State gets $1 million for private land access

Published 10:01 am Wednesday, July 6, 2011

For the second year in a row, the federal government has provided Washington state with money to pay landowners to allow people to hunt or to fish on their land.

This year, Washington got $1 million from the Department of Agriculture that will be used to improve access and wildlife habitat mostly in Eastern Washington.

Much of the money will be used for hunting access. But new this year will be a program called Feel Free to Fish in southeast Washington in which the state will pay private landowners for shoreline access to river fisheries.

The grant is part of the nation’s Farm Bill. Last year, the state got $1.5 million.

“Hunters and fishers consistently rank access to the land and water as one of their top concerns,” Nate Pamplin, assistant director of the WDFW wildlife program, said in a prepared statement.. “This new funding will bolster current state efforts to expand recreational opportunities in our state for years to come.

“We look forward to working cooperatively with private landowners to expand fishing, hunting and wildlife-viewing opportunities on private lands,” Pamplin said. “Once we get final approval from USDA, we plan to sign up as many suitable properties as possible in time for the fall hunting season.”