I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on a new law gaining momentum in Congress. The "Open Fields" act if passed would open up millions of acres of private hunting grounds across the country in every state. The law would pay private landowners a fee to allow hunters and fisherman access to their property. It would model those states that already have this like the walk in hunting in Kansas as well as South Dakota. Please go to trcp.org and fill out a letter that they will send to your congressman or woman letting them know that we support such a measure. Thanks and let others know!
Hm, this is going to need some very careful consideration. Let's say a landowner joins the program, only to have slob hunters (or worse yet, poachers) come out, kill the animals off, and trash the property. Then we've lost yet another person to the anti-hunting crowd.
Then you think about our tax money paying for access to this land. I'd rather pay my own lease than let the Fed manage my money for me.
Yep, I definitely need to look at both the pro's and con's before jumping on the wagon.
I agree with aught six. i would rather just keep taking care of my landowners. i ,unfortunately, have 80 acres of gov't land in my lease. it is my headache! ticks i mean so called hunters trash it . i have headaches just thinking about it. no i'll take care of my landowners.
Obviously people are missing the point of my post. The law would give federal moniest to the state DNR or wildlife departments and than landowners that were interested would sign up and register with the program. The program would be 100% voluntary and would allow those of us that cannot afford a lease the opportunity to hunt or fish on a greater amount of land. The program has been widely successful in the states that already have enacted such a program. I do not understand why so many people disagree with the bill when it is totally voluntary and the private landowner can say what will be hunted or fished on their property and make a dollar at the same time. I just wanted to clarify the bill. Thanks!
It is at the state level, the funding would come from the federal government, like many or most state programs. I know that in Oklahoma most state agencies are stretched to the limit and as much as our wildlife department would like to purchase or acquire more lands that is not a possibility, so with funds delegated by Congress and allocated to each state, lease agreements with volunteering landowners will be made.
I do not understand why so many people disagree with the bill when it is totally voluntary and the private landowner can say what will be hunted or fished on their property and make a dollar at the same time.
Currently landowners are just as able to volunteer land access to individual hunters who sign a lease or pay-as-they-hunt. Do we really need the feds doing the footwork for us?
Well, obviously not everyone is onboard but some agree......
Here is a little more information for you guys....
Good discussion....
Introduction
At least 1 billion acres of the farm and ranch lands in the US are in private ownership. These lands support a diverse and rich abundance of our nation's wildlife. Hunting opportunities on these lands are limited and more landowners are posting their land every day to prohibit hunting. Others are charging a fee to the public to obtain access to these lands and the wildlife therein.
The greatest threat to the future of hunting is finding a safe place to hunt. One of the most common complaints from hunters these days is that there are just too few places left to hunt, particularly near urban centers. Landowners are getting tired of responding to hoards of calls and visits by hunters at all hours requesting access to their land. State wildlife agencies do not have the funds or public support to buy enough land to satisfy this demand.
In response to declining public hunting opportunities, Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) introduced legislation that would enable states to create greater access for hunters on private lands. Basically, they were aware that hunters enjoy outdoor recreation activities and were paying for hunting opportunities, but were disgruntled by fewer and fewer places to hunt without paying an access fee. Their voluntary private lands access and habitat enhancement program is designed to create greater public access to private lands for hunters and other publics, while providing incentives to landowners for to enhance wildlife habitat on their land.
Scope
The initial intent of the Voluntary Public Access and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program Act of 2003 (VPA-WHIP) is to enable states to work with willing landowners to create a walk-in public access program. They also desired to improve the quality and quantity of habitat for wildlife, and the program will offer incentives for private landowners to maintain or improve desirable wildlife habitat.
Partnerships
The success of the VPA-WHIP could not be achieved without an active partnership among private landowners, state and federal governments, local businesses, and agricultural, conservation and hunting organizations. The broader the support these programs can maintain the more likely they will survive and prosper. For this reason, the VPA-WHIP will place higher priority on those programs that involve a diverse array of partners.
Objectives
1) To provide the public with added quality hunting, wildlife viewing and other recreational opportunities,
2) To improve the relationships between private landowners and hunters,
3) To improve the relationships between state government and private landowners, and
4) To improve hunter ethics.
General Concept
By providing financial and other meaningful incentives to private landowners, states will have success in opening private land for public hunting, wildlife viewing and other recreational opportunities. Hunters often experience crowding in key hunting areas; opening thousands of acres of privately owned land for hunting and other recreation will greatly reduce this crowding effect. In addition to added and improved recreational opportunities, this practice creates shared relationship between hunters and landowners. Hunters gain the privilege of hunting on private land but must maintain good behavior in order to keep the privilege. The state sponsored programs also will add more consistency to the hunter-landowner relationship by providing the necessary rules, regulation, education materials and enforcement.
Purpose
The purpose of state hunting access programs is to provide additional hunting, wildlife viewing and other recreational opportunities to the public by providing them access to private land. Generally, access contracts between the state and the private landowner require free access to the public without prior permission from the landowner. These areas generally are only accessed via walk-in, foot traffic unless specific trails identified by the landowner are opened to vehicular traffic. Areas normally are posted at regular intervals with signs by the state. The state generally provides signs and other necessary materials to administer the program. Agency personnel visit all contract land annually to inspect signs and habitat conditions.
To formalize an agreement, the landowner and an agency representative sign an access contract. The locations of access sites are normally published in an atlas, which is available for distribution among the public. In many states, landowner's enjoy the benefit of a Recreational Liability Act under which they assume limited liability immunity for providing this access, including hunting, even though the receive compensation. This is true because the compensation comes from a state agency.
Benefits
There are several reasons to participate in a state access program, in addition to the lease payment. Many landowners own land far from their home or don't have time to worry about who's hunting or viewing wildlife on their land. It may be more convenient for them to enroll in a state-sponsored access program. The state often publishes a detailed county map outlining each tract of land enrolled in the access program and those wishing to enter the land are asked not to contact landowners.
Conservation officers will patrol areas enrolled in the program, much like other public hunting areas. Violators will be ticketed or arrested for offenses such as vandalism, trespassing, littering or failure to comply with wildlife regulations.
State private land access programs provide hunters with a place to hunt while leaving the land in private ownership. In recent times, hunters have lost contact with landowners. Many have quit hunting because it is difficult to find a place to hunt, the tradition of hunting can be preserved, and rural-urban ties can be strengthened.
Because these private land access programs are voluntary, landowners have the option to withdraw from the program at any time. Generally, they will be paid a prorated portion of the arranged payment and provided with signs denoting that the land has been removed from the program.
Incentives
Once land qualifies and is enrolled in a state private land access program, cooperators often receive a payment based on the size of the enrolled acreage and the type and amount of habitat improvements made.
Youth Areas
Some states offer private land access opportunities for younger recreationist, such as properties in the urban counties for youth hunters. Areas often will be accessible only for youth under sixteen years of age and an accompanying adult.
Access Restrictions
Access most often is allowed only for foot travel, except on roads or trails designated by the landowner in the case of large tracts of land. Safety zone signs are used in some cases to provide landowners additional control over where hunting may occur. Rifle hunting may be restricted if there are safety concerns.
Liability
Liability is a valid concern for any private landowner. Many states now have laws that provide private individuals immunity from damages or injuries resulting from ordinary negligence when they lease their land to the state for recreational purposes.
Habitat Improvement
Some state private land access programs provide additional payments if the landowners agrees to complete one or more approved habitat improvement practices. Examples of approved practices might include strip disking; food plots; tall grain stubble; delayed mowing, haying or grazing; early grain harvest; and prescribed fire.
Conclusion
Private land in the US supports an abundance of our nation's wildlife. Access to these lands is becoming more restrictive, as more land is posted each day. The future of some recreational pursuits such as hunting is in jeopardy, and access to opportunities on private land may be the only say to save this sport. Senators Kent Conrad and Pat Roberts have introduced a bill in the US Senate to empower states to initiate or expand voluntary private land access programs. States would submit proposals for funding to the Department of Agriculture that would enable them to enter into lease agreements with private landowners that would provide incentives for access to the public and to improve wildlife habitat. Diverse partnership are encouraged. These programs have been shown to be very popular with private landowners and with the general public. Demand for existing state private land access programs has outstripped available funds for leases and habitat incentives, particularly in economically depressed rural agricultural communities. Federal funding will help states meet the demand for expanding recreational opportunities, wildlife populations will benefit from improved habitats, the hunting and wildlife-watching public will experience less crowding, and private landowners will receive public compensation for improving access and habitat on their private land.
Support the Open Fields Act
