RALEIGH, N.C. (March 31, 2016) — With Tax Day 2016 coming on April 18, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reminds taxpayers to remember North Carolina’s wildlife and wild places this year when completing their state income tax form by making a donation on line 30.

Donations support the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund, which helps the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission conduct conservation work that benefits animals not hunted or fished — animals such as songbirds, sea turtles, eagles, salamanders, frogs, turtles and bats.

The Commission uses donations to match federal and other grants. Donations made to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund make up the largest and most significant source of non-federal funding to help these animals, so donations are critical to the continuation of many projects.

Current work includes surveys to determine the abundance and distribution of many species throughout the state, such as sea turtles along the coast, robust redhorse fish in the Piedmont and golden eagles in the mountains. Biologists collect data that help them determine the most effective ways to manage wildlife and their habitats, ensuring that species not only survive, but thrive, in a state where habitat continues to disappear at an alarming rate.

View a video of a riparian breeding bird survey conducted by Commission biologists and funded through the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund.

 These donations also help to pay for educational activities and wildlife-watching projects, such as the N.C. Birding Trail.

The Tar Heel state is home to more than 1,000 nongame species. Many of them, such as box turtles, green anoles and Northern cardinals, are common and can be found in backyards, fields and woods. Others, such as sea turtles, many freshwater mussel species and several bat species, are endangered or threatened and need active conservation to prevent them from disappearing entirely from our state.

Online tax preparation software, such as TurboTax, does not have numbered lines. E-filers will be asked if they would like to make a donation to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund. Other tax filers may tell their tax preparer that they would like to donate.

Tax season isn’t the only time or way to contribute to wildlife conservation. Other ways to help North Carolina’s wildlife and their habitats year-round are: 

• Registering a vehicle or trailer with a N.C. Wildlife Conservation license plate;
• Donating online at www.ncwildlife.org/give.

More information about the Wildlife Diversity Program, including projects and quarterly reports, is available on the Commission’s website.