The ATA and Its Advocacy Partners Continue to Gain Ground with the Trump Administration 

2026 has been a year of progress for the ATA and the archery and bowhunting industry. Throughout the year, the Trump administration has continued to act on commitments made to hunters, anglers, sport and target archers, and other outdoor recreationists. The ATA, alongside a coalition of hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, has recognized actions taken to date, while continuing to encourage progress on priorities important to the outdoor community.  

Just last month, the administration, through the Department of the Interior, announced the largest expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities in the history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That included 1,488 new hunting and fishing opportunities across 32 states and a total of 92 million acres, with many of the new opportunities open to, or created specifically for, bowhunters. Prior to the announcement, the ATA and its coalition partners commended Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for the secretarial order that led to the August expansion. 

Additionally, ATA Vice President and Chief Conservation Officer Dan Forster represented ATA and the industry at a special event celebrating the American System of Conservation Funding, hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Park Service. The event was held at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield, Massachusetts. Forster used the opportunity to highlight the conservation-funding contributions made by both the archery and bowhunting industry and the broader hunting community. 

Even more recently, on Sept. 17, President Trump signed two executive orders — "Reinvigorating America's Hunting Heritage" and "Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation," furthering his administration's support for America's outdoor heritage. These orders take important steps to improve access, habitat conservation and fish and wildlife management, helping ensure the continuation of the nation's outdoor traditions. 

For many Americans, 2026 will be remembered as the year the country celebrated its 250th anniversary. For the archery and bowhunting industry and its communities especially, it will also be remembered as a historic year in which the federal government acknowledged, supported and paid homage to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. "Archery and bowhunting have both been growing in this country for decades," Forster said. "Since archery was folded into the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, the sports have contributed more than $1 billion — and climbing — to on-the-ground conservation." 

That success underscores why ATA has continued to prioritize its place in the legislative and policy space surrounding the archery and bowhunting industry and its archers and bowhunters. The organization has continued pushing for the Sporting Goods Excise Tax legislation, which would direct even more confidence and conservation dollars toward the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. That work, alongside ATA's continued collaboration with coalition partners, was in part responsible for the president's recent executive orders. 

The future of the industry looks bright as bowhunters and archers across the country begin to see and take advantage of these expanded opportunities on federal land.  

For more information or questions about ATA's advocacy and legislative efforts, contact Dan Forster, ATA's vice president and chief conservation officer, at danforster@archerytrade.org.