Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration is quietly lifting restrictions on hunting in the country's national parks, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas.
In January, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered the agencies which govern the country's national parks and wilderness areas to remove "unnecessary regulation or administrative barriers" on hunting and fishing.
"Hunting and fishing are foundational components of the Nation's conservation tradition," Burgum wrote in an administrative order.
"Expanding opportunities for the public to hunt and fish on Department-managed lands not only strengthens conservation outcomes, but also supports rural economies, public health, and access to America's outdoor spaces," he said.
"Public and federally managed lands should be open to hunting and fishing unless a specific, documented, and legally supported exception applies."
The order has triggered a swath of deregulation across 55 sites under the National Park Service's control. This has triggered an uptick in the use of vehicles in wildlife areas, hunting dogs, equipment that damages flora and fauna, and much more.
Restrictions have also been lifted in many areas on what animals people are allowed to hunt, how they can hunt them, and what they can do with the carcasses.
Some are concerned about the safety of visitors to national parks and wilderness areas, as regulations have been stripped on the use of firearms.
Former Yellowstone National Park superintendent Dan Wenk told the Associated Press that the Trump administration's stripping of regulations makes little sense, especially seeing as most restrictions were put in place after consultation with stakeholders.
"Process never seems to stand in the way of many things with this administration," Wenk said.
"I'd love to know the problem we're trying to solve. Then I could understand the costs that it's going to take to solve it in terms of resources and visitor safety."