Walk-In Access lands open starting Sept. 1

RELEASE FROM THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES:

Beginning Thursday, Sept. 1, hunters can access nearly 29,000 acres of private land across 39 counties in western and south-central Minnesota through the Walk-In Access program, which pays landowners to allow public hunting on their property.

Hunters with a $3 Walk-In Access validation can access these lands from a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset during open hunting seasons between Sept. 1 and May 31. No additional landowner contact is necessary. All Walk-In Access sites are shown in the DNR Recreation Compass (mndnr.gov/Maps/Compass). Digital maps for individual Walk-In Access sites, along more information for hunters, can be found on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/WalkIn).

The Walk-In Access program began in 2011 and funding sources include a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a surcharge on nonresident hunting licenses, a one-time appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature in 2012, and donations from hunters.