmen and women of this country.”