DNR: Tax time is your time to help wildlife (2005-03-22)

More than 800 nongame wildlife species depend on the generosity of Minnesotans during tax time. This once-a-year opportunity to donate to help wildlife appears on Minnesota state income and property tax forms and provides funding for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Nongame Wildlife Program.

The uniqueness of this government program is that it is 80 percent funded by donations to the wildlife fund checkoff on state tax forms, according to Carrol Henderson, supervisor of DNR Nongame Wildlife Program.

"These voluntary donations have been extremely important to the survival of Minnesota's because most other conservation funding is not available to help nongame wildlife," Henderson said.

Minnesota now boasts the largest common loon population in the lower 48 states, the highest number of trumpeter swans in the interior population, and has the fourth largest population of bald eagles in the United States.

Last year, 74,000 Minnesotans donated to the line with the loon on their state tax returns, compared with 76,000 the previous year.

"Only one in 32 households contributed to the wildlife checkoff fund last year, so every dollar donated is an important gift to wildlife," Henderson noted.

The April 15 tax deadline offers Minnesotans a last opportunity to donate to the Nongame Wildlife Fund and provide the means and hope wildlife biologists need to carry out more than 60 projects that will help keep Minnesota a state rich in wildlife resources.

"Remember tax time is your time to help wildlife," said Henderson.

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