PRESERVING PUBLIC LANDS
PROTECTING MANAGEMENT, ACCESS
W
hen President
Trump signed
Senate Bill 47, the
Natural Resources
Management Act
of 2019, one of the
key provisions contained within
it was the “Open Until Closed”
policy, which has been a key
federal priority for us since our
inception in 1978. The policy
requires lands managed by the
Bureau of Land Management
and U.S. Forest Service be
open for hunting, fishing and
recreational shooting unless
specifically closed for cause
and supported by evidence.
The policy assumes those
federal lands are open for
sportsmen unless specifically
closed, and when closed,
the smallest amount of land
possible is closed. To date,
policy has been the opposite.
A history of protecting sportsmen’s access
and activities on public lands
2005
1997
1977-1980
Fought to label Alaska
lands ‘preserves’ and not
national parks to ensure
hunting was permitted.
Championed Refuge
Improvement Act,
opening hundreds of
millions of acres to
hunting, fishing,
trapping and shooting.
1998
Proposed first
version of Open
Until Closed to
ensure access
to BLM/USFS
lands.
Fought legal
efforts of
anti-hunting activists
to use National
Environmental
Protection Act to
reverse Refuge
Improvement Act.
2016
Led a coalition of
sportsmen groups
in Montana to pro-
tect trapping on
public lands when
animal-rights ac-
tivists launched a
ballot-box attack.
2017
Sportsmen’s Alliance
Foundation and
Alaska Professional
Hunters Association
sue over rule changes
to predator manage-
ment on refuges and
preserves.
2018
Sued New Jersey
Gov. Murphy after
he unilaterally
closed black bear
hunting on state-
owned public
lands.
2019
Senate Bill 47 enacted,
enshrining ‘Open Until
Closed’ into federal law.