HEADQUARTERS NEWS RELEASE
Boise, ID
| Date: | September 20, 2005 |
| Contact: | Ed Mitchell (208) 334-3700 |
Hunters and Landowners
Guest Editorial by;
Marcus Gibbs, Chairman, Idaho Fish and Game Commission
Steven Huffaker, Director, Idaho Fish and Game
When you take to the field this fall, you may see more "No Trespassing"
signs. Every year, more landowners are exercising their right to limit
public access.
The reasons vary. Some are tired of repairing damage caused by inconsiderate
hunters. Others are developing their property or selling hunting and
trespass rights to the highest bidder. No matter the reason, habitat and
public access are being lost. Reversing that trend won't be easy and it
won't be cheap.
We can't turn back the clock to the days when a knock on the door and a handshake was enough to get permission to hunt or fish on private property. We can't order landowners to manage their property to benefit fish and wildlife. We can, however, provide incentives to allow public access and provide quality habitat.
This is not a new idea. Several years ago, the Fish and Game Advisory Committee, made up of sportsmen and landowners, recommended depredation payments to landowners for crop damage by big game. They recommended giving landowners permission to hunt in controlled hunts where they own property. More recently, the Advisory Committee recommended, and the Fish and Game Commission adopted, the Access Yes! program which makes cash payments to landowners who allow hunting and fishing on their private property. This year, Access Yes! opened more than 750,000 acres of private and public land to hunters and anglers.
More needs to be done, so the Advisory Committee suggested additional
actions:
 | Small landowners, with less than 640 acres, need recognition for providing quality habitat and public access. |
| Corporations that own thousands of acres of forest lands need incentives to maintain quality habitat. Many of them have a legacy of providing public access, but today, that land is being sold for vacation property. These companies need encouragement to maintain public access and quality habitat. |
| Large landowners, with more than 10,000 acres, provide some of the best wildlife habitat and hunting available. Many of them realize this and have leased or sold their property for private hunting preserves. Few of us can outbid someone who takes their private jet to hunt their own piece of Idaho. |
If these trends continue, Idaho hunters will have fewer places to go and fewer animals to hunt. The Commission and Department don't want that. We want average citizens to have the opportunity to hunt and fish on private property. We want landowners to have an incentive to protect habitat.
During the coming months, the Fish and Game Commission and Department will explore the recommendations by the Advisory Committee and others. We'll also discuss how to pay for these programs.
Other states raised license fees or sold special stamps. Some let landowners sell hunting tags as an incentive to allow access and to protect important habitat.
Which approach is best? That's what we're trying to figure out - with your help. We want your comments, your thoughts, ideas and proposals. Working together, we can find a solution that ensures access and quality habitat . . . for today and the future.
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