DIRECTOR’S ORDER NO. 233
Subject: Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lands and Waters
Sec. 1 What is the background and purpose of this Order?
a. As time-honored American pastimes, hunting and fishing bring people together and remain core to the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The Service manages lands and waters that provide significant opportunities for the public to engage in these activities while ensuring conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.
b. On January 7, 2026, the Secretary of the Interior issued Secretary’s Order No. 3447, “Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and Waters.” That Order reaffirms the Department’s policy that lands and waters managed by the Department of the Interior should be open to hunting and fishing unless a specific, documented, and legally necessary exception applies.
c. This Director’s Order implements Secretary’s Order No. 3447 within the Service. It establishes clear expectations, requirements, and internal procedures to ensure consistent, transparent, and accountable decision-making related to hunting and fishing access on Service-managed lands and waters, particularly within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS).
Sec. 2 What is the legal authority for this Order? Secretarial Order No. 3447.
Sec. 3 What is the scope of this Order?
a. This Order applies to all Service programs, Regions, and field stations, including but not limited to all units of the NWRS and NFHS.
b. This Order governs the Service’s internal review, coordination, and approval processes related to hunting and fishing access, compatibility determinations, station-specific regulations, annual hunting and sport fishing rulemaking, and related policy decisions.
Sec. 4 What are the guiding principles under this Order? Service leadership and staff must adhere to the following principles when implementing this Order:
a. Hunting and fishing are a priority and must be facilitated wherever and whenever legally permissible.
b. Restrictions or limitations on hunting or fishing access must be the exception, not the default, and must be clearly justified, documented, and legally required.
c. Regulatory and administrative requirements must not exceed what is legally required.
d. Coordination with State, Tribal, Territorial, and local wildlife management agencies and gateway communities is essential to effective and consistent access management.
Sec. 5 What actions are required of the Service?
a. Expand Hunting and Fishing Opportunities. Within 21 days of the date of this Order, Service programs, Regions, and field stations must:
(1) Identify lands and waters where new or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities may be available, including big game, upland game, waterfowl, small game, and recreational fishing.
(2) Prioritize opportunities recommended by State, Tribal, and Territorial wildlife agencies; State, Tribal, and local governments; and gateway communities consistent with statutory authorities and unit purposes.
(3) Review outdated or unnecessary restrictions in existing plans, superintendent’s compendiums, station-specific regulations, and other site-level policies that may limit access or methods of take beyond what is required.
(4) Ensure that any proposed limitation on hunting or fishing access is supported by clear, documented justification based on statutory requirements, public safety, or resource conditions and that all proposed limitations are reviewed by the Bureau or Office heads.
b. Reduce Unnecessary Regulatory Burden. Within 120 days, Service programs, Regions, and field stations must review their hunting and fishing regulations, policies, and internal directives to identify opportunities to:
(1) Remove or revise duplicative or outdated regulatory requirements that are not legally required.
(2) Improve regulatory alignment with State and Tribal wildlife management frameworks to the greatest extent legally practicable.
(3) Increase consistency among units within the same State or Region where appropriate.
(4) Enhance clarity and enforceability of provisions to ensure the public can easily understand and comply with applicable requirements.
c. Land Use Planning Integration. All Service programs, Regions, and field stations must ensure that hunting and fishing access is appropriately considered in applicable land-use planning and decision-making processes, including refuge comprehensive conservation plans. Specifically:
(1) Planning processes must explicitly evaluate the impacts of proposed actions on hunting and fishing access.
(2) Opportunities for expansion must be considered when compatible with law, enabling statutes, and resource conditions.
(3) Processes must avoid imposing access restrictions that exceed statutory mandates or the minimum necessary for public safety or resource protection.
Sec. 6 What are the requirements for compatibility determinations?
a. Any proposed negative (incompatible) compatibility determination involving hunting or fishing must be elevated to the Director for review and approval prior to issuance.
b. Compatibility determinations proposing restrictions or limitations must include clear, site-specific documentation citing statutory requirements, refuge purposes, public safety considerations, or biological factors that necessitate the restriction.
c. Regions and field stations must ensure compatibility determinations are applied consistently and are not used to impose restrictions beyond what is required by law or the minimum necessary for resource protection or public safety.
Sec. 7 What are the requirements related to lead ammunition and tackle?
a. Restrictions on the use of lead ammunition or lead tackle may not be included in station-specific regulations except in rare circumstances where:
(1) Site- and species-specific scientific evidence demonstrates a direct population-level impact; or
(2) Such restrictions are necessary to align with State or Tribal law to ensure regulatory consistency.
b. All restrictions on lead ammunition or tackle must be approved by the Director and supported by documented justification.
c. Voluntary lead-free programs may continue where they already exist, and their effectiveness must be evaluated prior to consideration of any additional changes or extensions.
Sec. 8 What coordination is required?
a. Regions and field stations must engage State and Tribal wildlife agencies early and routinely when evaluating new opportunities or proposed restrictions related to hunting or fishing.
b. The Service must respect State and Tribal authorities for wildlife management and avoid unnecessary or duplicative Federal restrictions unless expressly required by statute, refuge purposes, or public safety considerations.
c. Coordination efforts and resulting decisions must be documented and applied consistently across Regions.
Sec. 9 What reporting and oversight is required?
a. Regions must provide information requested by the Director or Deputy Director to support Departmental reporting requirements established under Secretary’s Order No. 3447.
b. The Director retains oversight authority to review, approve, modify, or rescind Service actions related to hunting and fishing access to ensure consistency with Departmental policy and this Order.
Sec. 10 When are the deliverables due to the Director?
a. Expand Hunting and Fishing Opportunities: Regions and field stations must submit to the Director no later than Friday, February 27, 2026, a report identifying:
(1) Opportunities for new or expanded hunting and fishing access;
(2) Any proposed or ongoing research mapping or projects related to wildlife, fisheries, or waterfowl resources which may impact recreational hunting or fishing resources;
(3) Existing barriers or restrictions that may limit such access; and
(4) Any planning or regulatory processes that may require revision to implement this Order.
b. Reduce Unnecessary Regulatory Burden: Regions and field stations must submit to the Director no later than Friday, May 8, 2026, a report identifying:
(1) Provisions that are outdated, duplicative, or more restrictive than required by law;
(2) Recommended changes to streamline or improve clarity; and
(3) A timeline for initiating the recommended revisions.
Sec. 11 What is the Scope and Limitations on this Order?
This Order is intended to ensure implementation of Secretary’s Order No 3447, by utilizing every legally available means to expand hunting and fishing opportunities on FWS-managed lands. It is not intended to, and does not, create any right to administrative or judicial review or any legal right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by a party against the United States, its agencies, or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
/sgd/ Brian R. Nesvik
DIRECTOR
Date: February 2, 2026