The Iowa D.N.R. has indicated that Iowa will receive a 1.5 million dollar grant for the “Landowner Habitat Incentive Program”.
Local pheasant hunters and farmers received good news this week when U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsak, announced Iowa was one of 17 states to share more than $11.75 million in Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) grants.
Iowa will receive $1.5 million over three years to help fund grass and forb seeding, tree and shrub plantings, burning, disking, spraying, interseeding, food plots, edge feathering, timber stand improvement and wetland restoration on private lands. In return, landowners agree to allow public access to their land for a period of three to ten years. State officials feel the grant should give a boost to Iowa’s ground-nesting birds struggling after four straight years of wet springs, record snowfalls, poor nesting success and low winter survival rates.
“We think this will be a great tool for helping recover Iowa’s weather-decimated pheasant numbers, at the same time providing public access to well-managed private lands,: said Todd Bogenschutz, D.N.R. upland game biologist. “It’s a shot in the arm at a time when hunters – and pheasants alike – really needed it.”
Along with pheasants and hunters, the program is expected to benefit other wildlife and outdoor recreationalists. According to the USDA, the “VPA-HIP” will provide incentives to owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch and forest land to voluntarily give hunters, fisherman, hikers, bird watchers and other recreational outdoor enthusiasts access to land for their enjoyment.
“This administration is committed to preserving and enhancing the great conservation legacy of our nation’s hunters and anglers for the benefit of current and future generations,” Vilsak said. “VPA-HIP” will help achieve conservation goals and increase opportunities for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation by providing greater access to privately held lands and we are excited to assist these 17 states in developing new and enhancing existing public access and habitat incentive programs”.
Iowa was one of 28 states vying for the grants. Iowa’s program is expected to be in place by early next year.
“Right now our focus is finalizing the details of the program,” said Kelly Smith, DNR Private Lands Program Coordinator. “We will likely have the program in place by early next spring.”
I feel the “Walk-In Access” program is much needed here in Iowa due to the low numbers of our pheasants, quail, turkeys and other feathered birds. It is my thought that the “Walk-In” properties will be open in the fall of 2011 through February 2012 and access by vehicle, horse back or by other means will probably be prohibited on the private property. These private properties will probably be marked with ““Walk-In Access” and have maps available to the hunters and public. The “Walk-In Access” program will provide opportunity for sportsmen and incentives for the landowners, along with monetarily compensating the private landowners for public access to their property. Depending on the property and the agreement with the D.N.R., the public may hunt, fish or trap on that property. Perhaps the landowners enrolled in the “Walk-In Access” program will be afforded liability protection under Iowa Law.
In checking with the Iowa D.N.R., it was indicated the Iowa “Walk-In” program will be copied somewhat after North Dakota plots and land. The plots and/or “Walk-In” program is the D.N.R.’s effort to increase habitat and hunting access on private land and pay the private landowners for this privilege. This Iowa program will probably include pasture, crop land and forest acres and will be based on points assessed to the land use such as wetlands and woodland acres.
In my review of the other states that have “Walk-In” programs, there’s very little negative feedback, consequently it will help Iowa with our “Walk-In” program and in turn, will help increase birds, increase fur bearers as well as our habitat.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me calling at (515) 283-2330, emailing me at dmlaw@qwestoffice.net or by writing to 206 – 6th Avenue, Suite 510, Des Moines, Iowa 50309.
