Data / Federal rules / 2026-17895

National Wildlife Refuge System; 2026-2027 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations

The Fish and Wildlife Service published this final rule in the Federal Register on September 1, 2026. It took effect on August 31, 2026. Comments closed on October 1, 2026.

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What the agency says

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS or Service), open or expand hunting opportunities on 111 field stations, including 107 units of the National Wildlife Refuges System (Refuge System or NWRS) and 4 units of the National Fish Hatchery System (Hatchery System or NFHS). This includes opening hunting or sport fishing opportunities for the first time on 14 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) and 3 National Fish Hatcheries (NFH). These actions will open or expand more than 1,450 opportunities for hunting and fishing across the NWRS and NFHS in order to increase access for the American public. In accordance with Secretary's Order (S.O.) 3447 and Director's Order (D.O.) 233, we also make changes to existing station-specific regulations in order to improve the clarity and accuracy of regulations, reduce the regulatory burden on the public, ensure consistency across FWS lands and waters, and comply with a Presidential mandate for plain-language standards.

Key facts

Document number: 2026-17895
Type: Final rule
Action: Final rule
Agency: Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service
Published: September 1, 2026
Takes effect: August 31, 2026
Comments due: October 1, 2026
Dates: This rule is effective August 31, 2026.
Docket: Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1223; FXRS12610900000-267-FF09R20000
Regulation ID (RIN): 1018-BI71
Code of Federal Regulations: 50 CFR 32; 50 CFR 71
Topics: Fish; Fishing; Hunting; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Wildlife; Wildlife refuges
Pages: 77

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

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General Provisions; Revised List of Birds Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 2026-20123	Proposed rule	Oct 1
National Wildlife Refuge System; 2026-2027 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations; Correction 2026-19723	Final rule	Sep 25
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Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Nine Species Not Warranted for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species 2026-18123	Final rule	Sep 4
Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting 2026-17733 · significant	Final rule	Aug 31
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Everything from the Fish and Wildlife Service · Rules on fish · Rules on fishing · Rules on hunting · Published in September 2026

Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.