Hopefully it will grow into something all southeast Idaho sportsmen can be proud of according to Don Jenkins, Landowner Sportsmen's Coordinator in Pocatello. The commission allocated $200,000 for start up. Southeast Idaho should receive $15,000 to $22,000 for leasing land and access.

"Access Yes is seeking a permanent funding base to provide up to $1 million annually. It will be split between regions," said Jenkins. "We have a long ways to go yet and this is sort of a pilot program year."

A committee of sportsmen will review landowner's bids to lease land for access. A committee will be selected in each region of the state by the regional supervisor and approved by the commission.

The commission asked the department to get some bids for review before they approved the program. More bids than money available poured in.

"In other western states with similar programs, the states pay out from $1.25 to .50 cents an acre for leases," Jenkins said. "One of the bids we got from our area was for deer and upland bird hunting on over 4,000 acres at over a dollar an acre. If a landowner wants habitat improvement instead of money, we can do that too."

Southeast Idaho has lots of public land but some prime fishing, deer and elk hunting access is controlled by private landowners. Many landowners have allowed open or limited public access. Unfortunately some have experienced vandalism and others have leased their lands to private hunting or fishing interests eliminating the public. In some cases lands that were once open to the public were sold to individuals that do not allow public access.

No Trespassing!

From Mackay to Malad hunters complained to Fish and Game about the alarming trend of posting private land to "No Trespassing." More trespassing signs are appearing. The reasons for the closures differ but the results are the same. One more place to hunt or fish is eliminated.

Access Yes is one answer to protecting our heritage of hunting and fishing on private lands. Landowners concerns vary and they may allow one activity but not another.

One landowner on the Portneuf River above Lava Hot Springs keeps his land open to fishing but does not allow hunting on his land. His main concern was road repair. Fishermen walk in while the hunters drive in and off roads. Road grading and gating cost him thousands of dollars. Access Yes can help address these problems.

Jenkins says he will welcome bids for fishing access along many of the region's trout streams from the Blackfoot to the Portneuf as well as hunting access. His job will be to pass these bids along to the regional Sportsmen's Review Committee. They will evaluate the bids on how well they meet sportsmen's needs from costs to diversity to various needs. Once evaluated on paper the committee will go on site and see the property. If it is selected the landowner will receive one third of the money up front and two thirds on December 31. This is to make sure contractual obligations to the sportsmen are met.

Good And The Bad

The new program will have some great points and probably some negative ones. Most important, something is being done to develop cooperation with landowners that benefits both sportsmen and landowners. Currently the limiting factor is availability of startup money. The commission is working to find new sources of funds. If you know of a landowner interested in this type of program have them call 232-4703 and ask for Don Jenkins.