WASHINGTON, D.C. — USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the USDA is collaborating with nine state agencies and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Nation to increase recreational and economic opportunities on private lands.

Funding for the $20 million in grants is provided through USDA’s Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-IHP), authorized by the 2014 farm bill. Among the states in this region, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan departments of natural resources (DNRs) received grants.

"The funds will empower state and tribal governments to partner with landowners in their areas to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities, protect at-risk wildlife and spur new opportunities to rural businesses," Vilsack said.

"Partnerships are the key to locally-led innovative use of private lands, and this is the latest example of the Obama administration and USDA’s successful efforts to connect public and private partners for long-term conservation results."

Paige Buck, public affairs officer for the Illinois’ Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), said details of that state’s program are still in the planning stages. "The project hopes to continue and expand IDNR’s Illinois Recreational Access Program (IRAP) with new campaigns to offer opportunities for youth and adult turkey hunting, deer and upland hunting, fishing, non-motorized boat access and outdoor naturalist activities," she said.

"IRAP is offered in CREP-eligible (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program) counties, but we hope to expand to the entire state."

Illinois received a $1.7 million grant.

Mike Parker, acting private lands program manager with the Michigan DNR’s Wildlife Division, said his state’s goal is to increase acres enrolled in the public access program from 15,000 to 24,000. He explained the state leases private lands for hunting, generally for a period of two years.

Michigan is slated to receive $1.2 million in grant funds. "We’re just in the process of putting our marketing plan together," Parker said. "We received a grant in 2011 and had tremendous success with the program. We’ll follow what worked well for us last time.

"It’s an economic stimulus for rural areas with a domino effect. If you built it, they will come."

Iowa will receive $3 million to provide conservation assistance to landowners, enhancing 22,000 acres of wildlife habitat and opening an area to the public for hunting.

Along with the Yakima tribal government, other states receiving funding were Arizona, Georgia, Montana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Texas.

The program is administered by the NRCS. State and tribal governments can apply for the grant funding to expand or improve habitat in existing public access programs, or provide incentives to improve habitat on land already enrolled in their public access programs.

The increase in recreational activities is an important economic driver in rural communities. According to the Outdoor Industry Assoc., the outdoor recreational economy supports 6.1 million direct jobs, $80 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues and $646 billion in spending each year.

NRCS will announce a second round of funding this fall.