Ohio is weighing a $50 million play to get hunters back onto the ground they have steadily lost. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would tap public funds to buy land or lock in access agreements, a move supporters say could reopen hunting territory that has slipped behind “No Trespassing” signs as farms changed hands and development spread.
As reported by The Columbus Dispatch, sponsors want the money available both for outright purchases and for payments to landowners who agree to let hunters back on. Mike Rex, a longtime trophy whitetail hunter and member of the Ohio Wildlife Council, told the Dispatch that “perhaps 25,000 acres around his Athens County property that were once open to hunting are no longer open,” and he says that shrinking access has helped drive people away from the sport.
How the money could be used
Conservation agencies typically divide funds between fee-simple land purchases and access agreements that pay private owners to let the public hunt. That mix lets officials decide whether it makes more sense to buy a property outright or simply open the gates through a lease or easement.
Programs such as the federal Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, known as VPA-HIP, are designed to help states put those deals together by combining purchases, easements and leases to expand “walk-in” hunting without forcing anyone to sell the farm. As noted by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, that model has become a go-to approach for increasing access while still respecting private property rights.
Federal context and why access matters
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently added its own boost, announcing $52 million for VPA-HIP grants that states and tribes can use to encourage private landowners to open up their ground for hunting and fishing. Advocates say steady state dollars, paired with those federal grants, can unlock more acreage than either pot of money could manage alone…