A private ranch has donated enough money to open, or keep open, about 7200 acres of private land around Wyoming for public access to hunting and fishing. The Pathfinder Ranches gave more than $2,250 to Access Yes, a Wyoming Game and Fish Department program.
Money given to the Access Yes program isn’t used to buy private lands, but is given to landowners for easement payments. $1 equals 3.2 acres of new management areas or walk-in hunting or fishing areas on private land.
Sara DiRienzo, outreach specialist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, explained, “The donations that are provided to Access Yes helps support the landowner and the costs associated with opening their land up to hunting and fishing.”
She added it’s a way to make more land accessible beyond pre-existing public areas. A primary means of donation to Access Yes is through hunting licenses — applications for that open up January 2.
