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A free online atlas and interactive maps of hunting lands enrolled in Minnesota’s new Walk-In Access (WIA) program now are available to the public for viewing and downloading on the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)website.
“Our website offers a number of ways for hunters to identify and locate WIA parcels,” said Marybeth Block, WIA coordinator for the DNR. “In addition to aerial maps, we offer some neat interactive options through Google maps, Google earth and the DNR recreational compass.”
Block said crews have posted boundary signs on more than 9,500 acres enrolled in the WIA program.
“WIA sites are not considered open until boundary signs are in place,” she said. “Maps representing WIA sites are general and may not accurately represent the actual legal or established boundary of these areas. They should be used for reference only.”
The public may hunt on any signed WIA parcels of land without getting additional permission from landowners. No motorized vehicle traffic is allowed. Trapping, trap shooting, fishing, dog training or other activities outside of hunting are prohibited.
“The future of this program depends on the positive perceptions of the landowners involved in the program,” Block said. “We ask hunters to follow a code of conduct that respects the land and the people living near the WIA parcels.”
The code of conduct can be found online with the hunting atlas, interactive maps and other WIA information.
The Walk-In Access program is a collaborative effort among the DNR, Board of Water and Soil Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Voluntary Public Access Program, which funded the three-year pilot program.
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