# 2026-12951: New Three-Year Cycle for Game Bird Hunting Rules

2026-12951, Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting, is a Federal Register rule from Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service published 2026-06-26, effective 2026-08-25; deemed significant under Executive Order 12866; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-03).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12951
- As of: 2026-07-03
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-12951
- Title: Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service
- Citation: 91 FR 38543
- Published: 2026-06-26
- Effective: 2026-08-25
- Comments close: 2026-07-27
- Significant: yes (FR_METADATA)
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: 1018-BI04
- Last updated: 2026-07-03

## In one line

New Three-Year Cycle for Game Bird Hunting Rules

## Summary

The Fish and Wildlife Service is changing how it approves seasonal migratory game bird hunting. Instead of yearly rules, they’ll issue a hunting plan every three years but still decide harvest levels annually. This new process saves time and money, helps States and Tribes, and kicks in August 25, 2026—unless big objections come in by July 27.

## Abstract

This direct final rule changes the administrative process for authorizing seasonal migratory game bird hunting in the United States. Migratory game bird hunting regulations are currently promulgated annually to provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance; aid Federal, State, and Tribal governments in the management of migratory game birds; and allow harvests at levels compatible with migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) is adopting a more efficient administrative process for authorizing seasonal migratory game bird hunting. The Service will issue a memorandum for migratory game bird hunting once every 3 years. The Service will continue to make annual decisions on harvest levels and will update the memorandum sooner than 3 years if changes are prescribed by our decision frameworks. The process eliminates the need for subsequent annual Federal regulation promulgation and rulemaking and is expected to increase efficiency; better meet State, Tribal, and Federal rulemaking constraints; and reduce the complexity and costs. Our goal is to better serve State partners and the hunting public while continuing to meet the legal and conservation purposes of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.Tribes are already authorized under a similar process.

## Effects PRIA read

- Three-Year Memorandum Replaces Annual Rulemaking: benefit, medium. The Service will stop issuing annual Federal hunting regulations and instead publish a Migratory Game Bird Hunting (MGBH) memorandum once every 3 years on or before February 28 that sets the federal authorization conditions. States and Tribes will continue to set annual seasons within those conditi…
- Annual Harvest Decisions Still Made: benefit, low. The Service will continue to make annual decisions about harvest levels using the same biological monitoring and decision frameworks and will update the MGBH memorandum sooner than 3 years if those frameworks prescribe changes. The rule does not change the biological approach or decision frameworks…
- State/Tribal Violations Also Break Federal Law: cost, medium. The rule revises 50 CFR subpart H (Secs. 20.71 and 20.72) so that a violation of a State or Tribal migratory game bird hunting law or regulation also constitutes a violation of Federal law. Federal take prohibitions remain in place except as provided by Federal, State, and Tribal regulations.
- New Publication, Timing, and Comment Rules: benefit, low. The MGBH memorandum will be issued every 3 years on or before February 28 with a Federal Register notice and at least a 30-day comment period; it may be updated sooner if decision frameworks require changes. For the 2026-27 season the memorandum will be available no later than August 31, 2026; this…

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- [2026-12955](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12955): Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting, 2026-06-26
- [2026-10846](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-10846): Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, 2026-06-01

## Sources
- [2026-12951 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/26/2026-12951/process-for-authorizing-seasonal-migratory-game-bird-hunting)
- [2026-12951 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-26/pdf/2026-12951.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-12944, Safety Zones; Recurring Safety Zones in Captain of the Port Northern Great Lakes](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12944)
- [Next: 2026-12976, Uniform Allowances](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12976)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12951 (as of 2026-07-03).