Pittsfield, IL 62363
(217) 285-2464
It is a program in West Central Illinois where outdoor enthusiasts are matched with private landowners for white tail deer hunting, turkey hunting, and other outdoor recreational experiences such as hiking, bird watching, fishing, camping, trail riding, biking, photography and etc. This innovative concept is designed to increase the public outdoor recreational opportunities by facilitating access to private lands.
The program is managed by the Two Rivers Resource Conservation & Development, Inc., in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The program is available in the west central Illinois area of Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Pike, Scott, Greene, Jersey and Schuyler Counties. This area is the home to a host of outdoor resources - over 400,00 acres of woodland, hundreds of miles of streams, over 1,000 farm ponds and some of Illinois most generous populations of wildlife.
Although this area is known
nationally for the large whitetail deer and bow hunting
as the most popular outdoor activity, there are many
other non-hunting activities that are available - such as
camping, hiking, biking, fishing, bird watching, and
photography.
People wanting to hunt, hike,
camp, bird watch, take pictures, fish or pursue other
outdoor activities complete an application and send it
with a membership fee($25 for an individual and $50 for a
family) to the Access Illinois office. Landowners wishing
to enroll their land complete a similar application and
send it to the Two Rivers Area. After copies of the
landowner applications are received a "Field
Coordinator" visits each farm to get acquainted with
the landowner, the resources and facilities available on
the farm.
The Access program members rank the counties on their application in which they wish to pursue the various outdoor activities. These applications, upon receipt in the Access Illinois Outdoors - Two Rivers office. are given to a field coordinator who will assist the Access member in making access arrangements with a landowner for both hunting and/or non-hunting activities.
Access members must realize that in most situations landowners will request a fee to access the property. This fee is in addition to the program administrative fee paid to the Access Illinois Outdoors - Two Rivers.
Also, the field coordinator will direct Access members to individuals that can provide services such as bed and breakfast, guiding, processing of game, motels, restaurants and other needs.
For non-hunting uses, the coordinator will assist in making necessary arrangements.
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