Dingell Act Closures
Annual Closure Summary
John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law No.116-9, Title IV (Sportsmen’s Access and Related Matters)).
Section 4103 – Closure of Federal Land to Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting.
Subsection (d) – Reporting
The Forest Service is required to annually publish, on a public website, a list of all areas of National Forest System (NFS) lands temporarily or permanently subject to a closure to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting. Congress is also notified annually with letter to the relevant Senate and House committees (PDF, 189 KB). Several steps are required to close Federal lands to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting including coordination with State fish and wildlife agencies, affected Indian tribes, and the Federal Lands Hunting, Fishing, and Shooting Sports Roundtable ; publication of an advanced notice of intent in the Federal Register of the opportunity to provide comment before temporarily or permanently closing any NFS lands to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting; and publication of the final order, final order map, response to comments, justification documentation, and regulatory certifications. This process can take several years from start to finish. The Forest Service will annually report all final management decisions to temporarily or permanently close Federal land to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting.
Current Closure Status Overview:
| Fiscal Year | Permanent Closures | Acres Permanently Closed | Acres of Permanently Seasonally Closed | Temporary Closures | Acres Temporarily Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 | NA* | NA | 0 | NA |
| 2020 | 0 | NA | NA | 0 | NA |
| 2021 | 1 | 23 | NA | 0 | NA |
| 2022 | 0 | NA | NA | 0 | NA |
| 2023 | 2 | 5,090 | 42,000 | 0 | NA |
| 2024 | 2 | 80,694 | 55,714 | 0 | NA |
| *NA = not applicable | |||||
State | Forest/Grassland | Project | Acres | Acres | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Montana | Custer-Gallatin | Beattie Gulch | 23 | 0 | Recreational |
MONTANA
Beattie Gulch and McConnell Fishing Access Area (Custer-Gallatin National Forest) 23 acres permanently closed to recreational shooting (18 acres in the Beattie Gulch area and 5 acres in the McConnell Fishing Access Area). The Custer-Gallatin National Forest permanently closed 23 acres of NFS lands to protect public health and safety in close proximity of private residences, developed facilities, and high-density hunter and public use. Prohibition: Discharging a firearm, air rifle or gas gun [36 CFR 261.58 (m)]. Link to closure order documentation.
State | Forest/Grassland | Project | Acres | Acres | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona | Coronado | Huachuca | 5,090 | 0 | Recreational |
Wyoming | Thunder Basin | Management | 42,000 | 0 | Prairie Dog |
| 1 Permanent Seasonal Closure | |||||
ARIZONA
Huachuca Mountains – East (Coronado National Forest) 5,090 acres permanently closed to recreational shooting. The Coronado National Forest permanently closed 5,090 acres of NFS lands to protect public health and safety within the wildland-urban interface on the eastern side of the Huachuca Mountains. Prohibition: Discharging a firearm, air rifle or gas gun [36 CFR 261.58 (m)]. Link to closure order documentation.
WYOMING
Management Area 3.67 (Thunder Basin National Grassland) 42,000 acres permanently closed, seasonally February 1 to August 15, to prairie dog hunting. The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grasslands permanently closed, seasonally February 1 to August 15, to prairie dog hunting to protect at-risk animal species associated with black-tailed prairie dog colonies during breeding, nesting, and brood-rearing seasons within Management Area 3.67. Prohibition: Hunting prairie dogs in the Restricted Area from February 1 to August 15 of each year [36 CFR 261.58 (v)]. Link to closure order documentation.
| State | Forest/Grassland | Project Name | Acres Permanently Closed | Acres Temporarily Closed | Activity Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | Medicine Bow | Pole Mountain | 55,714 | 0 | Recreational Shooting1 |
| South Dakota | Buffalo Gap National Grassland | Conata Basin Management Area 3.63 | 80,694 | 0 | Prairie Dog Hunting |
| 1 Permanent Seasonal Closure | |||||
WYOMING
Pole Mountain Area (Medicine Bow National Forest) 55,714 acres permanently closed, seasonally March 31 to September 10, to recreational shooting. The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grasslands permanently closed, seasonally March 31 to September 10, to recreational shooting to address public safety and natural resource concerns in the Pole Mountain Area. Prohibition: Discharging a firearm, air rifle or gas gun annually from March 31 to September 10 [36 CFR 261.58 (m)]. Link to closure order documentation.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Conata Basin, Management Area 3.63: The Nebraska National Forests and National Grasslands issued a final permanent order that will prohibit prairie dog hunting on 80,694 acres of the Conata Basin area of the Wall Ranger District in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland (BGNG). The purpose of the final permanent order is to maintain quality black-footed ferret habitat with a sufficient food source (prairie dogs), prevent incidental take of the threatened and endangered black-footed ferret, and address the safety of Forest Service and contractor personnel as they study and manage the ferrets [36 CFR 261.58 (v)]. Link to closure order documentation.