Open Country

Join the fight to access your public lands

EPA Removes Water Protections and Rolls Back 2015 WOTUS Rule
By Matthew EverySeptember 13, 2019
On Thursday, September 12, in Washington D.C., Administrator, Andrew Wheeler of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-us-army-repeal-2015-rule-defining-waters-united-states-ending-regulatory-patchwork">announced a repeal of the 2015 Obama-era Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule</a>.
Is the Trump Administration Really Looking Out for Outdoorsmen and Women? That Might Be Up to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt
By Alex RobinsonAugust 26, 2019
There are two common narratives circling President Donald Trump and our country’s public lands. In the first narrative, President Trump’s Department of the Interior is at the bidding of the energy industry, and it’s out to drill, mine, and develop our public lands—and then sell whatever scraps are left to the highest bidder. In the second, President Trump and the DOI are dedicated to supporting sportsmen and women because we boost the economy and fund wildlife conservation. They’ll do whatever they can to increase our ranks, while also promoting responsible resource extraction on public lands.
Road Kill Costs Millions, Endangers Lives, and Hurts Wildlife Populations. Here’s a Plan to Fix That
By Ben LongAugust 13, 2019
Congress is considering language in the Federal Highway bill that would direct $250 million dollars over five years for modernizing highways with wildlife crossing features. According to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), More than 40 sportsmen’s groups signed a letter to congressional leadership in April 2019 asking for a competitive grant program with at least $50 million annually be directed toward reducing the impacts our roads have on wildlife. Senators appeared to be listening. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed the highway bill by a 21-0 vote.
The Political Battle for America’s Public Land Is Happening Below the Radar
By Ben LongAugust 5, 2019
While candidate Donald Trump promised to cherish America’s public hunting and fishing land, close observers say policies under his presidency are undermining those lands and even aiding those who would dispose of America’s public land altogether. America has 640 million acres of public lands—national forests, wildlife refuges, national parks and Bureau of Land Management ground—that generations of Americans access for hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor activities, generally for free or low charge.
New Plan to Keep Critters Off the Endangered Species List Would Benefit Hunters and Anglers
By Ben LongJuly 29, 2019
The legislation is basically an “Endangered Species Prevention Act” that aims to recover imperiled wildlife species before they reach the point they need to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. State wildlife agencies and sportsmen’s groups are among those applauding the measure.
Better Agricultural Practices Could Mean More Pheasants in the Heartland
By Andrew McKeanJuly 24, 2019
An insatiable appetite for South Dakota roosters fuels a booming preserve-hunting business. But some farmers are raising wild pheasants from the ground up

WHAT WE DO

In order to hunt or fish, you need a place to do it, and Open Country is committed to sportsmen's access—getting it, keeping it, defending it, and celebrating it—so that you always have that place.