FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Page 1

January 2011

 Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP)

Overview

The Voluntary Public Access and 

Habitat Incentive Program (VPAHIP) is a competitive grants program 

authorized under Section 1240R of 

the Food Security Act of 1985, as 

amended, and is only available to 

states and tribal governments. Up to 

$50 million is available through fiscal 

year 2012. 

The primary objective of the VPA-HIP 

is to encourage owners and operators 

of privately-held farm, ranch and forest land to voluntarily make that land 

available for access by the public for 

wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting or fishing, under programs 

implemented by state or tribal governments. 

Grantees that are states will have the 

grant amount reduced by 25 percent 

if opening dates for migratory bird 

hunting in the state are not consistent 

for residents and non-residents. This 

requirement does not apply to grantees that are tribal governments.

Regulations at 7 CFR part 1455 govern the VPA-HIP.

Background

Twenty-six states currently have 

public access programs in place for 

hunting, fishing and other related 

activities. These programs provide 

rental payments and other incentives, 

such as technical or conservation 

services to landowners who allow the 

public to hunt, fish or perform other 

types of wildlife recreation on their 

land. An unknown number of tribal 

governments have similar public access programs.

 

The majority of the existing programs 

have limited scope and budgets; most 

existing programs have an annual 

budget of under a million dollars 

per year. The goals of these existing 

programs include providing access for 

wildlife-dependent recreation, such as 

hunting, fishing and other compatible 

activities that include enhancing wildlife habitat, facilitating sound wildlife 

management, helping local economies 

that depend on revenue from hunters, 

and preserving our nation’s conservation and hunting traditions. 

The funding provided by the VPA-HIP 

will help states and tribal governments 

greatly increase access and recreational experiences. Grant recipients 

may use the funding to provide higher 

rental payments, provide technical 

and conservation services to landowners and increase acreage enrolled for 

public access. 

Nothing in the VPA-HIP preempts 

liability laws that may apply to activities on any property related to grants 

made in this program.

How the Program Works

Periodically, the Farm Service Agency 

(FSA) acting on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will 

publish a Request for Applications 

(RFA) on the federal government’s 

grants portal — www.grants.gov.

The RFA will provide the objectives 

for projects, the eligibility criteria for 

projects and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a VPA-HIP 

competitive grant.

Who Can Participate

Only states and tribal governments are 

eligible for VPA-HIP. Grants will be 

awarded through a competitive RFA 

process. States and tribal governments 

may propose to use VPA-HIP grant 

funding to expand existing public 

access programs, create new public access programs and/or provide 

incentives to improve habitat on land 

enrolled in public access programs.

Funding Priorities

Funding priority will be given to proposals that will use the grant money 

in a public access program to address 

these objectives:

• Maximize participation by landowners; 

• Ensure that land enrolled in the 

program has appropriate wildlife 

habitat; 

• Provide incentives to strengthen 

wildlife habitat improvement 

efforts on Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program (CREP) 

land;

• Supplement funding and services 

from other federal, state, tribal 

government or private resources 

that is provided in the form of 

cash or in-kind services and; 

• Provide information to the public 

about the location of public access land.

For More Information

For more information on VPA-HIP, 

contact a local FSA office or visit 

FSA’s website at: http://www.fsa.usda.

gov/vpa.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) prohibits discrimination in 

all its programs and activities on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, 

age, disability, and where applicable, 

sex, marital status, familial status, 

parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, genetic information, 

political beliefs, reprisal, or because 

all or part of an individual’s income 

is derived from any public assistance 

program. (Not all prohibited bases 

apply to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.) should contact 

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 

720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint of Discrimination, write 

to USDA, Director, Office of Civil 

Rights, 1400 Independence Ave. 

SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or 

call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 

720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.