Executive Order 13443: Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation
President: George W. Bush
Told land and wildlife agencies to consider hunting opportunities and plan with states and tribes.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13443 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13443 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13443 do?
Agencies were to assess participation, habitat and hunting opportunities; the CEQ chair was to convene a wildlife conference and prepare a ten-year plan. An Interior Department record describes the resulting Recreational Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Plan and its 58 proposed actions.
Before and after
Before the order
Interior and Agriculture already managed federal land, wildlife habitat and public recreation under separate statutes.
After the order
Agencies were to assess participation, habitat and hunting opportunities; the CEQ chair was to convene a wildlife conference and prepare a ten-year plan.
An Interior Department record describes the resulting Recreational Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Plan and its 58 proposed actions.
What did the signed order change?
Interior and Agriculture already managed federal land, wildlife habitat and public recreation under separate statutes. Agencies were to assess participation, habitat and hunting opportunities; the CEQ chair was to convene a wildlife conference and prepare a ten-year plan.
What happened later?
Interior Department — hunting heritage and ten-year plan: An Interior Department record describes the resulting Recreational Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Plan and its 58 proposed actions.
What does that evidence establish?
Agency missions, wildlife law, private property and state authority constrain the directive; the order creates no private right. A plan is not a measured ecological or hunting-participation outcome. The signed order states the original requirements.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Interior | Evaluate effects on hunting participation; where appropriate address declines, consider hunting’s economic and recreational value, manage public-land habitat to enhance opportunities, cooperate with states, set short- and long-term goals with states and tribes, consider conservation plans, and seek state and tribal advice and appropriate Sporting Conservation Council consultation. | Ongoing, consistent with agency missions; no fixed implementation deadline. |
| Department of Agriculture | Evaluate effects on hunting participation; where appropriate address declines, consider hunting’s economic and recreational value, manage public-land habitat to enhance opportunities, cooperate with states, set short- and long-term goals with states and tribes, consider conservation plans, and seek state and tribal advice and appropriate Sporting Conservation Council consultation. | Ongoing, consistent with agency missions; no fixed implementation deadline. |
| Other federal agencies whose programs affect public-land management, outdoor recreation, or wildlife management | Evaluate effects on hunting participation; where appropriate address declines, consider hunting’s economic and recreational value, manage public-land habitat to enhance opportunities, cooperate with states, set short- and long-term goals with states and tribes, consider conservation plans, and seek state and tribal advice and appropriate Sporting Conservation Council consultation. | Ongoing, consistent with agency missions; no fixed implementation deadline. |
| Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality | Coordinate with appropriate federal agencies, consult the Sporting Conservation Council, and cooperate with state and tribal wildlife agencies and the public to convene a White House North American Wildlife Policy Conference; prepare a conservation plan with a 10-year agenda after the conference in coordination and consultation with the specified bodies. | Conference within 1 year of August 16, 2007 and periodically thereafter as the Chairman considers appropriate; plan within 1 year after the conference concludes. |
What happened next
EO 13443 signed.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Agency missions, wildlife law, private property and state authority constrain the directive; the order creates no private right.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — official executive-order record (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 26, 2026. How we research →