Notice2026-07755
Re-Establishment of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation and Access Council; Request for Nominations
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Published
April 21, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is re-establishing and seeking member nominations to the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation and Access Council (Council). The Council replaces and changes the name of the previous Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council. The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), after consultation with the General Services Administration, is re-establishing the Council charter for 2 years. The Council will provide recommendations to the Federal Government, through the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture, regarding the establishment and implementation of existing and proposed policies and authorities with regard to wildlife and habitat conservation endeavors that benefit wildlife resources; encourage partnership among the public, sporting conservation organizations, and Federal, State, Tribal, and Territorial governments; benefit hunting and the shooting sports; and increase public access to hunting and the shooting sports.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 76 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 76 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21304-21307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07755]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-OC-2026-1519; FXGO166009OC000-267-FF09X00000]
Re-Establishment of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation
and Access Council; Request for Nominations
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is re-establishing
and seeking member nominations to the Hunting and Shooting Sports
Conservation and Access Council (Council). The Council replaces and
changes the name of the previous Hunting and Wildlife Conservation
Council. The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), after consultation
with the General Services Administration, is re-establishing the
Council charter for 2 years. The Council will provide recommendations
to the Federal Government, through the Secretary and the Secretary of
Agriculture, regarding the establishment and implementation of existing
and proposed policies and authorities with regard to wildlife and
habitat conservation endeavors that benefit wildlife resources;
encourage partnership among the public, sporting conservation
organizations, and Federal, State, Tribal, and Territorial governments;
benefit hunting and the shooting sports; and increase public access to
hunting and the shooting sports.
DATES: Comments regarding the re-establishment of this Council must be
submitted no later than April 28, 2026. Nominations for the Council
must be submitted by May 21, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments and nominations via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ee8a819b89b186818c8c9dae88999dc0898198"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="096d667c6e5661666b6b7a496f7e7a276e667f">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Hobbs, by telephone at (703)
358-2336, or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3e5a514b596156515c5c4d7e58494d10595148"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="25414a50427a4d4a474756654352560b424a53">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals in the United
States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council is re-established under the
authority of the Secretary and regulated by the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA), as amended (5 U.S.C. Ch. 10). The Council's
duties are strictly advisory and consist of, but are not limited to,
(a) Assessing the implementation of current and future Executive
Orders, Secretary's Orders, Secretarial memos, and Director's Orders
that pertain to the objective of the Council, and providing
recommendations to enhance and expand their implementation;
(b) Conducting a review of public lands to identify any areas
currently unreachable or unavailable for public hunting opportunities
and recommending solutions or options to increase access;
(c) Making recommendations regarding policies and programs that:
l. conserve and restore wetlands, grasslands, forests, and other
important wildlife habitats, and improve management and restoration of
rangelands and agricultural lands to benefit wildlife and enhance
hunting and wildlife-associated recreation;
2. promote opportunities for hunting and/or expand access to
hunting, shooting sports and wildlife-associated recreation on public
lands;
3. improve and enhance agency infrastructure that benefit wildlife
and their habitats, that enhance public access to hunting and shooting
sports opportunities on public lands and other related and lawful uses
in accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16
U.S.C. 6801-6814) and the Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 115-162);
4. encourage hunting and shooting sports safety, including through
development of ranges on public lands;
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5. recruit and retain new hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts
whose participation helps support wildlife conservation and increased
access and opportunities through the North American Model of
Conservation;
6. increase public awareness of the importance of wildlife
conservation and the social and economic benefits of hunting and the
shooting sports; and
7. encourage coordination among the public; the hunting and
shooting sports communities; wildlife conservation groups; and Federal,
State, Tribal and Territorial governments to better utilize natural
resources while providing for conservation.
(d) When requested by the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) in
consultation with the Council Chairperson, performing a variety of
assessments or reviews of policies, programs, and efforts through the
Council's designated subcommittees or workgroups for consideration and
approval of full Council.
The Council will meet at least two times per year. The Secretary
will appoint members and alternates to the Council to serve up to a 3-
year term. The Council will not exceed 18 primary representative
members, up to 18 alternate representative members, and 4 ex officio
members. Ex officio members will include:
<bullet> Secretary of the Interior or designated Department of the
Interior representatives;
<bullet> Secretary of Agriculture or designated Department of
Agriculture representative; and
<bullet> Executive Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies.
The Secretary will select remaining members from among, but not
limited to, the organization/interests listed below. These members must
be senior-level representatives of their organization and/or have the
ability to represent their designated constituencies.
<bullet> State fish and wildlife management agencies;
<bullet> Wildlife and habitat conservation/management
organizations;
<bullet> Shooting sports interests;
<bullet> Gamebird hunting organizations;
<bullet> Waterfowl hunting organizations;
<bullet> Big game hunting organizations;
<bullet> U.S hunters actively engaged in domestic and/or
international hunting conservation;
<bullet> The firearms or ammunition manufacturing industry;
<bullet> Archery interests;
<bullet> Wildlife-associated recreation interests;
<bullet> Tourism, outfitter, and/or guide businesses related to
hunting and/or wildlife conservation;
<bullet> Tribal resource management organizations;
<bullet> Agriculture interests;
<bullet> Ranching interest; and
<bullet> Veterans service organizations.
Member Terms and Vacancies To Fill
Each representative member is appointed to serve up to a 3-year
term. Nominations are sought to fill 18 primary representative member
positions and up to 18 alternate representative member positions. We
are requesting nominations to fill vacancies to represent all
organizations/interests listed above.
Nomination Method and Information
Nominations should include a cover letter and resume providing an
adequate description of the nominee's qualifications, including
information that would enable DOI to make an informed decision
regarding meeting the membership requirements of the Council and the
national interest potentially represented, and to permit DOI to contact
a potential member.
Members of the Council serve without compensation. However, while
away from their homes or regular places of business, Council and
subcommittee members engaged in Council or subcommittee business that
the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) approves may be allowed travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by 5
U.S.C. 5703, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in
Federal Government service.
Public Disclosure of Comments: Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Public Interest Determination: Pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.60(a) to
establish, renew, reestablish, or merge a discretionary (agency
discretion) advisory committee, an agency must first consult with the
General Services Administration's Committee Management Secretariat (the
Secretariat) and, as part of the consultation, provide a written public
interest determination approved by the head of the agency to the
Secretariat with a copy to the Office of Management and Budget. In
addition, pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.35, an agency shall follow the
same consultation process and document in writing the same
determination of need before creating a subcommittee under a
discretionary committee that is not made up entirely of members of a
parent advisory committee.
Information on the following factors for the committee is provided
to the Secretariat to demonstrate that establishing the committee is in
the public interest:
1. Annual budget: Up to $80,000 (per the committee charter).
a. Federal personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis: Up to
0.5 FTE.
b. Other Federal internal costs: Approximately $63,000.
c. Proposed payments to members: $0.
d. Proposed number of members: 4 Ex officio members, 18 primary
members, and up to 18 alternate members.
e. Reimbursable costs: Approximately $17,000.
2. If applicable, the total dollar value of grants expected to be
recommended during the fiscal year: N/A.
3. Criteria for selecting members to ensure the committee has the
necessary expertise and fairly balanced membership:
Council membership, balance, and individual perspective and
expertise are in large part dictated by the committee charter. To
ensure balance, appointees will be selected from among, but not limited
to, the national interest groups listed in the charter. Additionally,
committee members must be senior-level representatives of their
organizations and/or have the ability to represent their designated
constituency. The membership make-up of the Council assures a range of
perspectives and expertise reflecting the breadth of its
responsibilities as identified in the charter.
4. List of all other Federal advisory committees of the agency:
Acadia National Park Advisory Commission
Advisory Committee on Landslides
Alaska Resource Advisory Council
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force
Arizona Resource Advisory Council
Avi Kwa Ame National Monument Advisory Committee
Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon
National Monument Advisory Committee
Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Advisory Council
Bristol Bay Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Bureau of Indian Affairs Advisory Board for Exceptional Children
[[Page 21306]]
California Desert District Advisory Council
Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Advisory
Commission
Central California Resource Advisory Council
Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council
Committee for the Preservation of the White House
Eastern Interior Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Eastern Washington Resource Advisory Council
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory Committee
Geologic Mapping Advisory Committee
Gettysburg National Military Park Advisory Commission
Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area Advisory Committee
Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Advisory Committee
Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council
Idaho Resource Advisory Council
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Advisory Commission
John Day-Snake Resource Advisory Council
Kalaupapa National Historical Park Advisory Commission
Kodiak/Aleutians Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site Advisory
Commission
McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area Advisory Council
Missouri Basin Resource Advisory Council
Mojave-Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council
National Geospatial Advisory Committee
National Park of American Samoa Advisory Board
National Park Service Subsistence Resource Commission-Aniakchak
National Monument
National Park Service Subsistence Resource Commission-Cape Krusenstern
National Monument
National Park Service Subsistence Resource Commission-Denali National
Park
National Park Service Subsistence Resource Commission-Gates of the
Arctic National Park
National Park Service Subsistence Resource Commission-Kobuk Valley
National Park
National Park Service Subsistence Resource Commission-Lake Clark
National Park
National Park Service Subsistence Resource Commission-Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park
National Volcano Early Warning System Advisory Committee
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee
North Slope Science Initiative Science Technical Advisory Panel
North Slope Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Northern California District Resource Advisory Council
Northern New Mexico Resource Advisory Council
Northwest Arctic Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Northwest Resource Advisory Council
Preservation Technology and Training Board
Rio Puerco Management Committee
Rocky Mountain Resource Advisory Council
San Rafael Swell Recreation Advisory Council
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Advisory
Committee
Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee
Seward Peninsula Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Sierra Front Northern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council
Southcentral Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Southeast Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council
Southern New Mexico Resource Advisory Council
Southwest Resource Advisory Council
Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council
Steens Mountain Advisory Council
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Advisory Committee
The Wyoming Resource Advisory Council
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument Advisory Council
Utah Resource Advisory Council
Wekiva River System Advisory Management Committee
Western Interior Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Western Montana Resource Advisory Council
Western Oregon Resource Advisory Council
Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board
Yukon/Kuskokwim Delta Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
5. Justification that the information or advice provided by the
Federal advisory committee or subcommittee is not available from
another Federal advisory committee, another Federal Government source,
or any other more cost-effective and less burdensome source:
Because of the professional affiliations, expertise, and
experiences of members of the Council, it is uniquely positioned to
provide consensus advice to the Departments related to hunting,
recreational shooting, and wildlife conservation.
Members of the committee typically have years of professional
experience as managers, advocates, and participants in the wildlife
conservation and recreation field, or as leaders within the recreation
associated industries. There is no equivalent body of advisers
empaneled to address the specific set of issues the committee is tasked
with, or to assist the Departments with the specific subject matter by
providing consensus, group advice. Empaneling the committee serves
efficiency and cost-effective bureau operations through the time and
cost savings realized by having a group of advisors meet to offer
expert advice versus multiple individual meetings to receive
stakeholder input. Cost-effectiveness is increased by limiting the
number of in-person meetings, and the increased utilization of on-line
meeting platforms to conduct business. Lastly, implementation of the
committee's consensus recommendations frequently negates the need to
proceed through additional public comment and other public input
processes, thereby saving time and money.
6. If the consultation is a committee renewal, a summary of the
previous accomplishments of the committee and the reasons it needs to
continue: N/A.
7. Explanation of why the committee/subcommittee is essential to
the conduct of agency business:
Members of the Council typically have years of experience as
managers, advocates, and participants in the wildlife conservation and
wildlife-associated recreation fields, or in the wildlife-associated
recreation industries. There is no equivalent body of advisers
empaneled to assist the Departments in improving the development and
implementation of policies that benefit wildlife and their habitats, as
well as policies to increase opportunities for hunting, recreational
shooting, and other wildlife-associated recreation. Given the Council
member knowledge of government conservation law, policy, and processes,
the committee can provide actionable advice and recommendations to the
Federal Government on creating, expanding, and maintaining hunting,
recreational shooting sports, and wildlife-associated recreational
opportunities on Federal lands and
[[Page 21307]]
waters. The Council also provides advice to maintain and increase the
conservation and economic benefits derived from these recreational
activities.
The Council serves the public interest by offering actionable
recommendations to improve the Federal Government's efforts to
implement laws and policies that maximize the core functions and
purposes of Federal agency efforts to conserve and sustain wildlife
populations and their habitats, and to provide access to and
recreational opportunity on public lands. Because of the professional
affiliations, expertise, and experiences of committee members, it is
uniquely positions to provide consensus advice to the Departments
related to hunting, recreational shooting, and wildlife conservation.
In conclusion, this public interest determination documents that
establishing the committee is in the public interest, essential to the
conduct of agency business, and that the information to be obtained is
not already available through another advisory committee or source
within the Federal Government.
Certification Statement: I hereby certify that the Hunting and
Shooting Sports Conservation and Access Council is necessary, in the
public interest, and is in connection with the performance of duties
imposed on the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Agriculture under 43 U.S.C. 1457 and provisions of the Fish and
Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a), the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701), the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd), Expanding Public
Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (16 U.S.C. 8401 et seq.),
other Acts applicable to specific bureaus, and Executive Order 13443
(August 17, 2007), ``Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife
Conservation.''
Authority: 5 U.S.C. Ch. 10.
Doug Burgum,
Secretary, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2026-07755 Filed 4-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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