Pheasants, deer and other wildlife need habitat; farms can help

Where I was raised, one can look out and see mile upon mile of corn and soybeans. A little bit of alfalfa and a fair amount of pasture land was sprinkled in. You’d also find rivers, creeks and ponds not too far afield. 

Hardworking farmers live there, as does a whole gaggle of wildlife. Google tells me that Iowa is home to 433 types of birds, Illinois has 196 species of fish, and Minnesota has 81 species of mammals. Farms cover much of the land, and thus farmland is to a great extent their habitat. 

This story of farmers and wildlife sharing the land remains consistent in all states throughout the country, even as the types of crops and species change from region to region. 

Wildlife in decline 

The story doesn’t end there. Enhancing farmland habitat – that is, making it even better for wildlife – is necessary when you realize that animal populations are in decline. The World Wildlife Fund found a 39% population decline in North America of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds. Also, North America has seen a 30% drop in bird populations since 1970. 

The loss of habitat remains a key challenge, and enhancing farmland habitat is a major part of the solution due to the amount of land farmed in this country. 

In the U.S., nearly 900 million acres of land was farmed in 2023. That’s the equivalent of the six largest states combined: Alaska, Texas, California, Montana, New Mexico and Arizona. 

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Improvement Program 

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Improvement Program is an unsung federal initiative that provides grants to states, which then set up programs to do two things. One is to provide technical assistance and funding to landowners to improve their land for the wildlife that live there (this is the Habitat Improvement side of the program). The other part incentivizes landowners to voluntarily open their lands to hunting and fishing (this is the Voluntary Public Access part of the program).

There’s a bipartisan bill in Congress to extend this program and triple the overall funding, which would allow even more private landowners to participate. The Senate bill was introduced by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Roger Marshall (R-KS). The House bill was introduced by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD). Bravo to them all. 

People have feelings about hunting 

Hunters and anglers are some of the best conservationists that I know. They understand the importance of protecting land and water, as well as the wildlife that live there. Case in point is my high school biology teacher. He was a bow hunter who would keep heading out to his hunting grounds day after day, even after getting his buck. At that point, he was ‘hunting’ the perfect photo of wildlife in nature, and he became a bit of a local sensation for it. 

Groups such as Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Izaak Walton League, Trout Unlimited and more directly make the connection between conservation and hunting or fishing. These organizations all have established track records in land and wildlife conservation. 

Granted, some have negative feelings about hunting. I interviewed someone recently who initially had a slightly negative reaction to this bill but then quickly realized two things: humans have always hunted, and hunting gets people out into nature, which makes people care. Thus, even for those who might take an initial step back when hearing about the idea, they can quickly get excited about the concept within this bill.

Types of habitat improvement programs

The specifics can vary from state to state, but here are examples of wildlife habitat improvements supported by the program: 

1. Removal of invasive plants and shrubs
2. Seeding native pollinator habitat alongside crops and on non-cropland 
3. Adding native grasses and prairie
4. Adding a windbreak of native shrubs
5. Providing opportunities for animals to forage and seek cover with plantings of grains, grasses, forbs or legumes

Benefits of the program 

Here is how other groups make the hunting-conservation connection and describe their support for the bill: 

“Recovering wildlife, restoring habitat, and expanding recreational access on private lands is a win-win for both wildlife and the hunters, anglers and outdoorspeople. This common-sense, bipartisan bill will ensure farmers, ranchers and private land owners have the tools and resources they need… to ensure our shared wildlife heritage endures for future generations,” said Aviva Glaser, National Wildlife Federation

“As duck hunters across the country look for additional access, increased investments in [this program] can lead to new partnerships with private landowners to enhance habitat and also provide access,” said John Devney, Delta Waterfowl. 

“High-quality access is one of the greatest challenges facing sportsmen and women. The [bill] addresses this challenge head-on while rewarding the landowners who work tirelessly to provide quality habitat on their properties,” said Jeff Crane, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

Pass the Voluntary Access Program Act

Again, we offer a big thank you to the lawmakers who have introduced the bill, as well as the many groups that support it and have supported it for years. It’s time to pass the Voluntary Program Access Act.