What is the Access
Program?
The Access program is a cost-share program
funded through Heritage funds with the main
objective of working cooperatively with private
landowners across the state to create and
maintain public access.
Why do we need
the Access Program?
Arizona consists of about 72.6 million acres,
of which only 18% is privately owned. About
33% is public land while 13% is State Trust
land. Some 4.5 million acres of State Trust
and other public lands, or 6.1% of Arizona,
is "landlocked" by privately owned lands and
not legally accessible by public means such
as established right-of-ways, easements, etc.
Access restrictions in Arizona have increased
substantially over the last decade. Private
landowners continue to close off access to
public lands that are landlocked by their
private property where access was once permitted.
What can the
Access Program provide to a landowner?
The Landowner Relation Program utilizes funds
provided through the access program to perform
various projects with private landowners in
exchange for short-term or perpetual access
agreements. These projects vary in scale depending
on the importance of the access point as well
as the length of the access agreement.
Access funds can also be utilized to purchase
perpetual public access easements on privately
owned roads that can provide public access
to federal lands.
What type of
projects can be accomplished?
The projects that can be accomplished vary
greatly, depending on the landowner's and
wildlife habitat needs. The Department has
assisted in cost sharing on brush treatments
to restore grasslands, dirt tank clean-outs,
installing water distribution systems and
drinkers, fencing and grassland reseeding.
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What about
Private Property Rights?
The Department respects the rights of private
landowners. Accordingly, private landowners
have every right to deny access through their
property, and they will do so if the common
problems that have historically caused landowners
to deny access through their lands are not
effectively addressed and continuously monitored.
The seven most common reasons for landowners
denying access are:
- Vandalism
- Trespassing
- Littering
- Off-road activities
- Disruption of landowner operations
- Liability Issues
- Undocumented Immigrants and Drug Trafficking
(Southern Arizona)
Contact Information
For additional information
or questions on the Access Program Please
contact Al Eiden, Private Lands Stewardship
Coordinator at (623) 236-7624 or aeiden@azgfd.gov.
Additional
Resources
- Sample Access
Agreement [PDF,
49kb]
Access agreements are customized with each
situation. The above document is an example
of an access agreement.
- Landowner Signs - View samples
New! Visit our new web-based mapping tool that provides hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationists with access information to and through private lands at azaccessmap.com.
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