[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5296-S5297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 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.

[[Page S5297]]

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.

                          ____________________