87,000 Acres of Federal Land Just Opened for Hunting and Fishing

New Access Spans 11 States

The Department of the Interior just handed hunters and anglers a big win.

Starting September 2, 2025, more than 87,000 acres of federal land opened for hunting and sport fishing across 11 states.

The expansion covers 16 wildlife refuge units and one fish hatchery, from Maryland to Montana to California. Some of these spots have never allowed public hunting before.

Others are expanding what they already offered. And the timing is no accident.

The whole thing went into effect just as fall hunting season kicked off, and the backstory behind it connects to a three-acre island in Florida and a man who got paid a dollar a month to guard it.

Trump Administration Triples Access

The numbers tell the story. This expansion creates 42 new hunting and fishing opportunities, which is more than three times what the previous administration opened. The number of units affected is five times higher.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called hunting and fishing vital to conservation, the outdoor economy, and the American way of life.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge system, worked with state agencies to align federal rules with state regulations.

That means hunters no longer have to navigate two separate sets of requirements in most cases.

Southern Maryland Gets First Hunters

The newest refuge in the country is now open for hunting.

Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge was established in December 2024 as the 573rd unit in the system. It sits about an hour from Washington, D.C. , in Charles County.

The refuge started with a 31-acre parcel and will grow through future land donations. For the 2025-2026 season, archery hunting for big game is allowed on that initial acreage.

This marks the first time any hunting has been permitted there.

Californias Grasslands Opens Up

Grasslands Wildlife Management Area in California’s San Joaquin Valley now formally allows hunting. This is not your typical refuge.

Most of its 94,576 acres consist of private land under conservation easements, meaning landowners still manage the property day to day. But the area is critical habitat.

Over 1. 5 million ducks and geese winter there, along with more than 300,000 shorebirds.

The wetlands make up 30% of what remains in California’s Central Valley, and they sit along the Pacific Flyway migration route.

Massachusetts Hatchery Opens for Fishing

North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery in Massachusetts is the only hatchery included in this expansion, and it now allows sport fishing for the first time. Fish hatcheries are different from refuges.

Their main job is raising fish to stock rivers, lakes, and streams. But many also offer public access for fishing, hiking, and wildlife watching.

The national hatchery system includes 71 facilities across the country, and more than a million people visit them each year.

Outdoor Recreation Drives a $394 Billion Economy

Federal officials pointed to economic impact when announcing the expansion.

Hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities generated more than $394 billion in spending across the country in 2022. Hunters and anglers alone accounted for $144 billion of that total.

According to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s national survey, about 39. 9 million Americans over age 16 went fishing in 2021, and 14.4 million went hunting. These numbers help explain why expanding access is a priority for the administration.

Federal Rules Now Match State Laws

One of the biggest changes is not about acreage. It is about paperwork.

The new rule aligns federal refuge regulations with state hunting and fishing laws wherever possible. That means if you have a valid state license and follow state rules, you should be in compliance on most refuge land.

The Fish and Wildlife Service also rewrote many regulations in plain language, cutting down on legal jargon. The goal is to make it easier for families to get outdoors without tripping over confusing requirements.

It Started With Pelicans and Plume Hunters

The National Wildlife Refuge System exists because of a fashion trend. In the early 1900s, bird feathers were hot commodities for ladies’ hats.

Hunters killed thousands of birds a day to supply the market, and populations collapsed.

A German immigrant named Paul Kroegel lived on the Indian River in Florida and watched the slaughter happen near Pelican Island. He started guarding the birds himself.

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an executive order protecting the island. It became the first federal wildlife refuge.

Kroegel Earned One Dollar a Month

Kroegel became the first refuge manager in American history.

His salary was one dollar a month, paid by the Audubon Society because Congress had not set aside any money for the new refuge. He patrolled with a shotgun and a boat.

The island was only three acres, but the idea caught on.

By the time Roosevelt left office in 1909, he had created 51 wildlife reservations across 17 states and three territories. The refuge system kept growing from there.

573 Refuges Now Cover 850 Million Acres

Today the National Wildlife Refuge System includes 573 refuges, 38 wetland management districts, and five marine national monuments. Combined, they cover more than 850 million acres of land and marine habitat.

There is a refuge within an hour’s drive of most major cities.

More than 69 million people visit each year for hunting, fishing, wildlife photography, and birdwatching. The system protects habitat for thousands of species, including hundreds that are threatened or endangered.

Hunting Allowed on Over 430 Refuges

Hunting is not just tolerated on refuges. It is one of six priority public uses written into federal law.

More than 430 refuge units currently allow hunting, and over 370 allow fishing.

The Fish and Wildlife Service uses hunting as a wildlife management tool to control populations and maintain healthy ecosystems. Deer, waterfowl, turkey, and upland birds are common targets.

Each refuge sets its own seasons and rules based on what species live there and what the land can support.

What the 2025 Expansion Means for Hunters

The 11 states covered by this expansion are Alabama, California, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington.

The full list of units and specific regulations is published in the Federal Register.

Hunters and anglers should check both federal and state requirements before heading out, even though the rules are now more closely aligned.

The expansion applies to the 2025-2026 season and beyond, so these new opportunities are not a one-time deal.

Visit Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

If you want to see where America’s refuge system began, Pelican Island is open daily from 7:30 a. m. until sunset. The refuge is located off Highway A1A in Indian River County, near Sebastian.

A three-quarter-mile paved trail leads to an observation tower with views of the island Roosevelt protected in 1903. There are also two three-mile loop trails through salt marsh and mangrove habitat.

Admission is free. Fall through spring is the best time to visit, when migratory white pelicans join the resident brown pelicans and over 130 other bird species.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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