The Farm Service Agency is expanding its efforts to encourage owners of privately held farm, ranch and forest land in eight additional states to voluntarily open the land for public recreational use.
The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) is a grant program open to state and tribal governments that provides a financial incentive to encourage landowners to open their land to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation such as fishing or hunting.
"VPA-HIP not only helps achieve conservation goals, but also increases opportunities for hunting, fishing and other compatible outdoor activities by providing additional access to privately held lands for wildlife-dependent recreation,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
California, Georgia, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming will join 17 other states and the Yakama Nation as participants in the program that provides up to $50 million through fiscal year 2012. Learn more.
