Trump Administration Announces Plan To Open Over 2 Million Acres of Wildlife Refuge Land to Hunting and Fishing
Mountain lions, migratory birds, and alligators are among the wild animals at risk under the new proposed hunting rules.
The Trump administration has announced plans to open 2.3 million acres of land for hunting and fishing on more than 100 national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries.
Under the new proposal published by The Department of the Interior, an extensive list shows the many wild animals set to be hunted, including mountain lions, bears, deer, foxes, and alligators, as well as migratory birds on public lands across the US.
Not only does the list expand on current hunting and fishing sites, but many of the proposed wildlife refuges will have been opened up to hunters “for the first time”. The proposal will create hunting land that collectively amounts to more acreage than “the entire state of Delaware”.
“America’s hunters and anglers now have something significant to look forward to in the fall as we plan to open and expand hunting and fishing opportunities across more acreage nationwide than the entire state of Delaware,” Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said in a statement.
Critics of the proposal have called the timing of the announcement “tone-deaf” amid the current coronavirus pandemic. Wildlife campaigners and animal protection groups are set to speak out against the plans, with a 60 day window for people and organizations to comment on the proposal set to take place.
Species Unite
A collection of stories of those who fight the good fight on behalf of animals.