Press Releases

Sportsmen and Wildlife Conservation Receive Enhanced Support from Interior Secretary Zinke
Increased access and promotion of fishing and hunting to key market segments to come as a result of new Secretarial Order
Zinke Signs Secretarial Order

ALEXANDRIA, VA (September 19, 2017) - Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior recently signed Secretarial Order 3356, bringing increased outdoor recreation opportunities and enhanced conservation stewardship and wildlife management. Additionally, fishing and hunting will be promoted to youth, veterans and minority communities, key market segments for the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF).

"Secretary Zinke has made a commitment to fishing and other wildlife activities that is in line with our mission," said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. "Fishing, boating and other forms of outdoor recreation have been proven to be strong forces for economic and job growth, and we're encouraged to see alignment between RBFF's goals and initiatives, and those of the Interior."

The new Secretarial Order re-affirms RBFF's direction over the last 10 years, focusing on family participation in fishing and boating. More recently, this manifested in targeted outreach to youth, women and Hispanics. As a result, Hispanic participation is up by 11 percent, youth participation has risen by 200,000 and new participants are more likely to be young and female, according to RBFF and the Outdoor Foundation's 2017 Special Report on Fishing.

"This Order comes at a vital time for the fishing and boating industry as we are working hard to push the envelope of participation to 60 million anglers in 60 months," continued Peterson.

In a Department of Interior news release from September 15, Secretary Zinke said: "Hunting and fishing is a cornerstone of the American tradition and hunters and fishers of America are the backbone of land and wildlife conservation. The more people we can get outdoors, the better things will be for our public lands. As someone who grew up hunting and fishing on our public lands - packing bologna sandwiches and heading out at 4AM with my dad - I know how important it is to expand access to public lands for future generations. Some of my best memories are hunting deer or reeling in rainbow trout back home in Montana, and I think every American should be able to have that experience."

Secretarial Order 3356 calls for:

  • Expanded access for fishing and hunting on Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service land.
  • National monument management plans to be amended to ensure the public's right to fish, hunt and target shoot.
  • Expanded educational outreach programs for underrepresented communities including minorities, youth and veterans.
  • Identify Department lands where access is currently limited and could be through an easement, right-of-way or acquisition.
  • Compile a single "one-stop" online database of available fishing, hunting and recreational shooting opportunities on Department lands.
  • Improve wildlife management through collaboration with state, Tribal, territorial and conservation partners.

More details on Secretarial Order 3356 can be found in the U.S. Department of the Interior's press release

For further information: Stephanie Vatalaro, svatalaro@rbff.org, 703-778-5156

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