A massive proposal to expand hunting and fishing in the United States would include three Oregon wildlife refuges.

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced the proposal Wednesday, which would expand hunting and fishing opportunities on more than 2.3 million acres of public recreation lands across the country, by opening up 97 national wildlife refuges and nine fish hatcheries.

In Oregon, the proposal would open up hunting at Hart Mountain, Nestucca Bay and Wapato Lake, three wildlife refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The proposal also includes seven areas in Washington, including four fish hatcheries on or near the Columbia River.

If finalized, the expansion would bring the total amount of expanded U.S. hunting and fishing lands to nearly 4 million acres under the Trump administration, following an expansion of 1.4 million acres in 2019.

The expansions stem from a 2017 directive from former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, who called on the department to offer more hunting and fishing opportunities across the country. More opportunities could generate more money from licenses and tags, he said, which would be a boon for rural communities and conservation efforts.

Hunters and anglers generated nearly $1 billion in excise taxes last year, according to the Department of the Interior, which helped support state conservation programs. Expanding hunting and fishing will result in more money generated through those taxes, department spokesman Conner Swanson said, and could therefore help conservation efforts in the long run.

The proposed expansion comes as most public lands have closed to the public amid the coronavirus outbreak. Most national wildlife refuges have remained open, though visitor centers and facilities at the refuges have shut down.

The Department of the Interior said the new hunting and fishing expansion is unrelated to the current pandemic and subsequent economic downturn.

“The department annually reviews hunting and fishing opportunities in an effort to increase recreational access to our public lands, and this proposed rule is a continuation of that commitment with the goal of finalizing the changes before for the upcoming 2020-2021 hunting seasons this fall,” Swanson said.

The new expansion is expected to give hunters and anglers something to get excited about come hunting season, assuming public lands are back open by then.

“America’s hunters and anglers now have something significant to look forward to in the fall as we plan to open and expand hunting and fishing opportunities across more acreage nationwide than the entire state of Delaware,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt said in a news release.

The expanded hunting opportunities in Oregon would include migratory bird, quail and partridge hunting at Hart Mountain, goose hunting at Nestucca Bay and migratory bird hunting at Wapato Lake.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal, starting April 9. Details on how to submit comments will be posted online at www.regulations.gov, docket number FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013.

--Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB

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