The Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership encourages landowners to allow hunters access to property.
Deborah Phillips, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative
Q. Dear Chip: We enjoy the entire Ohio Cooperative Living magazine, especially recipes and any article pertaining to the history of our state. I was particularly interested in your article titled “Crossing the River Jordan” that appeared in the February 2025 issue. I grew up in the small town of Albany, Ohio, and was taught the history of our immediate area and the Underground Railroad. There is quite the historical relevance in Albany. It was home to the first school of higher learning for people of color, and the town also participated in helping freedom seekers.
Today, there’s an historical marker on the corner across from a specialty coffee spot. My Grandpa, Charles Elliott, owned one of three grocery stores in Albany. Mr. Ike McDaniel and Perry Munn owned the other two. There also used to be a furniture store, several gas stations, feed stores, hardware, and pharmacy. Times have changed, but the love and fascination of Albany, my small hometown, continue. Thank you for your story of the Heritage of Freedom Trails.
A. Hi, Debbie: Many thanks for your kind words about my story in the February 2025 issue of Ohio Cooperative Living print magazine. Like you, I also enjoy Ohio history, and found your details of Albany very interesting. Thanks for sending, and much appreciated!
Jennifer Wilkes, The Frontier Power Company
Q. Hello, Chip: I was pleasantly surprised to see my foxhunting friends on the cover of the March 2025 issue of Ohio Cooperative Living magazine. On another subject, I was wondering if you’ve heard of the Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP)? It’s been a wonderful program uniting landowners with hunters seeking to hunt on private land. I have three landowners in my area enrolled in the program, and my Airbnb hunting guests are very excited about it. Check it out: https://ohiodnr.gov/buy-and-apply/hunting-fishing-boating/hunting-resources/ohio-landowner-hunter-access
A. Hi, Jennifer: I’ve been meaning to make Ohio Cooperative Living readers aware of the relatively recent — begun September 24, 2021 — Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership for some time, so thanks for the nudge. For those who are unfamiliar with it, below is a basic description of the program from the ODNR, Division of Wildlife, website:
“The Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP) program is a new way for Ohio hunters to get access to private properties. This program is funded in part by the federal Farm Bill under their Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP). This bill provides funding to state and tribal agencies through a competitive grant process to implement programs encouraging hunting access on private properties. As part of the 2018 Farm Bill, Ohio was awarded $1,831,500 to implement the new OLHAP program. The OLHAP program uses part of those funds to pay landowners for hunters to access their property. Participating landowners receive annual payment rates of $2.00/acre for agricultural lands and $30.00/acre for perennial wildlife cover, such as wetlands, grasslands, brushlands, and forest. Enrollment contracts are for 2 years, with the possibility of reenrollment.”
