Trump Administration Introduces Rulemaking to Expand Sporting Land Use in Alaska

The Trump administration continues to be a significant ally to hunters and trappers with his Department of Interior’s latest announcement to help curb federal overreach on lands in Alaska.

According to the press release, this latest proposal would “rescind previous regulatory changes made in 2015, 2017 and 2024 and restore the regulatory structure that implemented the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA).

The proposed rule would:

• Restore State-authorized harvest practices in national preserves, consistent with ANILCA.
• Reinstate longstanding public notice and consultation procedures for closures and restrictions in Alaska park areas.
• Remove provisions that unnecessarily preempt State wildlife management authority.
• Eliminate duplicative or unnecessary regulatory language added in recent rulemakings.

Shortly after taking office in 2025, President Trump released a comprehensive Executive Order 14153, "Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” reversing a series of Biden administration policies and actions related to Alaska lands and resources with the intent to “end the assault on Alaska’s sovereignty and its ability to responsibly develop [its] resources for the benefit of the Nation.”

Since 2015, a series of federal rulemakings disrupted a consistent conservation framework with expanding restrictions, overregulation, and litigation creating regulatory uncertainty in Alaska. According to Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, this rule “reduces unnecessary overreach, aligns federal regulations with state law, and honors the commitment Congress made to ANILCA.”

Upon this newly proposed rule’s publication in the Federal Register, it will be open for a 60-day public comment period with further instructions available at www.regulations.gov.

This latest action is consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on Alaska as well as his ongoing commitment to hunters and anglers nationwide in yet another effort to expand hunting access and boost conservation and recreational opportunities. It also follows on similar efforts that include signing the Great American Outdoors Act and Make America Beautiful Executive Order.