It's been non-stop this morning with emails and phones from landowners wishing to lease their land.

Guess that answers my post on your other thread...

So, they want to lease the landowners land, pay them the same rate the owner could get from hunters, where they have control of numbers and harvest...and open it to the public for hunting

Am I missing something?

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP) provides grants to States and tribal governments to encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch, and forest land to voluntarily make land available for public access for wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting or fishing under programs administered by States and tribal governments.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=pahp

States particpating http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/vpamap0412.pdf

VOLUNTARY PUBLIC ACCESS AND HABITAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM AWARDS
Texas
$813,068


FSA Funds to Texas $813,068
or 162,613 acre of Public Lands for APH and Public Dove Lands Program per year

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/obligationsvpahip.xls

Mine was successful

Lots of tags left over...4k

Walk-in Hunting Access Program
The walk-in hunting access (WIHA) program kicked off in 1995 in an effort to enhance the strong Kansas hunting heritage by providing hunting access to private property. The program has grown to one of the most successful access programs in the country. By 2004, over 1 million acres were enrolled in the program providing countless opportunities for sportsmen to pursue their favorite game at no additional charge. Although the majority of the acreage provides good to excellent upland game bird hunting, some areas provide opportunites for deer, waterfowl and squirrel hunting as well. Landowners receive a modest payment in exchange for allowing public hunting access. Payments vary by the amount of acres enrolled and length of contract period. Contract dates can be established from September 1 or November 1 through January 31 of each year. In addition, other lands are leased for spring turkey hunting only (April 1- May 31). Land enrolled can be in CRP, native rangeland, wheat or milo stubble and riparian or wetland areas. The area is posted with signs designating it as WIHA, regularly patrolled, and safety zones clearly marked. Liability is waived from private individuals who lease land to the state for recreational purposes. State law provides immunity from damages or injuries resulting from ordinary negligence. For more information fill out the application in the brochure below and send it to the Regional Office in your area or contact Private Lands Coordinator in Pratt Operations Office for more information.

http://www.kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/Services/Private-Landowner-Assistance/Wildlife/Walk-in-Hunting

That's one thing about Texas, we have VERY little public hunting compared to other states. I hope this works out.

"We're doing several things this year," Campbell says. First of all, the department is using an additional $400,000 gained through a Voluntary Public Access Grant through the Farm Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "This is a way to get more public lands out there, and we're trying to offer more seasonal game, doves, ducks, sandhill cranes, feral hogs."

$813,068
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/obligationsvpahip.xls

Guess that answers my post on your other thread...

So, they want to lease the landowners land, pay them the same rate the owner could get from hunters, where they have control of numbers and harvest...and open it to the public for hunting

Am I missing something?