SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) recreational fishing and hunting are impor-
tant and traditional activities in which millions of 
Americans participate; 
(2) recreational anglers and hunters have been 
and continue to be among the foremost supporters 
of sound fish and wildlife management and conserva-
tion in the United States; 
(3) recreational fishing and hunting are envi-
ronmentally acceptable and beneficial activities that 
occur and can be provided on Federal public lands 
and waters without adverse effects on other uses; 
(4) recreational anglers, hunters, and sporting 
organizations provide direct assistance to fish and 
wildlife managers and enforcement officers of the 
Federal Government as well as State and local gov-
ernments by investing volunteer time and effort to 
fish and wildlife conservation; 
(5) recreational anglers, hunters, and the asso-
ciated industries have generated billions of dollars of 
critical funding for fish and wildlife conservation, re-
search, and management by providing revenues from 
purchases of fishing and hunting licenses, permits, 
stamps, and excise taxes on fishing, hunting, and 
shooting equipment have generated billions of dollars 
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of critical funding for fish and wildlife conservation, 
research, and management; 
(6) recreational shooting is also an important 
and traditional activity in which millions of Ameri-
cans participate and safe recreational shooting is a 
valid use of Federal public lands and participation 
in recreational shooting helps recruit and retain 
hunters and contributes to wildlife conservation; 
(7) opportunities to recreationally fish, hunt, 
and shoot are declining, which depresses participa-
tion in these traditional activities, and depressed 
participation adversely impacts fish and wildlife con-
servation and funding for important conservation ef-
forts; and 
(8) the public interest would be served, and our 
citizens’ fish and wildlife resources benefitted, as 
recognized by Executive Order 12962 as amended: 
Recreational Fisheries, and Executive Order 13443: 
Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Con-
servation, by action to ensure that opportunities are 
facilitated to engage in fishing and hunting on Fed-
eral public lands. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) AGENCY HEAD.—The term ‘‘agency head’’ 
means the head of any Federal agency that has au-
thority to manage Federal public land. 
(2) CHIEF.—The term ‘‘Chief’’ means the Chief 
of the Forest Service. 
(3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. 
(4) FEDERAL PUBLIC LAND.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Federal 
public land’’ means any land or water that is— 
(i) owned by the United States; and 
(ii) managed by a Federal agency (in-
cluding the Department of the Interior and 
the U.S. Forest Service) for purposes that 
include the conservation of natural re-
sources. 
(B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘Federal pub-
lic land’’ does not include any land or water 
held in trust for the benefit of— 
(i) an Indian tribe; or 
(ii) a member of an Indian tribe. 
(5) HUNTING.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘hunting’’ 
means the lawful— 
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(i) pursuit, shooting, capture, collec-
tion, trapping or killing of wildlife; or 
(ii) attempt to pursue, shoot, capture, 
collect, trap or kill wildlife. 
(B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘hunting’’ 
does not include the use of skilled volunteers to 
cull excess animals (as defined by other Federal 
law (including laws applicable to the National 
Park System)). 
(6) RECREATIONAL FISHING.—The term ‘‘rec-
reational fishing’’ means the lawful— 
(A) pursuit, capture, collection, or killing 
of fish; or 
(B) attempt to capture, collect, or kill fish. 
(7) 
RECREATIONAL
SHOOTING.—The 
term 
‘‘recreational shooting’’ means any form of shooting 
sport or pastime, formal or informal, including but 
not limited to target and practical rifle, pistol and 
shotgun shooting, archery, trap, skeet, and sporting 
clays. 
SEC. 4. RECREATIONAL FISHING, HUNTING AND SHOOTING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights 
and subsection (f), Federal public land management offi-
cials shall exercise their authority under existing law, in-
cluding provisions regarding land use planning, to provide 
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use of and access to Federal public lands and waters for 
fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting except as 
limited by— 
(1) statutory authority which authorizes action 
or withholding action for reasons of national secu-
rity, public safety or resource conservation; 
(2) any other Federal statute which specifically 
precludes recreational fishing, hunting or shooting 
on specific Federal public lands, waters or units 
thereof; and 
(3) discretionary limitations on recreational 
fishing, hunting, and shooting determined to be nec-
essary and reasonable as supported by the best sci-
entific evidence and advanced through a transparent 
public process. 
(b) MANAGEMENT.—Consistent with subsection (a), 
each Federal public land management agency head shall 
exercise its land management discretion— 
(1) in a manner that supports, promotes, and 
enhances recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting 
opportunities; 
(2) to the extent authorized under applicable 
State law; and 
(3) in accordance with applicable Federal law. 
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(c) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND FOREST 
SERVICE LANDS.— 
(1) LANDS OPEN.—Lands under the jurisdic-
tion of the Bureau of Land Management and the 
U.S. Forest Service, excluding lands on the Outer 
Continental Shelf, shall be open to recreational fish-
ing, hunting, and shooting unless the managing 
agency acts to close lands to such activity. Lands 
may be subject to closures or restrictions if deter-
mined to be necessary and reasonable and supported 
by facts and evidence, for purposes including re-
source conservation, public safety, protection of his-
toric or cultural values, energy or mineral produc-
tion, energy generation or transmission infrastruc-
ture, water supply facilities, protection of other per-
mittees, protection of private property rights or in-
terests, national security, or compliance with other 
law. Publication of public notice shall precede any 
such closures or restrictions unless the closure or re-
striction is mandated by other law. 
(2) SHOOTING
RANGES.—Each agency may 
lease lands for shooting ranges if the lessees offer 
suitable assurances to remediate leased lands at the 
termination of the lease. Each agency may also des-
ignate specific lands for recreational shooting activi-
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ties and such action shall not subject the United 
States to any civil action or claim for monetary dam-
ages for injury or loss of property or personal injury 
or death caused by any activity occurring at or on 
such designated lands. 
(d) PLANNING.— 
(1) EFFECT OF PLANS.—Federal public land 
planning documents, including land resources man-
agement plans, resource management plans, travel 
management plans, general management plans, and 
comprehensive conservation plans, shall include sec-
tions that evaluate the effects of such plans on op-
portunities to engage in recreational fishing, hunting 
or shooting. 
(2) USE OF VOLUNTEERS.—If hunting is pro-
hibited by law, all agency planning documents listed 
in subsection (c)(1) shall allow the participation of 
skilled volunteers in the culling and other manage-
ment of wildlife populations on Federal public lands 
unless the agency head demonstrates, based on the 
best scientific data available or applicable Federal 
statutes, why skilled volunteers shall not be used to 
control overpopulations of wildlife on the land that 
is the subject of the planning documents. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than October 1 of 
each year, each agency head with authority to man-
age Federal public land on which fishing, hunting, 
or recreational shooting occurs shall publish in the 
Federal Register and submit to the Committee on 
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
sources of the Senate a report that describes— 
(A) any Federal public land administered 
by the agency head that was closed to rec-
reational fishing, sport hunting, or shooting at 
any time during the preceding year; and 
(B) the reason for the closure. 
(2) CLOSURES OR SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTIONS 
OF 640 OR MORE ACRES.—Other than closures under 
subsection (c), the withdrawal, change of classifica-
tion, or change of management status that effec-
tively closes or significantly restricts 640 or more 
acres of Federal public lands or waters to access or 
use for fishing or hunting shall take effect only if, 
before the date of withdrawal or change, the agency 
head that has jurisdiction over the Federal public 
land publishes notice of the closure, withdrawal, or 
significant restriction, and submits to the Committee 
on Natural Resources of the House of Representa-
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tives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
sources of the Senate written notice of the with-
drawal, change, or significant restriction. If the ag-
gregate or cumulative effect of small closures or sig-
nificant restrictions affects 640 or more acres, such 
small closures or significant restrictions shall be sub-
ject to these requirements. 
(f) AREAS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in this Act re-
quires the opening of national parks or national monu-
ments under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service 
to hunting or recreational shooting. 
(g) NO PRIORITY.—Nothing in this Act requires a 
Federal agency to give preference to recreational fishing, 
hunting, or shooting over other uses of Federal public land 
or over land or water management priorities established 
by Federal law. 
(h) ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCILS.— 
(1) SPORT
FISHING
AND
BOATING
PARTNER-
SHIP
COUNCIL.—There is hereby established the 
Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, as 
described in Executive Order 12962, as amended. 
(2) SPORTING CONSERVATION COUNCIL.—There 
is hereby established the Sporting Conservation 
Council, as referenced in Executive Order 13443 
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and described in its January 15, 2009, as amended 
charter. 
(3) TERMINATION.—Each Council shall termi-
nate 10 years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to support and sustain each 
Council. Funds may be used for programs and ef-
forts to recruit new anglers, hunters, and rec-
reational shooters and retain existing anglers, hunt-
ers, and recreational shooters. 
(i) AUTHORITY OF THE STATES.— 
(1) SAVINGS.—Nothing in this Act affects the 
authority, jurisdiction, or responsibility of a State to 
manage, control, or regulate fish and wildlife under 
State law (including regulations) on land or water in 
the State, including Federal public land. 
(2) FEDERAL LICENSES.—Nothing in this Act 
authorizes an agency head to require a license or 
permit to fish, hunt, or trap on land or water in a 
State, including on Federal public land in the 
States. 
Æ 
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