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The Trump administration announced on Wednesday its plan to open up 2.3 million acres of land to hunting and fishing according to a recently published article. As a matter of discussion, people from hunting and fishing groups, as well as conservation groups, gave their opinion on the subject before the decision was made.

Opening of 2.3 Million Acres of Land to Hunting and Fishing

The plan of the Trump administration received praise from different hunting groups. The program aims to open up around 2.3 million acres of land to hunting and fishing on more than 100 national wildlife hatcheries and fisheries across the country.

For the first time, this will allow hunting and fishing at several national wildlife refuges from different parts of the country, and that includes San Diego Bay in California, Alamosa in Colorado, Bombay Hook in Delaware, New Hampshire, and Everglades Headwaters in Florida.

Moreover, alligator hunting at the three national wildlife refuges will also be allowed. The Umbagog Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Maine is also included in the list. Fishing will be allowed in the lake.

Moreover, there will be no not much difference in Umbagog Lake because it has been open for fishing and will remain open for the duration of the program.

Paul Casey, wildlife manager at Umbagig Lake, said that the visitors are accustomed to already seeing anglers every time. He also added: "Most of the refuge is the shoreline of the lake.

The lake itself is open to fishing. We are now officially facilitating the access to the lake for fishing. We have three boat launches on the refuge. Additionally, there are several ponds [on which] we own all the shoreline. We are officially opening these to allow fishing."

There are also other areas near the Umbagog Lake that are top-rated destinations for anglers. One of these is the Rapid River, which is about six miles from Lower Richardson Lake to Umbagog. The Rapid River is famous for its brook trout water that is a destination for traveling anglers.

Jeff Reardon, a Maine angler and fisheries conservationist, said that the plan of Trump administration to open up around 2.3 million acres of wildlife refuges would not make any changes. He said: "Umbagog Lake, the Rapid River, and the Magalloway River have all been popular places to fish for decades."

He also added: "They hold bass tournaments on Umbagog Lake. What I think is changing is that for the first time, the refuge will have an official 'fishing plan.' As far as I can tell, it just formalizes what's been allowed for a long time."

The Stand of Conservation Groups and Pro-Wildlife Organizations

As expected, there are some conservation groups and pro-wildlife organizations that criticized the plan of the administration, saying that its intent is not timely because the country is still struggling to face the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Jayson O'Neill, the director of Western Values Project, said: "Instead of responding to pleas by state and local officials for necessary agency resources, assistance, and help during this generational pandemic, Secretary Bernhardt made a tone-deaf announcement that by no means could ever make up for the hunting opportunities and wildlife lost as a result of Trump's deregulatory agenda decimating our public lands and environmental protections."

It can be recounted that David Bernhart, Interior secretary, said: "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."

However, for O'Neill, Bernhardt needs to reassess his priorities to make sure the necessities of American families and workers are met first.

Last month, Bernhardt ordered to waive the tickets of national parks that remained open amid COVID-19 in an attempt to aid public social distancing.

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