§7913 Closure of Federal land to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting

Summary

The federal official in charge may close parts of federal land to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting when needed for public safety, land management, or to follow other laws. The official must pick the smallest area and the shortest time needed and must follow the related rule in 43 U.S.C. 1732(b). Except in an emergency, before any temporary or permanent closure the official must talk with State fish and wildlife agencies and give public notice and a chance to comment. The notice must be published in the Federal Register, on the agency’s website and the land unit’s website if available, in at least one local newspaper, and sent in advance to nearby groups that signed the Federal Lands Hunting, Fishing, and Shooting Sports Roundtable MOU. The notice must describe the proposed closure and why it is needed. Comment time must be at least 60 days for a permanent closure and at least 30 days for a temporary one. The final decision must respond to public comments and explain how concerns were handled. A temporary closure cannot last more than 180 days. Except in an emergency, a temporary closure for the same area and activities may be renewed no more than three times after the first temporary closure, and each renewal needs its own notice and comment. A temporary closure cannot become permanent without a new notice and comment period. Each year the officials must post a public list of all closures online and send a report to the Senate Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and to the House Committees on Natural Resources and on Agriculture. The report must list each closed area, the acreage, the total closed acreage by State, and the percent of each State’s federal land closed. This rule does not apply to closures shorter than 14 days that are covered by a special use permit.