Improving public access to private land in state’s southern tier
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever (PF & QF) are proud to announce the Public Access to Habitat (PATH) program has expanded to Michigan. Working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MIDNR), PF & QF’s Michigan PATH initiative aims to add 2,000+ acres of high-quality upland habitat to MIDNR’s Hunting Access Program (HAP).
PATH represents PF & QF’s primary mechanism to increase public hunting access on private lands – a key strategy identified in the organization’s National Strategic Plan. Successful pilot programs in South Dakota and Nebraska have already secured public hunting access to more than 120,000 acres of prime upland bird habitat on private lands. Following the recent announcements of PATH expansion in North Dakota and Oklahoma, the program now moves to The Wolverine State.
“We’re excited to bring PATH to Michigan while demonstrating how this program can be tailored to any state,” said John Laux, PF & QF’s permanent habitat protection program manager. “Michigan PATH will allow Pheasants Forever and its partners to better leverage our funding, target high-quality grassland habitat and increase public hunting opportunities across Michigan’s core pheasant range.”
Although state and federal lands constitute 22% of Michigan’s land base, the vast majority of those public lands occur in the Upper Peninsula. Public access opportunities are much more limited in southern Michigan, where most of the remaining grassland habitat and pheasant hunting opportunities occur. Recognizing these challenges, MIDNR developed HAP to increase public hunting access to private lands in this core region. HAP is a voluntary program that provides financial incentives to private landowners willing to allow public, walk-in access for hunting.
“This new incentive makes it even more attractive for landowners to join the program,” said Ben Beaman, Pheasants Forever’s Michigan state coordinator. “Particularly in southern counties where access to quality pheasant habitat is limited.”
Through PATH, funds raised by local PF & QF chapters, donors and other conservation partners will be matched with programmatic funding support from onX Hunt’s Adventure Forever Grants Program. Collectively, this funding will be further leveraged by MIDNR funds to maximize expansion of HAP in key geographies.
To learn more about Michigan PATH and how you can contribute to this effort, visit the website or contact Ben Beaman at BBeaman@pheasantsforever.org.