Voluntary Public Access and Wildllife Habitat Incentive Program Act of 2005

VOLUNTARY PUBLIC ACCESS AND WILDLIFE HABITAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM ACT OF 2005

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, in March Senator ROBERTS joined me in introducing S. 548, the Voluntary Public Access and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program Act of 2005.

This legislation is enthusiastically supported not only by America's hunters and anglers, but also by agricultural producers, private landowners and those interested in rural development. Open Fields, as this bipartisan legislation is commonly known, addresses hunting, fishing and other recreational access on private land. The legislation also tackles rural development issues head on.

Dwindling access to quality hunting, angling and other wildlife-dependent opportunities is a trend that slowly is pulling apart the American sporting tradition. At the same time, farmers, ranchers, and small town businesses are desperately looking for the means and opportunities to revitalize and stimulate their local economies. These two needs, the need for better access for sportsmen who can not afford to lease land, and the need for economic stimulation in rural America have intersected and spurred the creation of highly effective state public access programs.

Walk-in or access programs are not a new concept. In fact they have very successfully begun to reverse the trend of diminishing numbers of hunters and anglers in States with these programs. At the same time, these programs generate cash and economic activity in rural economies by encouraging increased numbers of hunters, anglers, and others who enjoy wildlife-related activities to spend more of their outdoor recreation dollars in rural America.

Eighteen States are already using their own limited funding resources to finance very successful access programs. These programs have set the stage for even greater success in the future, but only if additional funding becomes available. When enacted into law, Open Fields will provide $20 million per year in Commodity Credit Corporation funds over the next five years. These funds will be used to provide U.S. Department of Agriculture grants for States with recreational walk-in or access programs. It is our intent that access to all the land that property owners voluntarily enroll under this legislation will be available for, but not limited to, hunting and fishing activities.

I remind our colleagues that the Open Fields legislation offers benefits to many of their constituents, regardless of their State or district, or whether they represent urban or rural Americans. We all know that millions of city dwellers hunt and fish. Access to quality areas to hunt, fish, and enjoy other wildlife related activities within reasonable distances from urban areas is becoming dramatically reduced.

As we travel the rural areas of our States, Senator ROBERTS and I experience firsthand the tremendous need to bring additional income into small towns and communities in Kansas, North Dakota, and across rural America. As members of the Committee on Agriculture, we are constantly looking for alternatives to supplement traditional agricultural programs and improve the economic safety net for our farmers and ranchers that are not considered trade distorting. Open Fields is a program that can help achieve those objectives.

The positive impact of making private lands available to the hunting public is highly visible in Mr. Roberts' home State of Kansas and in my own State of North Dakota. According to data obtained from a 2001 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study, Kansas and North Dakota have a total of 1,750,000 acres currently enrolled in state-run access programs. Furthermore, this study notes that hunting licenses sold in the State of Kansas increased from 175,000 in 1996 to 205,000 in 2001, a 22.9 percent increase. In North Dakota, hunting license sales increased from 118,000 in 1996 to 133,000 in 2001, a 12.7 percent increase.

During this same time period, the number of hunters nationwide decreased from 14 million to 13 million. This is a disturbing trend that has resulted in lost jobs, reduced revenues for local communities, and fewer Americans enjoying our rich hunting heritage. State-run access programs are proof that opening additional acres of private land to hunting increases the numbers of hunters and provides a significant boost to the economies of small towns and rural areas.

I cannot emphasize enough what a tremendous opportunity Open Fields provides our colleagues to invest in America and to help preserve our hunting and fishing heritage. Currently, access programs are being successfully administered in states all across America, from Arizona with 2 million acres to Pennsylvania with 4.3 million acres. In 18 States, more than 23 million acres are enrolled. Administrative and incentive payments total just over $23 million per year, an average of about $1 per acre.

According to a recently completed cost-benefit analysis, states with active access programs encouraged more than 276,000 hunters to continue to hunt who otherwise would have quit. This translates into about $512.6 million these hunters spend annually in these States. With this in mind, I remind our colleagues that the $20 million per year investment called for under this legislation will potentially return many times its initial cost. States with access programs are currently spending about $23 million per year while generating more than $512 million in additional economic activity. Through our legislation, this return on investment can become a reality for many more states and communities.

Part of our responsibility as policymakers is to seek opportunities that will improve the quality of life of our constituents. We have introduced the Open Fields legislation as a means to encourage the States to partner with the outdoor recreation community and private landowners to preserve our hunting and fishing heritage and provide economic growth opportunities for rural America.

I urge my colleagues to support and cosponsor Open Fields.

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