Access Program May Start This Spring

Hunter and anglers will have more access to private and public lands under the new Access Yes program. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission, meeting in Boise March 13-14, voted unanimously to begin paying landowners to allow hunting and fishing access. The Commission asked department staff to present a plan for permanent funding at its April meeting. In the meantime, funding can come from current Fish and Game accounts to make a modest beginning. Wildlife Bureau chief Jim Unsworth told the Commission that, since January, the bureau has received sample bids on 67,000 acres. This includes three proposals for 1,275 acres in the Panhandle; two proposals for 14,500 acres in the Clearwater Region; seven proposals for 4,000 acres in the Southwest Region; 10 proposals for 22,105 acres in the Magic Valley; five proposals for 12,709 acres in the Southeast Region; five proposals for 13,403 areas in the Upper Snake; and one proposal in the Salmon Region for an unspecified number of acres. Total funding needed for the proposals offered so far is about $100,000. These proposals from private landowners would open an additional 37,000 acres of blocked public lands. Unsworth introduced Glen Secrist from Idaho Department of Agriculture who will help in contacting ranchers and farmers about the Access Yes program. The Fish and Game Advisory Committee introduced the Access Yes program after three years of discussion and planning. The advisory committee is made up of Idahoans nominated by the directors of Fish and Game and the Department of Agriculture.