Opportunity Information: Apply for VPA HIP
Apply for VPA HIP
- The Farm Service Agency in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program FY 2011" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 19, 2011 and posted on Jan 19, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 7, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $8,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA HIP) FY 2011 is a mandatory federal grant opportunity administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Its main purpose is to motivate private landowners and operators such as farmers, ranchers, and forest land managers to voluntarily open their privately held lands for public access. The access being encouraged is specifically for wildlife-dependent recreation, with hunting and fishing called out as primary examples. Rather than funding individual landowners directly, the program supports access initiatives that are designed and carried out through state governments or federally recognized tribal governments, which then implement the on-the-ground programs that make private lands available to the public.
The program is built around the idea that states and tribes can work with private landowners to expand recreational opportunities while also supporting habitat-related goals and responsible land management. In practice, this means grant recipients typically use funds to create or expand voluntary access programs, coordinate agreements with landowners, handle outreach and signage, and manage the basic administrative and compliance needs required to safely and clearly provide public access for hunting, fishing, and related recreation on private lands. The controlling regulatory framework for this grant is found at 7 CFR part 1455, which sets the governing rules and expectations for how VPA HIP funding is to be administered.
A key condition applies specifically to state government grantees: if a state does not maintain consistent opening dates for migratory bird hunting between residents and non-residents, the state s grant amount will be reduced by 25 percent. This penalty does not apply to tribal government grantees. This requirement reflects a policy priority tied to equitable or uniform access for migratory bird hunting seasons, and it functions as a built-in funding adjustment tied to the state s hunting season structure.
For FY 2011, the opportunity listed an estimated total funding level of 8,000,000. Individual awards were expected to range from a floor of 75,000 up to a ceiling of 2,000,000. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the activity category is agriculture, aligning with FSA s role and the program s placement within USDA. The opportunity indicates no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to provide a formal non-federal match as a condition of receiving funds. Eligible applicants were limited to state governments and federally recognized Native American tribal governments, which reinforces that the program is intended to be implemented at the state or tribal level rather than by private entities or local governments directly.
The application timeline for the FY 2011 announcement shows it was posted and created on January 19, 2011, with an original and current closing date of March 7, 2011. Additional program information was referenced through the FSA VPA webpage at www.fsa.usda.gov/vpa. For applicants or interested parties who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically, the listed point of contact was David Hoge, Program Specialist, reachable by phone at 202.720.7674 or by email at david.hoge@wdc.usda.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA HIP) FY 2011
What is the VPA HIP FY 2011 grant opportunity?
The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA HIP) FY 2011 is a mandatory federal grant opportunity administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). It is designed to support voluntary programs that open privately held land to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation.
What is the main purpose of this program?
The program is intended to motivate private landowners and operators (such as farmers, ranchers, and forest land managers) to voluntarily allow public access to their privately held lands, specifically for wildlife-dependent recreational activities.
What types of public access does VPA HIP encourage?
The program encourages access for wildlife-dependent recreation. Hunting and fishing are highlighted as primary examples of the kinds of recreation supported by the program.
Who administers this grant?
The grant is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Who is eligible to apply for VPA HIP FY 2011 funding?
Eligible applicants are limited to state governments and federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
Can private landowners apply directly for this funding?
No. The program does not fund individual landowners directly. Instead, it funds initiatives designed and carried out through state governments or federally recognized tribal governments, which then implement on-the-ground programs with private landowners.
Can local governments or non-government organizations apply?
Based on the eligibility information provided, applicants are limited to state governments and federally recognized tribal governments, which indicates local governments and other entities are not eligible applicants under this opportunity.
How does the program work in practice?
Grant recipients (states or tribes) typically use funds to create or expand voluntary access programs, coordinate agreements with private landowners, conduct outreach, provide signage, and manage administrative and compliance needs to safely and clearly provide public access for hunting, fishing, and related recreation on private lands.
What kinds of activities can grant funds support?
The opportunity description indicates funds are used for creating or expanding voluntary access programs and supporting implementation tasks such as landowner agreements, outreach, signage, and administrative/compliance work related to enabling public access on private lands for wildlife-dependent recreation.
What is the regulatory framework governing VPA HIP?
The controlling regulatory framework is 7 CFR part 1455, which sets governing rules and expectations for how VPA HIP funding is administered.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement for applicants.
What is the funding instrument type?
The funding instrument type is a grant.
What is the activity category associated with this grant?
The activity category is agriculture, consistent with the USDA Farm Service Agency role and the program placement within USDA.
How much funding was estimated to be available for FY 2011?
The estimated total funding level for FY 2011 was 8,000,000.
What was the expected range of individual award amounts?
Individual awards were expected to range from 75,000 to 2,000,000.
Is there any special condition affecting state government award amounts?
Yes. If a state does not maintain consistent opening dates for migratory bird hunting between residents and non-residents, the state grant amount will be reduced by 25 percent.
Does the 25 percent reduction apply to tribal government grantees?
No. The funding reduction related to migratory bird hunting opening dates does not apply to tribal government grantees.
What policy issue is the 25 percent reduction tied to?
The requirement reflects a policy priority tied to equitable or uniform access for migratory bird hunting seasons, and it functions as a built-in funding adjustment connected to the state hunting season structure.
When was the FY 2011 opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted (and created) on January 19, 2011.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed for the FY 2011 announcement was March 7, 2011.
Where could applicants find additional program information?
Additional program information was referenced through the FSA VPA webpage at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/vpa.
Who was the point of contact for help accessing the full announcement?
The listed point of contact was David Hoge, Program Specialist.
How could someone contact the program point of contact?
David Hoge could be reached by phone at 202.720.7674 or by email at david.hoge@wdc.usda.gov.
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