(Area) Applications are being accepted for the Iowa DNR’s IHAP program.
IHAP stands for Iowa Habitat and Access Program. Private Lands Biologist Kelsey Fleming says they recently received additional funding. “We are now accepting applications. What IHAP is, we work with private land owners and producers and get them to enroll their habitat into the program to allow for public hunting on their land from September 1st through May 31st. That’s walk in hunting only, no fishing or trapping.”
Interested land owners can contact Fleming at 712-635-9033. “How it works is biologists like myself will go out with you, meet you on your property, and talk about how the habitat you have and how it can be improved for wildlife. We are going to provide you financial incentive to do that habitat work. That could be removing brush, doing prescribed burning, or seeding native plants. We are going to pay you to get that work done and then in exchange you are going to open it up for public hunting.”
She says in Iowa only 1% of the state is open for public hunting. “Having these additional acres is great for providing more places for people to hunt. It’s also great for the community. It brings people to the area and gives a bump in the economy locally.”
The IHAP program was established in 2011. 22,000 acres are currently enrolled, but they’d like to reach 50,000 acres.
