Michigan Path Initiative

A Michigan Public Hunting Access Initiative

Hunting in Michigan has an annual economic impact of $1.6B and supports over 11,000 jobs throughout the state. Unfortunately, hunter numbers are declining, with lack of access widely acknowledged as a primary barrier to participation. Although state and federal land constitutes 22% of Michigan's land-base, the vast majority of these public lands consist of forested habitat and occur in the Upper Peninsula. Most of the state's remaining grassland habitat (and associated pheasant hunting opportunities) occurs on private lands in southern Michigan. Recognizing these challenges, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MI DNR) developed the Hunting Access Program (HAP), a voluntary program that provides financial incentives to private landowners willing to allow public, walk-in access for hunting. Despite being one of the longest-standing access programs in the country (est. 1977), HAP enrollment has remained steady in recent years at ~20,000 acres. Unfortunately, HAP program expansion has been limited by inconsistent funding and staff capacity.

To help overcome these challenges, PF & QF developed the Michigan Public Access to Habitat (PATH) Initiative, which aims to accelerate public hunting opportunities within the state's core pheasant range. Through PATH, eligible landowners are offered a bonus of $10/acre in addition to the annual HAP payment rate, for a total of up to $40 per acre. In partnership with MI DNR, Michigan PATH will open public hunting access to 2,000+ new acres of high-quality grassland habitat on private lands in southern Michigan.