Just as the United States was preparing to celebrate 249 beautiful years, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on July 3rd establishing the “Make America Beautiful Again" Commission supporting hunters, outdoorsmen, and outdoor recreationists by prioritizing the expansion of public land access, along with critical wildlife conservation efforts.
The Commission will be chaired by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and "shall advise and assist the President regarding how best to responsibly conserve America's national treasures and natural resources” while also working to undo the “years of mismanagement of unnecessarily reduced public access to and enjoyment of outdoor recreational areas,” according to the White House press release. The new commission members will also include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins; and the heads of the Environmental Protection Agency, White House Office of Management and Budget, Council of Economic Advisors, and Council on Environmental Quality; plus, the White House chief of staff and presidential assistant for economic policy.
President Trump’s Executive Order continues his commitment to hunters, outdoorsmen, and all that enjoy our nation’s vast outdoor recreation opportunities and resources. Recall that President Trump signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act in August 2020, one the nation’s most significant actions to preserve American wildlife and hunting heritage in decades. The Act provides critical federal funding to address the decaying infrastructure on U.S. public lands and waters as well as opportunities for increased access to public hunting and recreational shooting on millions of acres of federally managed lands.
Since President Trump’s signing of the Great American Outdoors Act, the outdoor recreation economy has grown significantly, supporting five million jobs and contributing $1.2 trillion in economic output. This new Commission aims to further build on that momentum by restoring more access and promoting sustainable conservation efforts.
Additionally important, this executive order now helps provide actionable recommendations via Secretary Burgum’s Secretarial Order from last month to begin implementing key provisions of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, a strong bi-partisan effort signed into law last year. The EXPLORE Act includes the Range Access Act, which requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to build and maintain recreational shooting ranges in areas where opportunities do not already exist. This will provide needed support for the invaluable services that public ranges provide to the shooting community by fostering more opportunities for firearm and hunting education courses, training opportunities, along with target practice and more access to the shooting sports.
NRA has long been on the frontlines in protecting and promoting America’s hunting heritage and looks forward to members and supporters reaping the benefits of the latest actions that will better deliver outcomes that benefit the hunting, shooting, and outdoor community across the country.
More Like This From Around The NRA
