Vermonters can express their passion for wildlife conservation by donating to the Nongame Wildlife Fund on their state income tax form this year, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The fund helps protect some of Vermont’s most threatened wildlife such as bald eagles, lake sturgeon, rare plants, and Indiana bats.
“Every dollar Vermonters donate to Nongame Wildlife Fund on their taxes is nearly tripled,” says Rosalind Renfrew, Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Diversity Program Manager. “Donations are leveraged by matching federal grants, meaning that a $35 donation can help secure up to another $65 in federal funds for wildlife conservation in Vermont. That’s a fantastic deal for all of us who care about wildlife.”
“The Nongame Checkoff donations, along with hunting, fishing and trapping license revenue, have helped recovery efforts for Vermont’s peregrine falcons, loons, ospreys, bald eagles, American martens, Indiana and northern long-eared bats, spiny softshell turtles, and other species,” said Director of Wildlife Mark Scott. “The common loon, osprey and peregrine falcon are no longer endangered species in Vermont due to science-based management that continues to benefit those species.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologists manage nongame wildlife projects that are diverse and include mammals, birds, turtles, fish, frogs, bees, freshwater mussels, and plants, as well as the habitats and natural communities they need.
“The Nongame Wildlife Fund has helped some of our greatest wildlife success stories in Vermont,” said Scott. “Thanks to the generous donations of thousands of Vermonters, we are restoring many of the iconic species of the Green Mountain State.”