Nebraskaland

56 Nebraskaland • August-September 2021 MIXED BAG The handwritten note is addressed to a Nebraska landowner who enrolled his land in the Open Fields and Waters Program; the loose cursive words fi ll nearly two pages. "To say that I am grateful for your generosity of opening up your private ground for access would be a tremendous understatement," writes Nick Barnes, of Fremont. "I had personally stopped hunting for several years due to lack of property access. This year reignited my passion and love for the outdoors, and if not for your generosity, this wouldn't have been possible." The note is one of many that roll into Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offi ces each hunting season — from residents and nonresidents who utilize the public access acres enrolled in the OFW program. Another common refrain is the quality of the land enrolled, often spoken of by nonresidents who choose to hunt Nebraska for this very reason. In 2009, knowing that more than 97% of Nebraska land was privately owned, Game and Parks initiated Open Fields and Waters to increase public access opportunities for walk- in hunting, trapping, and/or fi shing on private lands, with a focus on a variety of habitat types. The program enrolls woodlands, farm ponds, wetlands, rangeland and stream frontage, in addition to traditional grassland habitats, all published and distributed annually in the Nebraska Public Access Atlas. The program is voluntary and off ers fi nancial incentives in exchange for access, and since 2016 has made major gains, with a record number of acres enrolled across the state. More than 850 private landowners participated in the program in 2020-21, providing access to more than 372,000 land acres, 500 ponds or lakes, and 45 miles of streams. Landowners can choose how much land to enroll and sign up for one-year and up to fi ve-year contracts, with the ability to withdraw at any time. The program addresses a top barrier for hunters and anglers in Nebraska: Finding places to hunt and fi sh. But the program knows it needs to remain fl exible over time, changing as hunter and landowner preferences, needs and satisfaction rates change. Studies conducted in 2012, 2014, and annually since 2018, inform Game and Parks on these variables and help focus enrollment eff orts by location or habitat types. Satisfaction rates with the program have been high, with 94% of hunters saying they expect to use OFW lands again and 83% of landowners saying they are very-to-somewhat satisfi ed with the program. Many landowners continually re- commit to the program. "My dad always told me there should be a place to hunt for the average Joe, not just the rich guy," said one such landowner in Keya Paha County, sharing his philosophy for why he enrolls his acres in OFW. Communities where acres are enrolled also see hidden perks: tourism dollars from hunters visiting, eating and sleeping during a weekend or weeklong hunt. A 2020 study showed hunter expenditures were greatest in the southwest, a boon for the region. Hunters themselves help fund OFW through their purchase of a habitat stamp or a hunting or fi shing permit. Those dollars are matched with federal and private conservation group funds to grow conservation eff orts and improve land access. Because without access, no one wins; hunter and angler numbers would continue to drop and landowners would lose out on potential earnings. But OFW is an eff ort to bridge the gap. A win-win for all. Learn more at OutdoorNebraska.org/OFW. A WIN-WIN WITH OPEN FIELDS AND WATERS By Shawna Richter-Ryerson Fly-fi shing on the White River via Open Fields and Waters property in Sioux County. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND

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