Why It Matters: For hunters, access alone does not lead to a satisfying experience. The quality of the habitat on the land being accessed, whether public or private, often determines whether a day afield ends with close encounters with the target species or, ideally, a punched tag. As the original conservationists and responsible stewards, it is imperative for sportsmen and women to support and participate in programs that result in habitat improvement to protect our outdoor pursuits.
Highlights:
- To hunters, just as important as the quantity of accessible land is the quality of its habitat.
- Voluntary programs that incentivize landowners to become active stewards of their lands can provide access and opportunity to hunters while also improving the habitat of wildlife species, both game and non-game alike.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) recognizes the importance of these programs and the benefits that they provide to hunters, landowners, wildlife, and society at large.
Earlier this month, Jim Inglis, an Ohio sportsman and friend of CSF, snapped a picture at the property on which he just completed a prescribed burn to rejuvenate native grasses and improve wildlife habitat. Wearing his yellow fire gear, Jim posed next to a sign marking the property as part of the Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP), the state’s public access to private lands program funded through the Farm Bill’s Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP).
Programs like OLHAP demonstrate how voluntary partnerships between landowners and hunters can expand public access while enhancing habitat quality. These programs reward active land stewardship: not just by opening gates to hunters, but by encouraging practices like prescribed burning, invasive species control, and native vegetation restoration that sustain wildlife populations.
As many sportsmen and women know, access alone isn’t enough. Without quality habitat, access loses its purpose. That’s why initiatives like VPA-HIP go beyond simple permission; they invest in the ecological health of the land itself, ensuring that hunters and anglers encounter thriving, sustainable landscapes.
With current federal conservation program funding temporarily frozen due to the government shutdown, the work of conservationists like Jim underscores the importance of continued support for the Farm Bill and the state-level programs that drive habitat management on private lands. The success of America’s outdoor traditions depends on both quantity and quality of access, as well as the commitment of land stewards who keep the land wild, productive, and open for future generations.
