When Congress last month passed an extension to the federal farm bill for 2025 and avoided a government shutdown, the bill, unlike other extensions, did not include funding for a popular bipartisan federal walk-in access program important to hunters.
The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) funds state walk-in access programs – private land that’s open to hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationists. The vast majority of funding for the Minnesota DNR’s Walk-in Access program comes from VPA-HIP grants.
