The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is looking to provide additional hunting and fishing op - portunities on private lands through its Open Fields and Waters Program.
Landowners willing to allow public walk-in access for hunting or fishing can receive annual, per-acre payments through the program. Participating landowners are afforded liability protection through the Nebraska Rec-
reational Liability Act. Additional financial incentives often are avail - able for habitat improvements, such as Conservation Reserve Program enrollment or management upgrades.
Game and Parks primarily is seeking to add the following types of enrollments, but all properties of- fering high-quality hunting or fishing opportunities will be considered: Conservation Reserve Program CRP fields provide excellent hunting opportunities for upland game birds
and acres in any part of the state will be considered. Landowners can receive
up to $20 per acre for CRP, depend-
ing upon location and habitat quality.
Wetland Reserve Program ease - ments Landowners who have Wet - land Reserve Program easements can earn up to $15 per acre for accessible portions of WRP easements with suit -
able habitats.
Grasslands High-quality grass - land habitat that provides mixed-bag hunting opportunities for upland game birds and big game species are being sought statewide. Properties in the Sandhills supporting prairie grouse, mule deer and/or antelope are a prior- ity, along with sites in south-central and southeastern Nebraska that offer
quail and/or white-tailed deer hunting opportunities.
Woodlands Heavily timbered areas along riparian corridors and those with canyon-like topography are being pursued in many areas. Rates for high-quality woodlands range from $3 to $25 per acre, depending on habitat quality and location.
Fishing access Ponds, lakes, warm-water streams or rivers and cool-water streams with trout are potential targets. Payment rates are per surface acre on lakes and ponds and per stream mile on streams or rivers.
For more information about Open Fields and Waters, visit OutdoorNe -
braska.gov and search "Open Fields and Waters." Interested landowners
should contact a biologist at their near- est Game and Parks district office or service center (OutdoorNebraska.gov, scroll to Locations tab at the bottom).
Since 2016, more than 235,000 acres have been added to Open Fields and Waters with more than 940 private landowners participating in the pro -
gram in 2025-26. Those landowners provided walk-in hunting and fishing opportunities across 471,000-plus
land acres, more than 350 acres of ponds and lakes and more than 42 stream miles.
Funding for the Open Fields and Waters Program primarily is pro- vided by a grant obtained through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Voluntary Public Access Habitat Incentive Program and Pittman-Rob - ertson funds (Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Act). In addition, Game and Parks uses funds from Habitat Stamp and hunting license sales, and contributions from partners to fund the program and increase opportunities for hunting, trapping and fishing on Nebraska's private lands.
