By Allison Peck
Listen to the full interview on our Kubota Podcast
A new round of funding is set to expand public hunting opportunities across western Nebraska, as local landowners and rural communities continue to see strong interest in a growing access program.
Addie Piernicky, a biologist with Pheasants Forever based in Ogallala, says the Nebraska Community Access Partnership (NCAP) has secured a second grant through the Nebraska Environmental Trust after quickly exhausting its initial funding.
“We were able to actually spend all that money due to the high demand in a year and a half instead of three,” Piernicky said. “We were really excited… and even more excited now with the second.”
The program works alongside the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Open Fields and Waters initiative, which leases private land for walk-in public hunting access. Landowners who enroll receive financial incentives while allowing regulated hunting during legal seasons.
“So folks can walk around and harvest animals… as long as they have the appropriate permit,” Piernicky explained. “There’s no sport shooting, no camping, no driving.”
The newly awarded grant will distribute about $570,000 over two years, with a goal of expanding enrolled land from roughly 57,000 acres to around 80,000 acres. That far exceeds the program’s original three-year goal of 25,000 acres.
Enrollment has already spread across Keith, Deuel, Arthur, Garden, Perkins, Cheyenne, and Kimball counties, with new priority areas now including Cheyenne County and northern Perkins County.
For landowners, the program offers a mix of one-time bonuses and annual payments. Those who commit to five years of access can receive $25 per acre for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land or $10 per acre for rangeland, in addition to yearly payments through Open Fields and Waters.
“It’s just an extra bonus incentive,” Piernicky said. “You can make quite a big bang for your buck… it definitely helps make ends meet if it works for your operation.”
She added that participation requires little change to how land is managed.
“It really isn’t something that’s going to change your way of life,” she said. “You’re just opening up that land.”
Beyond direct payments, the program is also designed to boost rural economies by attracting more hunters to the region outside of peak summer tourism.
“There’s a substantial amount of money just going to a gas station,” Piernicky said. “Then you add hotels… it really adds up for the community.”
Another key benefit is increased access for hunters, especially beginners. With roughly 97 percent of land in the area privately owned, limited access has long been a barrier.
“One of the limiting factors for new hunters is just the lack of public access,” she said. “And there’s so much opportunity here.”
The program has also seen strong landowner satisfaction, with a reported 97 percent retention rate statewide. Piernicky noted that properties leaving the program typically do so due to ownership changes—not dissatisfaction.
Liability concerns, often a hesitation for landowners, are addressed through protections under Nebraska’s Recreational Liability Act.
“There actually isn’t any,” Piernicky said of liability risk. “You’re protected.”
Landowners interested in enrolling are encouraged to apply soon, especially to be included in the state’s public access atlas published ahead of hunting seasons. While there is flexibility, earlier enrollment increases the likelihood of securing available funding.
“We try to get most of our new properties in by the first week of June,” she said, “but I’ve signed people up through even September.”
Piernicky said anyone considering enrollment or looking for more information can contact her directly or visit the Nebraska Pheasants Forever website.
As demand continues to grow, she says the program is proving to be a win across the board—for landowners, hunters, and rural communities alike.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity,” she said