Trump is lifting restrictions on hunting in national parks and other areas (PBS/AP)

by Todd Richmond, AP

Politics May 8, 2026 5:31 PM EDT
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is quietly pushing national park, refuge and wilderness area managers to dramatically scale back hunting restrictions, raising questions about visitor safety and the impact on wildlife.

WATCH: National Park Foundation chief on protecting America's shared spaces

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued an order in January directing multiple agencies to remove what he termed "unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers" to hunting and fishing and justify regulations they want to keep in place.

"Expanding opportunities for the public to hunt and fish on Department-managed lands not only strengthens conservation outcomes, but also supports rural economies, public health, and access to America's outdoor spaces," Burgum wrote. "The Department's policy is clear: public and federally managed lands should be open to hunting and fishing unless a specific, documented, and legally supported exception applies."

Order clears the way for tree stands, training dogs and more

The order applies to 55 sites in the lower 48 states under the National Park Service's jurisdiction, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. Managers at various locations have already lifted prohibitions on hunting stands that damage trees and training hunting dogs, using vehicles to retrieve animals and hunting along trails, according to an NPCA review of site regulations the organization recently performed after learning of the order. The New York Times was the first to report on the changes.

WATCH: How funding cuts to national parks may harm the communities around them

The hunting season in the Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, for example, would be extended through the spring and summer. Hunters in the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Texas would be allowed to clean their kills in bathrooms. And hunters would be allowed to kill alligators in the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana.
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more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-is-lifting-restrictions-on-hunting-in-national-parks-and-other-areas


There's too much for a few paras, and it's all pretty revolting. Apparently Trmp is trying to preserve hunting in the same way he's trying to preserve coal power -- by ignoring abundant evidence it's an outmoded way of life for most people, who shouldn't be forced to bend over backwards to accommodate the diehard (no pun intended) practitioners. Why do "conservatives" feel such an infantile need to preserve "the way it's always been"? NOTHING has always been; the only constancy is the continuation of change. Some is for the better, some not, but anyone with intelligent, informed judgement should be able to choose for themselves what they reject as outmoded, and not be forced to continue subsidizing vestigial cultural relics.