Voluntary Public Access (VPA) & Habitat Incentive Programs

Georgia’s Wildlife Resources Division received a grant that gives us a great opportunity to partner with private landowners. We can now offer lease payments in exchange for well-managed outdoor recreation access for the public. Whether you own 10 acres or 5,000 acres, we are interested in talking with you about leasing land for public access to hunting, fishing, or wildlife viewing. So far, we have created a wide variety of hunting opportunities for dove, waterfowl, deer, small game and turkey.

Eligible land owners include personal citizen-owned properties, agricultural producers, timber companies and timber investment management organizations.

Benefits for Private Landowners

Substantial financial incentives based on acres, recreation types, and habitats available
Can choose to enroll in single or multi-year contracts
Landowner liability protection by Georgia law for hunting and other recreation use
Free wildlife habitat technical assistance
Flexibility in setting dates for access and types of use

Interested? Complete the Landowner Interest Form today!

Benefits for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Hunter access for deer, dove, turkey, waterfowl, squirrels, rabbit, quail and other game
Meeting increased hunter demand for public dove fields and waterfowl areas
Fishing by river access in areas lacking boat ramps or in areas with well-managed lakes
Opportunities for hiking, bird and other wildlife-watching in distinctive areas

About 93% of Georgia’s land base is in private ownership. Largely because of this we are pleased to be partners in USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service Voluntary Public Access (VPA) program*. It allows us to fund land leases from interested private landowners for temporary public access. In the last five years we have partnered in 35 contracts for several thousand acres of public access.

*This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under number 69-3A75-14-292.