Farm Bill Could Expand Hunting Access
The U.S. House Committee advanced a new Farm Bill with major implications for hunters and anglers. The bill includes provisions to expand public lands access, invest in habitat restoration, and support clean water initiatives—potentially affecting hunting and fishing opportunities on millions of acres of public land.
The new Farm Bill, officially the "Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026," cleared the House Agriculture Committee after a marathon 20-hour session, advancing with a bipartisan 34-17 vote. Introduced by Chairman G.T. Thompson, the bill now heads to the full House for consideration, with leadership aiming for a vote before the Easter recess. A major addition is the new Forest Conservation Easement Program, which comes with mandatory funding. This program is designed to prevent the conversion of private and tribal forestlands—which make up 58% of all U.S. forests—to non-forest uses by allowing landowners to voluntarily sell development rights. The popular Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is reauthorized through 2031, maintaining its current cap of 27 million acres. However, the House bill does not increase the annual rental payment limit of $50,000, a figure unchanged since 1985 and a point of contention for some conservation advocates who recommended an increase to $125,000. While this bill doesn't allocate new funds for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), the program received a significant boost from the separate "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." That legislation invested $70 million in VPA-HIP, which provides grants to states and tribes to open up private lands for public hunting and fishing. The legislation also makes the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Program permanent, authorizing $150 million to be split between the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to manage the invasive species. The bill's journey is far from over. After a House vote, the Senate, which has not yet released its version, will need to act. Differences between the two chambers would then need to be reconciled in a conference committee before a final bill can be passed into law.
