The U.S. Department of the Interior is preparing to issue a new directive that would make hunting and fishing the default use across most Interior-managed public lands unless specific closures are justified.

What’s new: Under this framework, federal lands would be considered open to hunting and fishing unless a closure is required by law, public safety concerns, or documented resource protection needs. Closures will require clear er justification, higher-level approval, and better documentation.

This does not create new hunting or fishing rights or eliminate conservation safeguards. It does, however, flip the starting assumption. Hunting and fishing would be treated as a default use of federal lands, not an exception.

What land does it a pply to? The order would apply to areas controlled by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Some units within the National Park Service that already permit hunting would also fall under the framework.

What land is excluded? Areas closed to hunting by statute would remain closed. Lands managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs would not be affected. READ MORE

BOISE, Idaho — Winter riders looking to hit the snow at Pilot Peak and Mores Creek Summit in Boise County should avoid the area due to poor snow conditions and downed trees.

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• Streamlined Permitting: Makes it easier for outfitters, guides, and nonprofits to operate on public lands.
• Improved Access: Creates new bike trails, modernizes campgrounds, and helps underserved communities get parks and green spaces.
• Economic Support: Benefits local economies, especially in rural areas, by supporting recreation businesses and infrastructure.
• Modernization: Updates technology and processes for visitor experiences, like online passes and better data.
• Inclusivity: Includes provisions for adaptive trails for veterans and people with disabilities (like the Military & Veterans in Parks Act).
• Expanded Opportunities: Supports activities like shooting ranges, climbing, and camping. 

• Comprehensive: A package of multiple recreation-focused bills rolled into one.
• Bipartisan: Passed with broad support in Congress.
• Sustainable: Aims to grow the outdoor economy without harming natural resources, preventing degradation at busy sites. 

Bipartisan legislators in the House this week co-authored a bill to outlaw the intentional use of snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles to ram and crush coyotes, wolves, and other animals on federal land.

The Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons (SAW) Act would “close a glaring gap in federal wildlife protections,” according to the conservation group, Animal Wellness Action.

While several states prohibit hunting wildlife “from motor vehicles,” most states, not including Minnesota, Oregon, and Colorado, do not explicitly outlaw ramming or running over animals with a motorized vehicle on federal land.

“At a time when the House is taking up problematic legislation to remove federal protections for gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act, it’s more important than ever to stand up for responsible stewardship of our public lands and wildlife,” said Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore. “This bipartisan legislation shows we can work through thoughtful policy debates on conservation and wildlife management without condoning cruel and dangerous practices that threaten animals and public safety.”

The bill was co-sponsored by Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.

saw_act_full_bill_text

After receiving a lot of flak

Hey Folks,
I’m reaching out to highlight our appreciation for your time and energy in working with the Boise National Forest and our north zone (Cascade, Emmett and Lowman District) trails program.
I’m currently applying for trail grant funding to pay for crews to do work on motorized and non-motorized trials in 2027 and 2028. The reason for this timeline is that I learn whether we are awarded the grant in early summer 2026 and can’t receive funding until the fall of 2026, therefore I use that funding to pay for crew time the following year.

I have attached a draft of our current trail grant; I also send a draft of the grant to the IDPR committee that oversees the awarding of RTP grants.

What I need from your organization if you haven’t already submitted it: Volunteer hours for the 2025 field season. I have attached a volunteer report form, but you can also use a different format, number of volunteers number of hours (8 is the minimum for a day) and where are really helpful. What I need if your group would like to support the Boise NF in it’s grant request for 2026. A letter of support.

I use volunteer hours to make up the %5 non-federal match. Currently IDPR lists that value at $7.25 an hour for the RTP grant. I have made a request to update that amount to match the actual value that volunteers contribute, so hopefully that will change at some point. The letter of support needs to list the number of volunteer hours a group is willing to support us doing trail work during the years we will have the grant. The letter must explicitly state the number of hours, as per IDPR policy. I generally use the previous year’s volunteer hours or take an average. I am happy to help sort out hours and draft a letter or provide examples if needed. If you don’t want to state you will help with hours, just a note that you support the grant is also helpful.

Second, please let me know if there is a time when I could attend a club meeting in January, February or March and what date, time and location the meeting would occur and I can give an update on 2025 trail work and future planning.

Again, thank you so much for the support and help, we covered a lot of ground in 2025 and addressed lots of post fire impacts with help from so many partners. We certainly couldn’t do the work without you.

https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/11/19/balance-of-idahos-state-wildfire-suppression-fund-drops-to-15-million-after-2025-season/

While the state continues navigating budget holdbacks and revenue shortfalls, the balance of Idaho’s wildfire suppression fund is expected to drop to $15 million after closing the books on the 2025 wildfire season, state officials said Tuesday.  Idaho’s expenses for the 2025 wildfire season netted about $40.6 million, Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said during Tuesday’s meeting of the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners, which is frequently referred to as simply the Land Board. Miller told the Land Board that Idaho incurred about $59.3 million in expenses as of Nov. 3, but the state expects to recoup about $18.6 million through reimbursement agreements and partnerships – resulting in a net total of about $40.6 million.

Miller estimated that leaves the state’s wildfire suppression fund with a balance of about $15 million heading into the 2026 wildfire season.

That amount of money is likely not enough to pay wildfire bills in 2026. Miller estimated that the state will be on the hook for almost $5 million next year in fixed costs at the beginning of the season before the first fire even starts.  Idaho Gov. Brad Little said costs could be well over $10 million when the cost of contracting for helicopters, crews and other equipment are added – all before fighting a single wildfire.

That means state officials could have to find additional money to fight wildfires at a time when all state agencies – other than the K-12 public school system – are navigating mandatory budget holdbacks of 3% and the state budget is projected to end the current fiscal year with a budget deficit estimated at $58.3 million, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. As state revenues come in below projections, the Idaho Legislature’s powerful budget-setting committee, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, has signaled that next year’s budgets will be tight, and legislators will generally focus more on trimming budgets rather than approving new budget expenses to avoid running a budget deficit, the Sun previously reported.

Idaho governor said he doesn’t want state going into debt fighting wildfires

Little has favored pre-funding the state’s wildfire suppression fund to make sure money is available upfront, ensure firefighting operations are not shortchanged or interrupted and to avoid going into debt fighting wildfires.

“Backing the Fire Suppression Deficiency Fund means Idaho’s wildland firefighters can focus on aggressively protecting timber, lands, property and people without funding delays, and lawmakers can enter next year’s budgeting cycle without a deficit due to wildfire suppression,” Little and the Land Board members wrote in a Feb. 18 letter to JFAC.  At the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, Little requested $60 million to build up the wildfire suppression fund, but the Idaho Legislature agreed to provide $40 million.  With the balance of the wildfire fund now dropping to $15 million, Little said Tuesday he is trying to decide how much funding he needs to request to be prepared to fight wildfires in 2026 so the state does not have to use deficiency warrants to pay the bills. Little and other state officials have compared the deficiency warrant process to running up credit card debit to pay for essential state services.

“By the time you contract for helicopters and the airplanes and the crews and everything, it’s well over $10 million,” Little said Tuesday. “I’m just trying to figure out what the budget request needs to be so we don’t have to do deficiency warrants.”

Compared to the more severe 2024 wildfire season, Idaho’s wildfire costs were lower this year at an estimated $40.6 million. In 2024, Idaho’s wildfire costs were about $58 million, the Sun previously reported.

The Land Board is made up of Little, Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Idaho State Controller Brandon Woolf and Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield.  The Land Board provides direction to the Idaho Department of Lands, which is responsible for fighting wildfires on state land.

The Idaho Legislature will set the fiscal year 2027 budget for the Idaho Department of Lands during the 2026 legislative session, which begins Jan. 12  at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.

READ FULL STORY:  Nov 2026 – Save Our Forest Bill