Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Environment Receive
$500,000 Federal Grant to Expand Hunting Access Program
Grant provides more youth hunting opportunities with a focuses on land
conservation
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) and
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE) today
announced that the agencies have been awarded a $500,000 federal grant
to enhance the state’s Hunter Access Program (HAP) with an emphasis on
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) land and more
opportunities for youth hunting.
“This is good news for hunters who may not currently have access to
hunting land,” said Rebecca Humphries, MDNRE Director. “This grant will
allow us to open up more hunting opportunities in Michigan, and further
our priorities of preserving our state’s rich hunting heritage.”
HAP provides financial incentive to landowners in southern Michigan who
are willing to allow hunters to hunt on their lands. Lands must be at
least 40 acres in size and payments increase with the level of habitat
quality.
The grant will allow the agencies to use a multifaceted approach to
expand HAP with a goal to increase the acres and number of sites
enrolled in the program. Currently, there are 8,000 acres on 53 farms
with the goal of expanding to over 15,000 acres on 100 farms by 2013,
and placing an emphasis on CREP land and increasing youth and apprentice
hunter opportunities. The HAP will be promoted to landowners through
conservation districts, Pheasants Forever Chapters and other
conservation partners. It will be a key component of the Pheasant
Restoration Initiative in southern Michigan.
“Michigan’s CREP has restored over 72,000 acres of grassland and wetland
habitat and plays an instrumental role in reducing nonpoint source
pollution. This federal grant provides an additional opportunity for
producers to protect the land through program enrollment,” said Don
Koivisto, MDA Director. “I would encourage Michigan landowners to
participate in this great environmental program as there are increased
financial incentives ranging from $3 to $20 per acre with better rates
paid for higher quality habitat and lands closer to urban centers.”
Michigan’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) was created
to help protect our environment and wildlife and continues to partner
with the federal government to implement conservation practices of great
significance to the state such as of soil erosion, water quality, and
wildlife habitat.
For more information on MDA’s CREP, visit www.michigan.gov/mda, click on
farming, and then environment; and for additional information on DNRE’s
HAP, visit www.michigan.gov/hunting.
