MAPOceans Act Heads to President’s Desk for Signature

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by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Press Releases

September 14, 2026

Bill will direct federal agencies to modernize accessibility to saltwater recreational fishing regulations and marine waters navigation information

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership joins America’s saltwater anglers, hunters, recreationists, and marine industry advocates in celebrating House passage of the Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act (S. 759). The MAPOceans Act is now headed to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

The Act will direct the standardization, consolidation, and digitization of boating and recreational fishing information for federally managed marine waters and federal fisheries administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The bipartisan legislation is led by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Representatives Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Mike Levin (D-Calif.).

“America’s vast offshore waters and diverse, federally managed saltwater fisheries offer incredible angling opportunities, but these experiences can be hampered by complex regulations and difficulty accessing necessary place-based information,” said Joel Webster, chief conservation officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The MAPOceans Act ensures a simpler way to fish and boat with the confidence that site-specific rules and regulations are being followed, and enables expanded fishing opportunities by digitizing information to ensure that anglers can more easily locate the information they need. TRCP joins America’s sportsmen and women in thanking Senators King and Cruz, and Representatives Fry and Levin, for championing this bipartisan, access-oriented legislation.” 

The Act builds on the success of the MAPLand Act, passed in 2022, and the MAPWaters Act, which passed in 2025, by directing NOAA to digitize navigation and recreational use rules for marine waters and federal fisheries, and to make those resources readily available to the public. 

“The MAPOceans Act will improve access to critical navigation and fishing access restrictions for America’s 15.5 million saltwater anglers, allowing them to get the most out of their time on the water,” said Mike Leonard, vice president of government affairs at the American Sportfishing Association. “We are thrilled to see the bill pass the House and be sent to the president to be signed into law.”

The newly digitized public information available through the full implementation of MAPOceans will include:

Waterway Status: Which waterways are open or closed to entry or watercraft, low-elevation aircraft, or diving.

Propulsion Limits: Geographic areas of waterways with restrictions on motorized propulsion, engine horsepower, or gasoline fuel.

Vessel Restrictions: Rules detailing which types of watercraft – such as motorboats, personal watercraft, airboats, or non-motorized boats – are permitted in specific areas.

Fishing Boundaries: The location and geographic boundaries of fishing restrictions on recreational fishing, including full or partial closures, no-take zones, and fishing restrictions within or surrounding marine protected areas.

Gear and Bait Regulations: Fishing rules concerning specific types of equipment or bait, such as mandates or restrictions on the use of circle hooks, descending devices, and trolling.

“Final passage of the bipartisan MAPOceans Act marks an important step toward making federal fishing regulations clearer and more accessible for America’s anglers and boaters,” said Chris Horton, Senior Director of Fisheries Policy for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “By bringing information about fishing boundaries and restrictions into modern mapping technology, this legislation will give anglers greater confidence on the water. We thank the Members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus who have championed this legislation in both chambers for their leadership and look forward to seeing it signed into law.”

“Access to America’s public waters starts with giving boaters and anglers clear, accurate information about where they can go and how they can safely enjoy time on the water,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “The MAPOceans Act brings federal marine data into the 21st century by making important information about access, navigation, fishing regulations, and waterway restrictions easier to find and use. NMMA thanks Representatives Russell Fry and Mike Levin for their bipartisan leadership and urges Congress to send this commonsense legislation to the President’s desk.”

Learn more about TRCP’s work to improve your access to public lands and waters HERE.

Photo credit: Paul Dixon

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by: Michael O'Casey

posted in: Press Releases

August 24, 2026

TRCP Encourages Balanced Approach to Forest Service Travel Management Updates

Hunters and anglers call for consistent framework to ensure conservation priorities in national forests

Last week, the U.S. Forest Service published a Notice of Intent to initiate rulemaking to revise the agency’s 2005 Travel Management Rule. The notice initiated a 30-day public scoping period, which will be followed by a proposed rule. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is urging the agency to ensure that any updates support responsible motorized and nonmotorized access, reduce user conflicts, and conserve important fish and wildlife habitat.

“We are open to thoughtful updates to the Forest Service’s travel management rule to ensure our national forest road and trail system continues to meet the needs of the public and land managers,” said Joel Webster, TRCP chief conservation officer. “At the same time, we believe the proposal needs refinement to ensure the revised travel management rule supports quality recreation experiences, minimizes user conflicts, and helps avoid fragmentation of important habitat. TRCP looks forward to engaging through public comments and discussions with the agency to help craft a durable policy that responds to changing forest conditions and recreational needs while retaining meaningful safeguards for fish and wildlife.”

The Forest Service manages more than 380,000 miles of roads and 165,000 miles of trails across 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. Hunters and anglers rely on many of these routes to reach important hunting and fishing destinations, and they also recognize that roads and trails must be managed carefully to conserve habitat, reduce conflicts among users, and reflect the financial and workforce capacity constraints — including reliance on volunteers and partners — that limit maintenance capacity. Consistent research shows that route density and motorized use can influence deer and elk habitat use. High route densities can cause big game to avoid otherwise productive habitat, while seasonal use in key habitats can negatively affect wildlife when they are most vulnerable.

“Partner organizations have invested significant time, funding, and volunteer capacity into improving trails and recreation experiences on federal lands through partnerships with the Forest Service,” continued Webster. “Any revised travel management rule should protect that investment by reducing user conflicts, supporting sustainable access, and ensuring that road and trail systems remain sustainable over time.”

Travel management regulations should create a consistent framework to guide how transportation systems are planned and managed on public lands, including how roads, trails, and areas are designated for motorized and non-motorized recreation. Effective travel management helps provide public access and quality recreation opportunities, supports land management needs, reduces conflicts among users, and conserves important natural resources, including fish and wildlife habitat.

Follow TRCP to learn more about the process and how to comment.

Learn more about TRCP’s work on public access here.

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Press Releases

August 19, 2026

New Video Series Highlights Importance of Atlantic Menhaden

TRCP’s 10-part ‘The Most Important Fish in the Sea’ series features breathtaking wildlife footage and interviews with a diverse range of local experts, anglers, scientists, small businesses, and artists to explain what these critical baitfish are and why they matter

Over the last eight months, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership released an educational video series centered on Atlantic menhaden to raise public awareness about this critical baitfish and its management, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay.

The 10 short videos feature local experts, anglers, scientists, and conservationists from Virginia Beach to Montauk, N.Y., to capture the significance of this small, yet mighty, fish – presented with award-winning footage of the species being pursued by predators in its natural environment.

Menhaden (also called pogies or bunker) are a small, oil-dense forage fish – similar to herring or sardines – that serve as food, or “forage,” for sportfish, marine mammals, and seabirds. This keystone species is often referred to as “the most important fish in the sea” because it provides a necessary foundation for healthy ecosystems, transferring energy from plankton to much larger fish and wildlife higher in the food chain. Menhaden also support charter businesses, bait and tackle industries, and commercial lobster and crab fisheries as one of the most important sources of bait on the Atlantic.

“Menhaden fuel entire ecosystems and economies,” said Jaclyn Lunaas, forage fish program manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “But rather than simply take our word for it, we wanted these videos to feature our respected partners and other well-known figures to explain in their own words why these small fish matter so much to so many.”

TRCP partners including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon, and the Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association are featured in the videos, as well as footage from professional drone photographers Joanna Steidle – winner of the top prize at the inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year Awards in 2025 – along with Sutton Lake Lynch and Chris Paparo, who also have garnered international attention with their eye-catching footage of menhaden. Legendary saltwater flats fishing guide Captain Paul Dixon, who served as a producer and technical advisor for the 2025 fly fishing film “Looking Through Water,” starring Michael Douglas and Walker Scobell, is also featured.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which is responsible for coastwide menhaden management, is currently exploring possible management changes that include options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay’s industrial menhaden harvest and more evenly distribute commercial fishing pressure across the fishing season. The Bay is considered the most important and largest nursery for Atlantic menhaden.

TRCP and partner conservation groups are also urging the ASMFC to reduce the coastwide Atlantic menhaden catch limit to align with the most recent stock assessment results and to initiate a process this fall to reallocate state quotas, in part to reduce fishing pressure in the Bay.

Watch the full video playlist HERE.

Learn more about TRCP’s efforts toward better menhaden conservation HERE.

Banner image courtesy Joanna Steidle

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Press Releases

August 14, 2026

TRCP Welcomes Interior Action Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access on National Wildlife Refuges

Final rule will deliver largest expansion of refuge and hatchery access in Fish and Wildlife Service history

Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership welcomed the announcement of a final rule from the Department of the Interior expanding hunting and fishing access at 111 national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries across 32 states. The rule will add nearly 1,500 new hunting and fishing opportunities, opening more than 92 million acres—over 95 percent of National Wildlife Refuge System lands— for hunting access, marking the largest such expansion in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service history.

“Hunters and anglers have long been central to conserving wildlife and habitat in this country, and national wildlife refuges are no exception,” said Joel Webster, TRCP’s chief conservation officer. “We appreciate the Department of the Interior’s work to expand access to these lands in a way that is consistent with wildlife conservation and the laws that guide the refuge system’s unique mission.”

The final rule will build on the direction set by Secretarial Order 3447 and aims to deliver on the priorities of the Make America Beautiful Again Commission. It will include more than 1,000 updates to existing regulations intended to reduce complexity and better align federal rules with state fish and wildlife laws. National wildlife refuges were established with strong support from hunters and anglers, and the 1997 National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act identifies hunting and fishing among six priority, wildlife-dependent public uses that receive enhanced consideration in refuge management. Expanding scientifically regulated access consistent with state management could allow refuges to continue demonstrating effective wildlife stewardship while connecting the public directly to conservation.

The final rule is expected to publish in the Federal Register in time for hunting season.

Learn more by visiting: Department of the Interior Announces Largest Expansion of Hunting and Fishing Opportunities in U.S. Fish and Wildlife History | U.S. Department of the Interior

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Press Releases

August 3, 2026

Hunters and Anglers Applaud Senate Introduction of MAP Roads Act

Bill would direct Department of Transportation to establish grant program to fund the digitization of county public roads

Senators John Curtis (R-Utah) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz) have introduced the Modernizing Access to Public Roads Act into the Senate. The bill would establish a grant program through the U.S. Department of Transportation to address the mapping shortfalls and improve public access on the rural road systems across America, resulting in reduced confusion, fewer conflicts with private landowners, and easier access for hunters and anglers.

This is a bipartisan, bicameral effort, with the House version of this bill sponsored by Representative Blake Moore (R-Utah) and cosponsored by Representative Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Representative Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), and Representative Susie Lee (D-Nev.). 

“The lack of publicly accessible and accurate county road map information is a key barrier for hunters and anglers trying to access public lands,” said Joel Webster, chief conservation officer of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The bipartisan, bicameral MAP Roads Act will provide funding to address these mapping shortfalls and improve public access, resulting in reduced confusion for hunters and anglers trying to navigate rural road systems across America. TRCP applauds Senators Curtis and Kelly, as well as Representatives Moore, Hoyle, Hurd, and Lee, for their leadership on this bill”

The MAP Roads Act builds on the success of the MAPLand Act, MAPWaters Act, and MAPOceans Act by establishing a $20 million, 5-year pilot grant program through the U.S. Department of Transportation to:

⦁ Fund county road digitization by converting paper or outdated formats into standardized geospatial datasets.

⦁ Create publicly accessible statewide road data repositories that distinguish public and private roads, are compatible with third-party mapping platforms, and are updated annually.

⦁ Provide funds to support local capacity toward county subgrants, personnel training, or hiring contractors for data conversion.

The clarity and accessibility to this information for both the public and local municipalities would improve rural commerce, public safety, navigation, and access to public lands so more Americans can confidently access and enjoy their public roadways and the adventures beyond. The MAP Roads Act would not create any new road authority, or alter any legal status, ownership, or jurisdiction of roads.

“Access is essential to conserving our hunting traditions and connecting people with the upland habitats that make those traditions possible,” said Ariel Wiegard, Vice President of Government Relations for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “The bipartisan MAP Roads Act will modernize county road records, giving hunters greater confidence as they access public lands while reducing confusion and inadvertent trespass. We thank the Senate sponsors for advancing this commonsense, bipartisan solution that benefits hunters, conservation, and rural communities.”

“Accurate and accessible maps are fundamental to ensuring Americans can safely and confidently access our public lands and waters,” said Kaden McArthur, Congressional Affairs Director for Trout Unlimited. “We thank Senators Curtis and Kelly for their leadership on the MAP Roads Act, which will modernize outdated public road information and make it easier for anglers and other outdoor recreators to find reliable, legal access to rivers, streams, and other public destinations. By improving the accuracy and availability of these maps, this bipartisan legislation will help people spend less time navigating road systems and more time enjoying the outdoors.”

Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to public access HERE.

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