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USDA Invests Nearly $3 Million with PA Fish & Boat Commission to Expand Wildlife Conservation, Outdoor Access

Project Benefits Farmers, Wildlife, and General Public
Publish Date
Mt. Desert Island and Ellsworth area, Maine, on July 10, 2018. The island includes the towns of Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor and more. Just offshore, outside the Mt Desert harbor, is Bear Island. Ferries and water taxis transport mail, supplies, residents and tourists to the nearby Cranberry Isles (Great Cranberry, Islesford (Little Cranberry), and Sutton. Cranberry Isles are the five islands of Great Cranberry, Islesford (Little Cranberry), Sutton, Baker and Bear. Buoys dot the surrounding waters where l

USDA is investing $2.8 million in a project with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission to increase public access to private lands for wildlife-dependent recreation while benefiting farmers, and private landowners. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $2.8 million in a project with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission to increase public access to private lands for wildlife-dependent recreation while benefiting farmers, and private landowners. Through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is helping state governments encourage private landowners to allow public access to their land for hunting, fishing and other wildlife-dependent recreation. 

 “As the Chief of NRCS, one of my top priorities is to expand wildlife conservation and outdoor access; the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program is a key part of our strategy to execute that priority,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “This program – made possible by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act – prioritizes farmers and ranchers while strengthening rural economies through support of wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation. These projects encourage landowners to allow the public to access their land for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-dependent recreation.” 

The Working Families Tax Cuts Act restored funding for VPA-HIP, enabling NRCS to offer the competitive grant program for state governments. 

Pennsylvania’s project: 

  • Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission: Using VPA‑HIP funding, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission will create and enhance public access for fishing and boating, as well as other types of outdoor recreation, by offering financial incentives to owners of privately held lands to make their lands available to the public.

See a list of all projects here. Also, watch Chief Buckley discuss VPA-HIP in this video.

Projects are up to three years. Selected projects will receive from $1.5 to $3 million in funding. Project sponsors can use up to 25% of funds to provide incentives to landowners to improve wildlife habitat on enrolled public access program lands. 

For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat.  NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, technical advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.