SALEM, Ore. — Columbia Basin landowners with good upland bird habitat on their properties can earn some additional income by providing public hunting access, thanks to ODFW’s new Oregon Open Fields program.

Funded by a federal grant, the program seeks to open 95,000 acres of private land in the Columbia Basin to upland bird hunting.

Landowners that participate will receive payment based on criteria like the size of the access area and type of access permitted (advance reservation required or walk-in hunting access). Payment will range from 78 cents to $3 per acre. Payments for hunting access for similar programs average about $2 an acre.

ODFW staff help landowners that participate in the program by posting signs, installing permit boxes, patrolling properties, coordinating hunter reservations, and managing all other aspects of the hunting access program. The state’s Recreational Use Statute also provides liability protection for participating landowners.

The Oregon Open Fields program is administered through the ODFW Access and Habitat Program and is funded by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.

For more information about participating in the Oregon Open Fields program, contact ODFW at 503-947-6317 or visit the Oregon Open Fields website.

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