Members of Congress routinely introduce legislation and debate issues pertaining to recreational opportunities and access, federal land use, and the federal government's regulatory roles related to sportsperson activities. These issues cut across all of the federal land management agencies—including Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies and the U.S. Forest Service (FS) in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other land management agencies and departments such as the Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Hunting and fishing activities are included in the management plans for many federally owned areas, and are authorized under law for some federal lands (see " Hunting and Fishing on Federal Lands " section below). Proponents of greater access to sportsperson activities on federal lands cite the importance of federal lands for these activities and contend that federal lands should be managed in a way that benefits and provides opportunities for all Americans, including hunters and anglers. Hunting and Fishing on Federal Lands

Federal lands and waters are a significant provider of opportunities for sportspeople to participate in hunting and fishing. The federal government owns approximately 640 million acres of land, accounting for about 28% of land within the United States. For example, although a land management agency may have a policy to allow hunting and fishing, an individual unit within the agency may not allow hunting and fishing in parts of the unit because of a specific purpose or need at the unit level. Although it is not possible to determine the precise percentage of federal acres open to hunting and/or fishing, based on these data, more than 80% of federal lands and waters appear to be open to hunting in some capacity. The below sections provide an overview of hunting and fishing policy for several of the major land management agencies and departments. Not all agencies managing federal lands and waters are included in this report (e.g., U.S. National Park Service

NPS's National Park System contains 417 units with 80.0 million federal acres. These laws outline the purpose and mission of specific agencies and determine whether lands and waters managed by these agencies are open unless closed or closed unless open . This section will focus on the federal statutes applicable to hunting and fishing more generally. Migratory Bird Treaty Act

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) implements a bipartite convention between the United States and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada). Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act

The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act of 1934 (the Duck Stamp Act) requires that waterfowl hunters over the age of 16 annually purchase and carry a valid federal hunting stamp (known as a duck stamp ) in addition to any required licenses under state laws for hunting waterfowl. Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act and Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act

The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act) and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the Dingell-Johnson Act) are both related to hunting and fishing. Some issues related to hunting and fishing that are deliberated by Congress include establishing what federal lands can be accessed for hunting and fishing; determining what types of land should be open to hunting and fishing; how to regulate the opening and closing of land to hunting and fishing; whether to reauthorize or amend existing laws that are related to hunting and fishing; and regulating the use of ammunition and tackle on federal lands. Whether lands and waters are open to hunting and fishing is determined by authorizing statutes and missions for land management agencies as well as the purpose of individual units within the various land management systems. Although BLM and FS are the focus of these bills, both S. 733 and S. 1460 would also establish that it is the policy of the United States for all agencies and departments, in line with their missions, to facilitate the expansion and enhancement of hunting and fishing. Reauthorizations

Congress routinely considers reauthorizing appropriations and/or programmatic authorities that are either directly or indirectly related to hunting and fishing. H.R. 4489 ), and limitation on acquisition of lands administered by the federal government ( H.R. 3668 ). This issue has been addressed through administrative actions. Summary of Selected Legislation in the 115th Congress Addressing Sportsperson Issues

The following table presents issues addressed within selected hunting and fishing legislation introduced in the 115 th Congress.
This report provides an overview of issues related to hunting and fishing on federal lands. Each year millions of individuals participate in hunting and fishing activities, bringing in billions of dollars for regional and national economies. Due to their popularity, economic value, constituent appeal, and nexus to federal land management issues, hunting and fishing issues are perennially addressed by Congress. Congress addresses these issues through oversight, legislation, and appropriations, which target issues such as access to federal lands and waters for sportsperson activities, and striking the right balance among hunting and fishing and other recreational, commercial, scientific, and conservation uses.
Most federal lands and waters are open to hunting and/or fishing; stakeholders contend that these areas provide many hunters and anglers with their only or best access to hunting and fishing. This is especially the case in the western United States. Federal lands and waters account for nearly 640 million acres (28%) of the 2.3 billion acres in the United States. Federal land management agencies manage recreational activities, including hunting and fishing, on federal lands. Four land management agencies—the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and National Park Service (NPS) within the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the U.S. Forest Service (FS) within the Department of Agriculture (USDA)—manage over 95% of federal lands, while the rest is administered by other agencies within DOI, the Department of Defense (DOD), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and others.
Federal land management agencies have hunting and fishing policies that are derived from statutes establishing the agencies as well as federal and state laws pertaining to hunting and fishing. In general, federal land management agencies have hunting and fishing policies that are either open unless closed or closed unless open, depending on the mission of the agency. In the case of the former, the default status of lands is open to hunting and fishing unless closed by the relevant agency. For these agencies, recreation, including hunting and fishing, is often included within the mission of the agency. For lands that are closed unless open, hunting and fishing are often a secondary use and allowed only when compatible with the primary purpose or mission of the agency or the federal land unit. Overall, based on CRS analysis of agency data, more than 80% of federal lands and waters appear to be open to hunting in some capacity.
Several federal statutes are applicable to hunting and fishing either directly or indirectly. For example, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 provides the federal government with the authority to regulate the hunting of migratory birds in the United States. Similarly, the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (better known as the Duck Stamp Act) authorizes the requirement for hunters to obtain a federal stamp to hunt migratory birds. Alternatively, federal laws may indirectly relate to hunting and fishing, such as the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act), which directs tax revenues from certain hunting and fishing equipment to states for wildlife restoration and hunter education.
In the 115th Congress, hunting and fishing issues have been addressed through oversight and proposed legislation. These bills (e.g., H.R. 3668 and H.R. 4489, and S. 733 and S. 1460) reflect some of the key issues being deliberated by Congress. These issues include access to federal lands for hunting and fishing, procedures for closing certain lands to these activities, the transport of firearms on federal lands, and the use of specific ammunition and tackle in hunting and fishing. Although there is general agreement among Members of Congress regarding the importance of balancing sportsperson activities and other activities on federal lands, the question of what the appropriate balance is, and the best means of achieving it, has in some cases been contentious.