NEWPORT, Ore. — Nearly 295,000 acres of private timberlands in Lincoln County will remain open to public hunting access for the next five years with help from a $100,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Access and Habitat Program. Funds will be used to help pay for the cost of hiring a law enforcement officer to patrol the properties during hunting seasons.

The grant was awarded to the Lincoln County Solid Waste District, which oversees the forest patrol program.

Regular law enforcement patrols have reduced incidences of vandalism, garbage dumping and other violations, allowing the timberland owners to continue to keep their properties open to the public for hunting. This program has been in place since 1994.

In addition to the A&H Program grant, the Lincoln County Solid Waste District is contributing $163,000, the Association of Concerned Landowners is contributing $163,000 and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office is contributing $130,000.

The A&H Program is funded by a $2 surcharge on hunting licenses.  Funds raised by the program are distributed through grants to individual and corporate landowners, conservation organizations and others for cooperative wildlife habitat improvement and hunter access projects throughout the state.

For information on the A&H Program call program coordinator Matt Keenan at 503-947-6087 or visit the website at www.dfw.state.or.us/AH/