2019-11443: 2019-2020 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations

Summary

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to open seven National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) that are currently closed to hunting and sport fishing. In addition, we propose to expand hunting and sport fishing at 67 other NWRs, and add pertinent station-specific regulations for other NWRs that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing for the 2019- 2020 season. We also propose to formally open 15 units of the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHs) to hunting and sport fishing. We also propose to add pertinent station-specific regulations that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing at these 15 NFHs for the 2019-2020 season. This proposed rule includes global administrative updates to every NWR entry in our refuge-specific regulations and the reorganization of general public use regulations. We propose to remove approximately 2,100 regulations that will have no impact on the administration of hunting and sport fishing within the National Wildlife Refuge System. We also propose to simplify over 2,900 refuge-specific regulations to comply with a Presidential mandate to adhere to plain language standards and to reduce the regulatory burden on the public. Lastly, we propose to amend certain provisions of the regulations specific to Alaska NWRs. The proposed amendments include the removal of the regulations concerning same-day airborne hunting.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 4 parts of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 50 CFR 26 Public Entry and Use
• 50 CFR 32 Hunting and Fishing
• 50 CFR 36 Alaska National Wildlife Refuges
• 50 CFR 71 Hunting and Sport Fishing on National Fish Hatcheries