Minnesota’s Walk-In Access program now for use beyond just hunting

St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR’s Walk-In Access program is slated to have a similar amount of acreage available to hunters for the upcoming hunting seasons. But there’s a twist this year.

What’s new is that the program will expand, allowing bird watchers and photographers to access the 30,000 acres of available land to visit and explore.

“We’re hoping by the end of next year, we’ll have all the walk-in sites open to public users not just those select (locations) that were enrolled this year,” said Amber Knutson, WIA program coordinator for the DNR.

To enter one of the WIA sites throughout the season from Sept. 1 to May 31, all visitors must purchase a $3 validation. The hope with making the WIA sites more accessible to a broader group of people this year, and in the future, is to drive more interest and community usage of the areas.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be an exponential (increase), but I think it’s good for the public in general just to offer more opportunity for them to get out there,” Knutson said.

With active hunting going on, anyone who enters a WIA site, for whatever reason, should wear blaze orange, state officials say.

“Anytime you’re out there, just be visible to anybody else that would be out there as well,” Knutson said.

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Program details

The amount of accessible acreage remains relatively the same this year as it was last year, with the majority of Walk-In Access land in the western and southwestern portions of the state.

Since the program started in 2011 with just 9,100 acres and 87 parcels of accessible private land, it’s grown an acreage that hovers around 30,000 – where it’s been for several years.

“We’re trying to push it a little bit further, but it’s kind of limited to what our funding is, too,” Knutson said. 

The DNR offers $18 per acre to landowners who participate in the program. However, it remains limited in the amount of funds it can give landowners. The program was kicked-started with $1.67 million in 2011 via a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

After running for more than a decade, the program continues to receive federal and state funding to continue, along with additional dollars from nonresident hunting licenses.

“We try to keep it away from counties that have large numbers of public access acres,” Knutson said, adding that additional funding in upcoming years “… could allow us to expand out farther.”

Knutson and the team continue focusing on Walk-In Access sites in southwestern and western Minnesota and find landowners whose property lies in regions with less public lands for hunters and now photographers and bird watchers.

“This program is a great program. Like 30,000 acres for $3 validation … where else can you get a great opportunity like that for just a couple of dollars?” Knutson said. 

Updates throughout the WIA season on closures and information about where to get the $3 validation will be posted on the DNR website.