Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new effort to encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch, and forest land to voluntarily provide public access to their land for outdoor recreation activities, including horseback riding.

"This would be open to all outdoor recreational opportunities," Vilsack said, describing those possibly benefiting as hunters, anglers, horseback riders, hikers, bird watchers, mountain bikers, and canoers.

The new program, called the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), will provide up to $50 million in competitive grants to state and tribal governments to expand existing public access programs or to create new public access programs. In addition, the funds can be used to provide incentives to improve wildlife habitat on enrolled lands.

Deb Balliet, chief executive officer of the Equine Land Conservation Resource, said the ELCR supports the new program. "Horsemen across the nation enjoy viewing and photographing wildlife and, where legal, hunting from horseback. The growing community of equestrians are seeking additional recreational and trail riding spaces. We think it especially important that programs such as this reach out to a multitude of recreationists