Help Conserve Georgia Wildlife

The Wildlife Resources Division's Nongame Conservation Section [1] receives no state appropriations to conserve Georgia's rare, endangered and other nongame wildlife, as well as native plants and natural habitats.

The division's Bobwhite Quail Initiative [2] also depends solely on contributions and grants to reverse declines in Georgia quail populations and habitat -- work that benefits many game and nongame species. You can support these vital conservation efforts through: 

Wildlife License Plates [3]	State Income Tax Checkoff [4]
Direct Donations [5]	Weekend For Wildlife [6]
TERN, the Nongame Friends Group [7]	Estate, Memorial and Other Gifts [8]
Conservation Easements [9]	GoodSearch [10]
Volunteer [11]

 

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Buy or Renew a Wildlife License Plate

     

Georgia’s hummingbird and bald eagle license plates support nongame wildlife conservation. When either plate is bought or renewed, $10 goes to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund. Established by law, this fund – officially the Nongame Wildlife Conservation and Wildlife Habitat Acquisition Fund -- is managed exclusively for conservation, education, land acquisition and recreation projects focused on endangered and nongame wildlife and plants.

Likewise, Georgia’s bobwhite quail and white-tailed deer plate contributes $10 to the Bobwhite Quail Initiative, or BQI, for each sale and renewal. Learn more [12].

Wildlife plates provide the largest source of contributions to the Wildlife Conservation Fund and to BQI.

Nongame projects benefiting include bald eagle surveys, sea turtle nest monitoring, longleaf pine/wiregrass habitat restoration and acquisitions of key habitats including at Silver Lake, Townsend and Paulding Forest wildlife management areas. Learn more [13].

BQI has helped establish more than 325 miles of field borders and hedgerows, positively affecting more than 20,000 acres for quail and songbirds by creating critical habitat for nesting, feeding and cover.

Anglers can support Georgia trout conservation and management programs by purchasing a Trout Unlimited license plate. For each sale and renewal, $10 goes to Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries Management efforts including trout production, stocking and stream restoration in North Georgia.  

Specialty plates cost $60, plus ad-valorem taxes and a $20 registration fee that is standard for all plates. The annual renewal is $35, plus registration and taxes. License plates are available at county tag offices and online. http://motor.etax.dor.ga.gov/ [14]

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Check the Wildlife Tax Checkoff

Give by filling in an amount of $1 or more on line 26 of Georgia’s long income tax form (Form 500) or line 10 of the short form (Form 500EZ). Contributions go to the Wildlife Conservation Fund.

Every contribution helps. Created in 1989, the Give Wildlife a Chance checkoff has averaged more than $300,000 a year, benefiting conservation of gopher tortoises, cerulean warblers, smooth purple coneflowers and other species. Learn more [15] about the Wildlife Tax Checkoff. State income tax forms are online at https://etax.dor.ga.gov [16].

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Donate Directly

Send checks payable to “Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund” to: Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund c/o Nongame Conservation Section, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029.

For the Bobwhite Quail Initiative, send checks payable “Georgia DNR – BQI Donation” to: Attn: Georgia DNR – Bobwhite Quail Initiative, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029.

Donations are tax deductible. Details: Wildlife Conservation Fund, (478) 994-1438 or michelle.mclaurin@dnr.state.ga.us [17]; BQI, (478) 994-7583 or tracey.purser@dnr.state.ga.us [18].

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Join TERN

The Environmental Resources Network, or TERN, is a 501c3 nonprofit and the friends group of the Nongame Conservation Section.  TERN provides financial support for the section and its projects, from a web-based guide to Georgia’s crayfishes to providing transponder tags to help mark bog turtles. Members receive a newsletter and the opportunity to participate in wildlife field trips and projects. Donations are tax-deductible.  Details: (478) 994-1438 or www.tern.homestead.com [19] (also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheEnvironmentalResourcesNetwork [20]).

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Attend Weekend For Wildlife

Held early each year on Sea Island, this prestigious fundraiser for the Wildlife Conservation Fund mixes outdoors adventure with a spectacular auction and banquet. Weekend for Wildlife has raised millions for nongame wildlife conservation in Georgia since the event’s start in 1989.  Registration opens in November. Details at www.weekendforwildlife.org [21].

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Consider Estate, Memorial and Other Gifts

Call the Nongame Conservation Section office in Social Circle, (770) 761-3035, or the Bobwhite Quail Initiative office in Forsyth, (478) 994-7583, for information on ways to support nongame conservation and BQI with contributions varying from real estate to memorial gifts.

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Use GoodSearch

Using GoodSearch [22] to search and shop online contributes money to the Wildlife Conservation Fund. Download the GoodSearch Toolbar , and then enter “Georgia Nongame Conservation Fund” as your charity.

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Explore Easements

Easements can preserve the conservation value and private ownership of property while offering significant tax benefits. Contact the Georgia Land Conservation Program [23] for details.

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Volunteer for Wildlife Work

Opportunities are available at DNR’s regional education centers and for some wildlife projects (volunteer hours can sometimes be used in matching grants). Check with the education centers [24], the Nongame Conservation Section (770-918-6400) and BQI (478-994-7583).