Secretary Zinke signs secretarial order to expand recreational access

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed Secretarial Order 3356 on Sept. 15, creating a process to identify and expand access to outdoor recreation – especially hunting and fishing – on public lands and waters managed by the Department of the Interior. 

The order is an extension of Secretarial Order 3347 – issued on Secretary Zinke’s first day in office. The new order seeks to improve wildlife management and conservation and increase access to public lands for hunting, shooting and fishing. It also puts a new and a greater emphasis on recruiting and retaining new sportsmen conservationists, with a focus on engaging youth, veterans, minorities and other communities that traditionally have low participation in outdoor recreation activities.

“Hunting and fishing is a cornerstone of the American tradition and hunters and fishers of America are the backbone of land and wildlife conservation,” said Secretary Zinke. “The more people we can get outdoors, the better things will be for our public lands. As someone who grew up hunting and fishing on our public lands – packing bologna sandwiches and heading out at 4 a.m. with my dad – I know how important it is to expand access to public lands for future generations. Some of my best memories are hunting deer or reeling in rainbow trout back home in Montana, and I think every American should be able to have that experience.”

Read the full text of Secretarial Order 3356.