Six finalists selected for new conservation license plate

Minnesota motorists who support natural resource conservation soon will have another license plate option.

A panel of judges has chosen six potential Critical Habitat License Plate designs from more than 70 artist entries. The final design will be selected in November, marking the first new conservation license plate since the loon plate became available in 2002. The new plate will go on sale in early 2007.

"The folks who have purchased loon and deer plates have every reason to be proud," said C.B. Bylander, outreach chief of the Department of Natural Resources Fish and Wildlife Division. "They have generated more than $17.5 million for habitat conservation since the first plate was sold in 1996. That’s an impressive amount. We are thankful for it. And we look forward to the new license plate continuing this conservation funding tradition."

Selected as finalists for the 2007 license plate design are: a lady slipper orchid submitted by Nancy Scherer of Cambridge, a black-crowned night heron by Vernon Morris of Minneapolis, a wolf by Kito Young of Inver Grove Heights, a moose silhouette by Erica Hurt of Apple Valley, a leaping fish by Sam Melquist of East Grand Forks and a walleye by Timothy Turenne of Richfield.

The finalists were selected by a panel that included Tom Landwehr of The Nature Conservancy, outdoorsman Dennis Douda of WCCO-TV, Bruce Rubin of Rubin Cordaro Design, Dolores Martin of Martin Printing, DNR fish expert Konrad Schmit and DNR wildlife expert Bill Penning. The winner of this year's contest will receive $500. "Contest entries included everything from wolves to wildflowers and turkeys to turtles," said Bylander. "It was a good cross-section of what artists believe to be special about our state."

The license plate design finalists can be viewed on the DNR’s Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Citizens are welcome to comment about their license plate preferences on that site.

The Critical Habitat License Plate, first authorized during the 1995 Legislative session, generates funds for the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Critical Habitat Matching Account. The money is used to match private donations to acquire and conserve lands critical for fish and wildlife habitat and to protect rare natural communities.

License plate funds have enabled the DNR to purchase 4,300 acres of land for wildlife management areas, aquatic management areas, and scientific and natural areas, as well as help fund a variety of projects to benefit nongame species. To date, about 30,100 deer plates and 88,800 loon plates have been sold.

Critical Habitat License Plates are available at deputy registrar offices statewide or online at www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/.
 

(click on each license plate for a high resolution image.)