Clearfield, Utah - The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) today welcomed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum's Secretarial Order 3447, which establishes an "open unless closed" standard for hunting and fishing across most lands managed by the Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges, Bureau of Reclamation properties, and eligible National Park Service units.
The order directs Interior agencies to treat regulated hunting and fishing as a primary use of public lands unless restrictions are required by law, public safety, or documented resource protection needs, replacing a fragmented system of incremental, site-by-site decisions with a clear, nationwide conservation framework aligned with state wildlife management.
"This is one of the most important conservation and access actions taken in decades," said Greg Sheehan, President and CEO of the Mule Deer Foundation. "Secretary Burgum is reaffirming that hunting and fishing are not fringe activities on public lands, they are foundational to how wildlife is conserved, funded, and managed in America."
The Mule Deer Foundation emphasized the importance of the order for the National Wildlife Refuge System, where many of the nation's most important mule deer winter ranges, migration corridors, and habitat restoration investments occur.
"Wildlife refuges exist because hunters built them," Sheehan said. "From Federal Duck Stamps to Pittman-Robertson excise taxes on firearms and ammunition, sportsmen and women have paid for the acquisition, restoration, and long-term care of these lands. This order properly recognizes that history and ensures the public can continue to participate in wildlife management through scientifically regulated harvest."
Under the new directive, annual federal hunt-fish rules will be updated to mirror adjacent state regulations, eliminating unnecessary discrepancies that confuse hunters and undermine coordinated wildlife management.
"States are the primary wildlife managers in this country," Sheehan added. "Aligning federal refuge rules with state seasons and bag limits improves compliance, improves conservation outcomes, and respects the expertise of state wildlife agencies."
MDF also supports the order's approach to lead ammunition and fishing tackle, which removes blanket prohibitions while allowing targeted, science-based protections where population-level impacts are demonstrated.
"Choosing non-lead equipment should remain a personal choice guided by education and incentives," said Sheehan. "We support focused regulation when science shows harm at a population level but not broad, divisive mandates that undermine participation and conservation funding."
The order also provides new oversight of compatibility determinations and directs Interior agencies to evaluate whether individual refuge parcels and infrastructure continue to serve their statutory conservation mission.
"We welcome this kind of accountability," Sheehan said. "Every acre, every road, every structure should be delivering real conservation value. Sometimes that means restoring habitat, sometimes it means redesigning access, and sometimes it means exchanging or divesting isolated parcels so the overall estate works better for wildlife."
MDF concluded by thanking Secretary Burgum for elevating conservation, access, and stewardship across America's public lands.
"Secretary Burgum has sent a powerful signal that hunters, anglers, and conservationists are essential partners in managing our public lands," said Sheehan. "The Mule Deer Foundation sincerely thanks him for his leadership and for ensuring these lands continue to deliver wildlife, opportunity, and conservation for generations to come."
About the Mule Deer Foundation
The Mule Deer Foundation is a national nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer, and their habitat. Through partnerships with federal and state agencies, private landowners, volunteers, and corporate supporters, MDF works to restore and enhance millions of acres of habitat across the western United States while ensuring the future of America's hunting heritage.