Federal grant to boost state’s walk-in land-access program

By Dave Buchanan
Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Colorado Division of Wildlife’s popular Small-Game Walk-In Access Program received a big boost this week with a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Colorado was one of 17 states sharing $11.76 million from the federal agency’s Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program.

The program, part of the 2008 Farm Bill, encourages landowners to improve habitat and access for public hunting, angling and wildlife watching on their private land.

The Walk-In Access Program, which is free to anyone holding a small game hunting license, this year opens more than 214,000 acres of leased private lands in 22 eastern Colorado counties.

“Our Walk-In Access Program is tremendously popular with landowners and hunters alike,” said DOW Director Tom Remington. “This funding will make it even better.”

DOW Small Game Manager Ed Gorman said that starting in 2011 the funds will help the Walk-In Access Program expand the number of acres enrolled and improve the quality of habitat provided in the program.