Vermonters Can Aid Endangered Species With Income Tax Checkoff
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Vermont's Nongame Wildlife Fund goes to the conservation and restoration of some of the state's most at-risk wildlife — from bumblebees to butterflies, and mussels to mammals.
The Nongame Fund checkoff option on the Vermont state income tax form makes donating to the fund easy.
"Responding to biodiversity loss is as important as ever right now, and we're fortunate that here in Vermont we have strong state laws designed to protect species, and we work hard to safeguard the wildlife and plants we all care about," said Rosalind Renfrew, the Fish and Wildlife Department's Wildlife Diversity Program manager. "Every dollar donated to Nongame Wildlife Fund makes this possible, and Vermonters' donations through the Nongame Tax Checkoff are doubled or tripled when they leverage matching federal grants, securing even more resources to benefit Vermont's wildlife."
The Nongame Tax Checkoff has helped to recover species that were once on the brink of extinction in Vermont, like the common loon, osprey and peregrine falcon. The bald eagle was one of the most recent species to be removed from Vermont's list of endangered species.
The Nongame Wildlife Fund continues to support nest monitoring to ensure that loon, peregrine and eagle populations remain robust and is now allowing conservationists to take action for species of turtles, snakes, bats, plants, and other birds that need close attention.
"For nearly 40 years, Nongame Checkoff donations have made possible some of our greatest conservation success stories, and they continue to fund front-line work on behalf of our most at-risk species," said Renfrew. "The eastern meadowlark and rue anemone wildflower were among the species recently added to Vermont's threatened and endangered list, and we're already taking action to support their populations. he Nongame Checkoff is one of the most direct ways Vermonters can conserve our biodiversity, starting with species that are most imperiled."
