Hunting in Nebraska has an annual economic impact of $532 million and supports over 3,590 jobs throughout the state. Unfortunately, hunter numbers are declining across the country – with a lack of access widely acknowledged as the primary barrier to participation. Less than 3% of Nebraska is publicly owned, making access to private land crucial to the future of upland bird hunting in the state. Recognizing these challenges, the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (NGPC) developed the Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Program to increase public hunting access to private lands. OFW is a voluntary program that provides financial incentives to private landowners willing to allow public, walk-in access for hunting.
OFW enrollment reached record levels in 2025-26 (470,000 acres), thanks in part to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's (PF & QF) Nebraska Community Access Partnership (NCAP) Initiative. As part of the organization's Public Access to Habitat (PATH) Program that has active initiatives in 5 states, Nebraska's NCAP Initiative provides additional, one-time incentive payments ($10-$25/acre) to private landowners who enroll high-quality habitat into the OFW Program for 5 years. Initial NCAP efforts were targeted in a 6-county focus area in western Nebraska (centered around Lake McConaughy) to help extend the economic boost to local communities beyond the spring/summer months. In less than two years, NCAP helped secure public hunting access to over 57,000 acres of high-quality habitat on private lands, including over 31,000 acres that were new to the OFW Program. These sites provide excellent hunting opportunities for upland birds, big game, and waterfowl, and have been extremely popular among hunters. PF & QF recently secured a second grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust in fall 2025 and will be expanding NCAP westward in 2026 to include the southern panhandle.
Working in partnership with NGPC, PF & QF developed the NCAP Initiative in 2024. NCAP helps accelerate the enrollment of high-quality upland bird habitat into the NGPC's OFW Program and secures public hunting access for 5 years. Often, these access programs are coupled with other voluntary conservation programs (e.g., USDA Farm Bill Programs) that provide additional incentives or cost-share to landowners for creating or improving wildlife habitat.
Create New Public Access: Incentivize the enrollment of 20,000+ acres of private lands into 5-year OFW Program contracts (over the next two years)
Maintain Quality Habitat: Target enrollment of high-quality upland bird habitat, limit haying and grazing activities, and work to improve habitat on enrolled properties
Bolster Rural Economies: Engage local stakeholders and communities to strengthen the connection between hunting, public access, and the rural economy
Expand Program Support: Increase hunter awareness and support of OFW (and NCAP)
Private landowners interested in enrolling their land in NCAP are encouraged to contact Addie Piernicky, PF & QF's NCAP Coordinating Wildlife Biologist, below.
NCAP incentives are in addition to those offered through NGPC's existing OFW Program and are administered similarly. Interested landowners will work with a private lands biologist for site evaluation, contracting, and implementation. Program payments are administered through Pheasants Forever.
To be eligible for NCAP, landowners must sign a 5-year OFW contract (allowing public, walk-in hunting access), and properties must:
Occur within the expanded NCAP focal area (see map), which includes portions of the following counties: Keith, Deuel, Garden, Morrill, Lincoln, Arthur, Cheyenne, Perkins, and Kimball
Provide high-quality upland bird habitat, including grasslands (e.g., CRP fields, lightly grazed rangeland), wetlands, weedy draws or fencelines, or other odd areas
Follow haying and grazing guidelines to ensure quality cover is maintained for wildlife (and hunters)
NCAP Bonus Payment: 100 acres x $25/acre = $2,500
NGPC OFW Payment: 100 acres X $10/acre = $1,000 (annual) X 5 years = $5,000
Annual CRP Payment (based on location and soil types)
Total Payment: $7,500 for Public Access + Annual CRP Payments
NCAP Bonus Payment: 2,000 acres X $10/acre = $20,000 (up front)
NGPC OFW Payment: 2,000 acres X $2/acre = $4,000 (annually) x 5 years = $20,000
Total Payment: $40,000 for Public Access (over a 5-year contract)
* These figures are for illustrative purposes only
All lands enrolled and impacted by PF & QF's NCAP Initiative will be recognized with a NCAP sign in addition to NGPC's OFW Program signage.
Landowners will to allow 5 years of public hunting access through NGPC’s Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Program can qualify for three options:
$25/ac one-time bonus for quality, undisturbed CRP/CREP
$25/ac one-time bonus for farmed wetlands or Wetland Reserve Easements
$10/ac one-time bonus for high-quality rangeland or Grassland CRP
Active, undisturbed CRP/CREP contracts with a minimum of five years remaining on their contract are eligible for the one-time, $25/ac bonus.
Farmed wetlands, playa wetlands, and Wetland Reserve Easements are eligible for the one-time, $25/ac bonus.
High-quality, grazed rangelands or Grassland CRP acres are eligible for the one-time, $10/ac bonus.
The OFW public access agreement and NCAP bonus require a 5-year commitment.
Yes. Existing OFW contracts are eligible, we simply sign a new contract and include the NCAP signature page for the producer to receive the bonus. Currently, our main focus area is within Keith, Deuel, Garden, Morrill, Lincoln, Arthur, Cheyenne, Perkins, and Kimball counties.
Yes, the NCAP bonus program is directly tied to an OFW agreement. What’s exciting about that is landowners will receive an annual OFW payment in addition to an NCAP bonus.
The PATH vision is to increase public hunting opportunities on Nebraska's private lands that support high-quality upland bird habitat. Initial support for NCAP was provided by the Nebraska Environmental Trust and onX Hunt. Our new fundraising goal of $100,000 will secure public access to a minimum of 20,000+ acres over the next two years. Your contribution will be matched with programmatic support from onX Hunt and leveraged with other funding sources to maximize your impact. NCAP also provides a unique opportunity for hunters, PF & QF chapters, donors, local communities, and other stakeholders to directly support the expansion of public hunting opportunities in Nebraska, while boosting rural economies.
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