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Every fall, hunters across Pennsylvania look forward to spending time in the woods and fields with family and friends. From whitetail deer to upland birds to waterfowl, the opportunities found here are second to none, and this annual tradition offers a chance for sportsmen and women to reconnect with the outdoors, make lifelong memories, and fill the freezer with enough healthy protein to last the year.
But even as we enjoy such a rich hunting heritage, there are still significant barriers to participate in this pastime, particularly for newcomers. First among them is access to quality places to hunt, which surveys show is the most commonly cited reason for hunters to give up the chase. It has become much harder in recent decades to secure permission to hunt on private property, which has also had increased pressure on public lands.
We have, however, a reservoir of untapped public land opportunities in Pennsylvania. According to a study released earlier this year by the digital mapping company onX and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, more than 27,000 acres of federal, state, county, and municipal public lands in our state are "landlocked" by private property and without a legal means of access for hunters or other outdoor recreationists. These parcels, ranging in size from just a few to hundreds of acres, belong to all of us, but can't be reached without trespass permission from a neighboring landowner.
More than ever, recent events have demonstrated the value of access to the outdoors. We can't take these opportunities for granted and must take positive action to ensure that future generations can enjoy the same hunting traditions that we do today, even as our population grows and increases the demand on our shared resources. After all, hunting license sales are a powerful source of funding for conservation across the country.
Fortunately, with the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, which secured full funding for the LWCF, $27 million will be available annually for access projects.
Together, we can utilize these tools to unlock more lands to the public for hunting and fishing. There's never been a better time to address this access challenge.
DEREK EBERLY
East Petersburg
Submitted via Virtual Newsroom