INDIANA — The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will receive $3 million in federal funding to expand public access for hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing on private lands across the state.
The grant is part of a nationwide $21 million investment announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The IDNR will use the $3 million allocation to scale up its existing Indiana Private Lands Access Program. Originally launched in 2018 and expanded in 2020 under a previous VPA-HIP award, the state initiative has enrolled more than 32,000 acres across 46 participating private landowners to date.
With the new federal investment, state officials have set ambitious expansion targets for Indiana:
- Land & Landowner Target: Expand program coverage to 62,451 acres across more than 175 landowners.
- Hunting Access: Increase public hunting opportunities for game birds, waterfowl, turkey, deer, and small game.
- Angler Access: Secure 30 contracts covering 475,200 feet of streambank to provide enhanced public fishing access.
- Wildlife Viewing Sites: Develop 10 dedicated public wildlife viewing sites statewide with conservation partners, featuring accessible infrastructure such as boardwalks and viewing platforms.
- Easement Integration: Ensure 20% of all enrolled lands consist of tracts within Wetland Reserve Easements and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
Where appropriate, a portion of the grant funds will directly support wildlife habitat improvements on participating properties to meet NRCS conservation standards.
National Program Overview
The VPA-HIP program, re-funded under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, enables state and tribal governments to provide financial incentives to private landowners who voluntarily open their property for public recreational access.
“One of my main priorities has been expanding wildlife conservation and outdoor access through locally led partnerships,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program enables us to work with state and tribal partners to provide recreational access to private lands, support rural communities and ensure we are keeping working land in working hands.”
Across two rounds of awards announced in July and November 2026, the NRCS has invested a total of $70 million into 29 projects nationwide. Individual state projects run up to three years, with up to 25% of grant funds allowable for direct habitat improvement incentives on enrolled acreage.
