{"abstract":"We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are opening, for the first time, eight National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) that were previously closed to hunting and sport fishing. In addition, we are opening or expanding hunting and sport fishing at 89 other NWRs and adding pertinent station-specific regulations for other NWRs that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing for the 2020-2021 season. We are also opening hunting or sport fishing on nine units of the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHs). We are also adding pertinent station-specific regulations that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing at these nine NFHs for the 2020-2021 season. Further, we are opening 41 limited-interest easement NWRs in North Dakota for upland and big game hunting and sport fishing in accordance with State regulations. Access to these NWRs is controlled by the current landowners, and, therefore, they are not open to the public unless authorized by the landowner. We are also making regulatory changes to existing station-specific regulations in order to reduce the regulatory burden on the public, increase access for hunters and anglers on Service lands and waters, and comply with a Presidential mandate for plain language standards. Lastly, we are prohibiting domestic sheep, goat, and camelid pack animals on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR","name":"Interior Department","id":253,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/interior-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/253","parent_id":null,"slug":"interior-department"},{"raw_name":"Fish and Wildlife Service","name":"Fish and Wildlife Service","id":197,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/fish-and-wildlife-service","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/197","parent_id":253,"slug":"fish-and-wildlife-service"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2020/08/31/2020-16003.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"32","title":50},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"36","title":50},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"71","title":50}],"citation":"85 FR 54076","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective August 31, 2020.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013","FXRS12610900000-201-FF09R20000"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2020-16003","effective_on":"2020-08-31","end_page":54146,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2020/08/31/2020-16003.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/08/31/2020-16003/2020-2021-station-specific-hunting-and-sport-fishing-regulations","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2020-16003?publication_date=2020-08-31","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2020-08-31/2020-16003/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":71,"page_views":{"count":11266,"last_updated":"2026-07-28 12:15:07 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-08-31/pdf/2020-16003.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-16003.pdf?1598618714","publication_date":"2020-08-31","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2020/08/31/2020-16003.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1018-BE50":{"issue":"202004","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-BE50/national-wildlife-refuge-system-station-specific-hunting-and-sport-fishing-regulations-2020-21-","title":"National Wildlife Refuge System; Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations, 2020-21 ","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=1018-BE50&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Substantive, Nonsignificant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["1018-BE50"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Cumulative Impacts Report, 2020-2021 National Wildlife Refuge and National Fish Hatchery Proposed Hunting and Sport Fishing Openings","document_id":"FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013-3184"},{"title":"ANWR HearingTranscript","document_id":"FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013-2223"},{"title":"Additional Supporting and Related Materials","document_id":"FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013-1622"},{"title":"2020-2021 Final Cumulative Impacts Report","document_id":"FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013-1462"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-BE50/national-wildlife-refuge-system-station-specific-hunting-and-sport-fishing-regulations-2020-21-","title":"National Wildlife Refuge System; Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations, 2020-21 "},"comments_count":0,"agency_id":"FWS","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013","supporting_documents_count":4,"docket_id":"FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013","document_id":"FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013-3183","regulation_id_number":"1018-BE50","title":"2020–2021 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2020-09-02T00:30:08Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":false,"signing_date":null,"start_page":54076,"subtype":null,"title":"2020-2021 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations","toc_doc":"20202021 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Alaska","Fish","Fishing","Hunting","Recreation and recreation areas","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Wildlife","Wildlife refuges"],"type":"Rule","volume":85}