WI Voluntary Public Access lands....FYI

[Dewey]

Program to increase lands for hunting, fishing and trapping enrolls 30,000 acres
Weekly News Article Published: March 20, 2012 by the Central Office
Voluntary Public Access program to expands into 12 new counties
MADISON – Since becoming available in August 2011, Wisconsin landowners have enrolled more than 30,000 acres in a program intended to increase the amount of land available for public hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife observation. Now the state is expanding the program into 12 additional Wisconsin counties.
The Voluntary Public Access program provides incentive payments to private landowners who voluntarily open up their land for public access. Grassland, wetland, forestland, and in some cases, agriculture land, are eligible. Land enrolled in conservation programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE), Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), and Managed Forest Law (MFL) may also be eligible under VPA.
“We are excited to expand into additional counties,” said Melissa Keenan, who coordinates the program for the Department of Natural Resources. “The expansion gives private landowners the opportunity to earn additional income by leasing their land public access.”
The program is being expanded into Columbia, Sauk, Juneau, Adams, Waushara, Marquette, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Jackson, Clark, Polk and Barron counties.
Funding for the Voluntary Public Access program was authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill and Wisconsin received $1.9 million to implement it. Annual payment rates are based on the type of land (agriculture land at $3 per acre, grassland/wetland at $10 per acre, and forest land at $15 per acre). Lease lengths are up to two and a half years. An upfront lump sum payment would be made at the beginning of the contract. Priority will be given parcels greater than 40 acres in size with at least 25 percent usable cover and that are located near properties currently open to public hunting and/or fishing.
Under state statutes, landowners are generally immune from liability for injuries received by individuals recreating on their lands. Also, the department agrees to provide compensation for damages to property or crops that occur as a result of opening the land to public access. For more information about the program or to find VPA properties open to public access, visit dnr.wi.gov and search “VPA.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Keenan - 608-266-5560 or Bill Cosh 608-2642773

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[Dewey]

Check for land enrolled in your county at bottom of this page....... http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/vpa.htm

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[BigHunt]

wow thanks dewey...good info here im looking into it right know!!!

[blackwolf]

Dewey, thanks for the info and link!

[whitetail007]

i have been to every place in the 2 counties near me and im not impressed at all. tree stands and trail cams in every other tree. i dont know if it was the land owners or what but i was hitting these places within a day or 2 of going online. most of them in mid september and early october.

[ozzz]

are these properties on the DNR lands map?

[Dewey]

are these properties on the DNR lands map?

Not sure? I would think they should be but since these lands are fairly new they might not be entered yet. I haven't had a chance to check that out but the link I posted shows all of the maps you should need to get started. They say many of the VPA's are adjacent to public land.

[dan]

Most of them are just good for accessing remote public sections... They are not listed in the DNR public lands listings. Use the link.

[Dewey]

Check for land enrolled in your county at bottom of this page....... http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/vpa.htm

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Link doesn't work anymore.

Here is the new one.

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/lands/VPA/

[Hawthorne]

There was over a dozen farms enrolled in my area of southern mi in a similar program aboutv15 years ago. I think it's down to two now. Guys were going around leasing them for much higher money than the state was paying the landowners. I heard it was a joke what the state paid them

[tgreeno]

I'm guessing the chance of someone enrolling prime hunting land in a program like this are very slim.

[BassBoysLLP]

I'm guessing the chance of someone enrolling prime hunting land in a program like this are very slim.

Indeed. It's generally land that doesn't meet the requirements for MFL and can't be leased for a better rate. It some ways it's an auction block for leasing properties.

[tgreeno]

I'm guessing the chance of someone enrolling prime hunting land in a program like this are very slim.

Indeed. It's generally land that doesn't meet the requirements for MFL and can't be leased for a better rate. It some ways it's an auction block for leasing properties.

For me it may be a spot to go and try to shoot a doe on a wrong-wind day.