Big bucks for Sportsmen

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack just announced that the USDA will invest $20 million to partner with 15 state agencies to improve and increase wildlife habitat and public access for recreational opportunities on privately-owned and operated farm, ranch and forest lands. The projects are being funded under the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP).

" The background behind this is that for most of America's history gaining access to quality hunting or fishing habitat was as easy as knocking on your neighbor's door. These days, over two thirds of America's land is privately owned and public access is declining. To help people gain access the CRP and a number of our partners back in the 2008 farm bill pushed for a program originally called 'Open Fields'. It was the only federal program aimed at gaining access to privately owned farmland, ranches, forest land. We were not only supporting improving the habitat on those lands for wild game and other wildlife, for wildlife watchers, birdwatchers etc. but it relieves liability concerns for landowners which is a major hurdle for them when they are considering letting hunters and anglers onto their land. This is the second time this program has been reauthorized. This time it was authorized for $40 million which is only a drop in the farm bill bucket. I think that the overall 2014 farm bill was around $956 billion and about 6% of that went to conservation programs or about $4 billion and then only about $40 million is going to this voluntary public access program.