| Land
Access Program |
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Beginning
in 1989, through the Heritage Program (funded
by the Lottery), the Department has developed
and implemented a number of programs designed
to react to specific problems or conflicts
that arise and to take, where possible, a
more proactive role in establishing a working
relationship between the landowner/lessee,
the sportsman, land management agencies and
the Department.
The Landowner/Sportsman
Respect Program , also known as "Respect
Program" is a voluntary program designed
with the intent of improving sportsman ethics.
Department personnel work with the landowner
who is experiencing problems to install sign-in/sign-out
stations and strategic placement of informational
and regulatory signs.
The Adopt-Ranch-Program provides
an opportunity for interested volunteer groups
(conservation organizations, Boy Scouts,
4-wheel clubs, etc.) to "adopt" a ranch with
the idea of working directly with the landowners,
the Department, and with other appropriate
land management agencies to perform regular
maintenance activities on the ranch, helping
to mitigate problems that can be attributable
to public access.
The Stewardship Program allows
the Department to expend greater resources
in working with landowners who are experiencing
problems. This is a much more complex and
time-consuming program that involves the
drafting and signing of formal stewardship
agreements, whereby the Department agrees
to provide labor and materials such as cattle
guards, panel gates, road grading, limited
fence construction or other improvements
for the purpose of minimizing landowner/public
conflicts. Under the agreement, these resources
are provided to the landowner in exchange
for a guaranteed public access to or through
private property for an agreed upon number
of years. The improvements become the property
of the landowner at the end of the agreement
period. This program requires the Department
to perform a cost/benefit analysis on each
project.
Currently the Department has nearly 300 Respect Programs in place covering
over 12 million acres, over 30 Adopt-a-Ranch groups representing more than
500 volunteers and 2.1 million acres of accessible lands, and a growing
number (15 to 20) of Stewardship Agreements.
For more information,
contact us:
Josh Avey, Access Program Coordinator, (623-236-7624)
Troy Christensen, Respect and Adopt-a-Ranch, (623-236-7492) |
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