Access Yes!: What Do You Think?

Idaho Fish and Game wants to know what citizens think about the new land access program that went into effect this fall. Access Yes! is intended to increase hunting and fishing access to private lands and to public lands that would otherwise not be accessible through private lands. It compensates willing landowners who provide access to private land or through their property to public land. In 2003, Access Yes! provided access to 107,000 acres of private land and access through private land to an additional 240,000 acres of public land. Fish and Game spent $117,000 on the program this year. Currently, Access Yes! funding is limited; $300,000 is budgeted for the program in 2004. Fish and Game is paying for Access Yes! by reducing budgets for other programs. Expanding Access Yes! to provide more hunting and fishing access on private and public land will require additional funding. About $1.2 million is needed to provide Idaho hunters and anglers access comparable to access programs in other western states. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is considering the future of Access Yes!, including several options for increased funding and expanding the program. To gather public comment on the program and its future, Fish and Game is sampling 1,000 license holders at random. Comments will also be taken at regional Fish and Game offices and on the Internet at http://www2.state.id.us/fishgame/Hunt/ProgramsInfo/AccessYes/index.htm. Comments are due before November 10.